Managing Stress Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? You wake up late for work and the first thing you do is tumble coffee all over your shirt. You know that today is going to be a upsetting and stressful day. In addition to adults, some children become stressed at some point in their lives. The (“American Institute of stress,” 2014) states that stress Is Americas number 1 health problem and according to (Miller, PhD & Alma PhD, “2014”) Stress is the cause for 75 – 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are stress linked. Stress can come from anyplace at any time. Every type of stress has its own personal symptoms. Acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress are the three types of stress (“American Psychological Association”, 2014, Stress: The different kinds of stress). Each type is very different from each other, but very similar all at the same time. All three types have one main symptom, depression. (“Marriam-Webster Dictionary”, 2014) defines depression as the feeling of hopelessness and inadequacy. Depression can cause its host to feel miserable, sad, blue, unhappy, and/or heartbroken. Over a period of time, stress can cause a varietie of health issues including episodic depression, major depression, chronic depression, or manic depression. But all types of depression started with one or all types of stress. Acute stress is the most common form of stress (Sincero, “2008”). Acute stress occurs when its host has a vast portion of pressure on their shoulders. Similar to trying to meet a dead line on a project when there is no possible way that the deadline will be met. Acute stress can be exciting at times but only in small doses. For example; doing something you know you shouldn’t do. It’s exciting at first then you start to realize that you may get caught. The more you think about it, and the more you worry about it, leads to anxiety which in turn leads to stress. The fear of getting caught is overwhelming. Chances are, if you think you are stressed than it is probably acute stress According to DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), in order to be diagnosed as suffering from acute stress, the individual must exhibit at least three symptoms along with at least one intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptom. Acute stress has a ton of symptoms. Emotional distress, muscular tension, stomach aches, and transient. The emotional distress can cause its host to become irritable or develop anxiety. Muscular tension can cause headaches, knee and back pain, or muscular tension which leads to pulled muscles and tendon problems. Stomach aches a cause gut or bowel problems which lead to heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, too much acid in the stomach, or irritable bowel syndrome. Transient can lead to high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sporadic sweatiness, dizziness, and migraines. Episodic acute stress is recurring acute stress. It is when the host experiences repeated or frequent episodes which can come from holding multiple jobs, high demanding jobs, or hostile jobs. Episodic acute stress carries the same indicators as acute stress but with a few additions. The extensive periods of exposed stress can cause intermitted depression, anxiety disorders and emotional disorders. According to (“American Psychological Association” 2014) Episodic acute stress can also lead to coronary heart diseases and other heart problems. Chronic stress is the complete and total opposite of acute stress. It is a prolonged, continuous, or long-term exposures to stress that destroys its host. Traumatic experiences, chronic illnesses, relationship conflicts, unhappy marriages, or dysfunctional families will cause chronic stress. The most common symptoms of chronic stress are dry mouth, difficulty breathing, pounding heart, diaphoresis which is an unusual degree of sweating like detoxing. Chronic stress can also lead to tension, problems with concentration, difficulty in sleeping, stroke, heart attack, cancer, and psychological problems. All types of stress are treatable. With that being said, there are helpful hints for preventing or coping with stress. Helpguide.org is a non-profit organization that helps identify the sources of stress. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with stress. Some unhealthy way in dealing with stress are smoking, drinking, over or under eating, sleeping too much, withdrawing from friends and family, and using drugs to relax. (“Melinda Smith, M.A. & Robert Segal, M.A.” May 2014) registered some healthier ways to prevent stress, they are known as “The four A’s”. The four A’s are Avoid the stressor, Alter the stressor, Adapt to the stressor, and Accept the stressor. (Smith & Segal, 2014), avoiding the stressor strategies. Learn how to say no – know your limits, take on no more than you can handle. Avoid people who stress you out – If someone constantly stresses you out than avoid them. Avoid hot topic buttons – If you are religious or you are into politics than cross them off your conversation list. Alter the situation by expressing your feelings instead of keeping them bottled up inside. Be willing to compromise and be more assertive. Adapt to the stressor. Look at the bigger picture and adjust your standards. Focus on the positive. Acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress are all treatable with self-help or with medicine. If you think you may be stressed seek help from a friend, family member, or professional. Stress can cause a lot of health issues.