Therapy for Stress Management
in NYC

Stress is a normal physical, emotional, and mental response when facing a challenging event. While stress can lead to growth, positive action, and change, it can also have a negative effect that can lessen the quality of one’s life.

Stress management is an approach that encapsulates a wide spectrum of strategies that are focused on helping you cope with stress and the adversities of life. As a result, stress management can help you lead a healthier and more balanced life.

In this day and age, many people suffer from stress. According to SingleCare.com, approximately one-third of the global population was reported to have experienced stress, anger, and worry in 2019. In 2022, about 55% of Americans were reported to have been stressed.

To further understand the impact of stress in America, take a look at the statistics collected by the American Psychological Association below.

• • • Gen Z adults are the group of people experiencing the highest amounts of stress, followed by Millennials.

    • The older generation (those born between 1925 and 1945) are reported to be the least stressed.

    • Between males and females, females are more prone to stress than males.

    • In terms of race, white individuals experience the highest levels of stress (at 5.0), with Hispanics coming at a close second (at 4.9), and black individuals with the lowest level of stress (at 4.8)

There are many reasons why you may feel stressed. This can range from health concerns, work, finances, family responsibilities, relationships to the economy and society. In many cases, people feel stressed when they undergo a significant change in their life, like adding a new family member, loss from death or illness, going through a divorce, changing financial or marital status, and facing sexual challenges. 

While stress may seem like a common occurrence, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. In America alone, an estimated 8.3 million adults suffer from severe psychological distress. The effects of stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Because of this, it’s important to take note of symptoms of stress so you can take the necessary action to protect your wellbeing.

When you experience any form of stress, your body’s nervous system alters your breathing, heart rate, vision, and more. The built-in response to stress (also known as the fight-or-flight response) allows the body to face and cope with stressful situations.

Often, this response will manifest in both physical and mental symptoms. The physical symptoms can include the following:

• • Body pains and aches

  • Chest pain and heart palpitations

  • Exhaustion

  • Dizziness, shaking, and headaches

  • Muscle tension

  • High blood pressure

  • Digestive problems

  • Weak immune system

  • Trouble sleeping

On the other hand, the mental and emotional symptoms can include:

• • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Sadness

  • Panic attacks

When signs of stress become unbearable, many people try to manage them by resorting to unhealthy behaviors, such as:

• • Drinking alcohol frequently or in high amounts

  • Gambling

  • Overeating, sometimes to the point of developing eating disorders

  • Smoking

  • Procrastinating

  • Taking drugs or substances

  • Isolating

Although these are common signs of stress, not everyone will experience them in the same way. As a natural response to challenging situations, stress often manifests itself in unique ways, which typically depend on your circumstances and attitude. Because of this, stress is classified as a subjective condition that cannot be measured through tests. Only you can determine if it’s present or not and how severe it is.

If you think you’re experiencing chronic stress, know you are not alone. Many people experience it at least once in their lives. When this happens, it’s okay to seek professional help from healthcare professionals and therapists.