Stress

Chronic stress can take a serious toll on both your body and mind—contributing to physical health problems and triggering or worsening mental health conditions. At Amen Clinics, we go beyond traditional psychiatry by using advanced brain imaging to identify the underlying brain patterns linked to stress, so treatment can be targeted and effective. 

Why Choose Us

What is STRESS?

Everybody experiences stress in day-to-day life. Traffic, work deadlines, illness, relationship troubles—life is full of stressors. Even happy occasions—a wedding, a promotion at work, a new baby—can fill you with tension. Some people handle life’s ups and downs with ease while others get stuck feeling overly stressed about every little thing. When the pressure of daily life begins to feel overwhelming, and you experience unrelenting, chronic stress, it’s time to seek help.

WHO HAS STRESS? 

Americans’ stress levels are going up. A 2019 Gallup Poll found that people living in the U.S. reported the highest levels of stress, worry, and anger in the past 10 years. When asked how they felt the previous day, about 55 percent of adults said they felt stress during “a lot of the day,” 45 percent felt a lot of worry, and 22 percent felt anger. Problems with stress hit all age groups. Children, teens, adults, and seniors are all vulnerable to the effects of this all-too-common problem. 

According to the American Institute of Stress:

  • 77 percent of people feel physical symptoms from stress 
  • 73 percent experience psychological symptoms from stress 
  • 33 percent of people feel they are living with extreme stress 
  • 48 percent feel their stress has increased over the past five years 

COMMON PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Stress often shows up in the body first. These physical signs can indicate that your system is under strain:

  • Headache 
  • Muscle tension 
  • Fatigue 
  • Upset stomach 
  • Chest pain
  • Changes in appetite 
  • Diarrhea or constipation 
  •  Teeth grinding 
  • Low sex drive 
  • Feeling dizzy 
  • Frequent colds and flu 

COMMON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS

Stress can also impact thoughts, emotions, and mental clarity. These symptoms may signal that you’re struggling to cope:

  • Nervousness 
  • Restlessness 
  • Inability to focus 
  • Lack of motivation 
  • Anger or irritability 
  • Memory problems 
  • Poor judgment 
  • Negative, worried, or anxious thoughts
  •  Feeling overwhelmed 
  • Lack of energy 
  • Loneliness 
  • Feeling unhappy or depressed  

COMMON BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Changes in behavior are another major indicator of stress. These patterns may reflect attempts to cope:

  • Social isolation 
  • Sleep disturbances 
  • Eating more or less than usual 
  • Temper flare-ups
  • Drinking more alcohol 
  • Using drugs  
  • Smoking 
  • Nervous habits (biting nails, chewing on pens) 

STRESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, INCLUDING: 

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Memory Issues
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 
  • Psychosis

WHAT CAUSES STRESS?

There are many potential causes of stress and each person processes or manages stress differently. Some of the more common events that lead to heightened stress include: 

  • Death of a spouse/partner, loved one, or close friend 
  • Going through a divorce or separation 
  • Juggling a career and family responsibilities 
  • Serious injury or illness (yours or a loved one’s) 
  • Being fired from your job or having difficulty finding employment 
  • Excessive work demands or pressure 
  • Relationship issues
  • Traumatic experiences  
  • Political discord 
  • Financial problems 
  • Legal issues or imprisonment 
  • Retirement 

Why Choose Amen Clinics for TREATING STRESS?

At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose and treat our patients. We also assess other factors—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—that can contribute to chronic stress and the mental health conditions related to it. Based on all of this information, we are able to personalize treatment using the least toxic, most effective solutions for a better outcome. 

Let’s Get Started

STRESSED Brains Work Differently

When stress becomes chronic, it negatively impacts the brain, reducing brain reserve, decreasing mental focus, and interfering with activity in the hippocampus (a region involved with mood, memory, and learning).

Learn More About SPECT Imaging

The Stress Response in the Brain & Body

The stress response, known as the fight-or-flight response, is hard-wired in our brains and bodies to help us survive. It is mobilized into action whenever an acute stressor appears, such as being in an earthquake, being robbed at gunpoint, or coming across a bear on a nature hike. It can also be activated by other perceived threats even if they are not actually life threatening. Acute stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares you to either put up a fight or flee a dangerous situation.

The fight-or-flight response is triggered by: (1) the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobes that is part of the limbic (or emotional) system in the brain, which sends a signal to… (2) the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which signals… (3) the adrenal glands, located on the top of the kidneys, to flood the body with cortisol, adrenalin, and other chemicals to rocket you into action. 

Here is a list of what happens when the fight-or-flight response is triggered: 

  • Eyes – pupils dilate for better tunnel vision, but there is a loss of peripheral vision
  • Ears – hearing becomes less acute
  • Tears and saliva – lower production of both (dry eyes and mouth)
  • Skin – veins in skin constrict (colder hands and feet) to send more blood to major muscle groups (to fight or flee), causing the “chill” sometimes associated with fear
  • Lungs – air passages open; breathing becomes rapid and shallow
  • Blood sugar level – increases for energy
  • Heart – beats faster and harder
  • Blood pressure – increases
  • Blood vessels – shunt blood to upper arms and upper legs (fight or flee); away from hands and feet, causing vasoconstriction (they get colder)
  • Muscles – become tense; trembling may occur; muscles around hair follicles constrict, causing goose bumps
  • Digestion – slows
  • Immune system – shuts down
  • Bladder – relaxes
  • Genitals – erections inhibited (other things to think about)
  • Mental focus – trouble focusing on small tasks, thinking only of dealing with the threat 

“With A Better Brain Comes A Better Life”

– Daniel G. Amen, M.D.