Stress Awareness Month — How stress can lead to mental ill health
April is Stress Awareness Month, a month in which there is a collective effort to highlight the impact and prevalence stress can have on many of us within our daily lives.
Stress is often not taken seriously and there are many myths and misconceptions that can prevent us from seeking further support. These myths can include that stress is a choice, stress is the same for everyone, you can always spot someone who is stressed, alcohol makes you less stressed, you should only be worried about long-term stress, and there is nothing you can do about stress.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, in 2021, 74% of UK adults felt so stressed at some point they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. We felt it was important to share some information to remind us all to take time to identify and understand the emotional and mental pressures currently in our lives, and share some tips on how to address them to protect our mental health.
“I started waking up in the morning in a panic, feeling nauseous, with my heart racing. That feeling would stick around for as long as I was awake.
99% of the time, I felt like something really bad was about to happen.”
How is stress linked to mental health?
Stress can be described as how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. Stress is not normally considered a mental health problem, but it is connected to our mental health and wellbeing in several ways:
Stress can cause mental health problems or make existing problems worse
Mental health problems can cause stress
When we are struggling to manage our stress levels, we can often turn to unhealthy coping strategies such as recreational drugs or alcohol — this can have a direct impact on our overall mental wellbeing
Stress will often arise when we find ourselves in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control. Sometimes, a small amount of stress can help us to complete tasks and feel more energised. However, stress can become a problem when it lasts for a long time or is very intense, and this can affect both our physical and mental health.
Stress can affect our emotions, our body, and how we behave in lots of different ways. Sometimes when we are stressed, we might be able to tell right away. But at other times, we might keep going without recognising the signs.
“It’s overwhelming. Sometimes you can’t see beyond the thick fog of stress.”
Stress can affect everyone differently. In recent years, many of us have experienced high levels of stress regularly. Check out our resource below for more information about looking after your mental health and wellbeing, whilst better managing pressures and stresses.
We’re here to fight for better mental health across Devon. For support. For respect. For you.