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SALT LAKE CITY -- Stress isn't always a bad thing. Many people actually need it to motivate them.
Licensed professional counselor Sally Marelius said, "Some people might ‘need' something like this, and I use [the word] ‘need' in quotes because it might be a catalyst to help them get going. They might need something akin to a firecracker getting started, with a fuse."
Anxiety
Back pain or headache
Stomach upset
Feeling tired much of the time
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling short of breath
High blood pressure
Stiffness in the jaw or neck
Weight loss or gain
Marelius says many people don't realize that the stress is overwhelming them until it's too late. There are plenty of warning signs, but some people shrug them off. For example, if you begin to isolate yourself from your friends and spend more time at work than you need, you may be looking for stress.
"Then your eight-hour day turns into a 12-hour day or a 15-hour day. Well, that stress starts to tip over into something that's too negative," she said. Marelius says the social life of the stress seeker really can start to suffer.
"One of the main ways people can tell is the way others act around them and the way their social settings seem to be deteriorating or seem to be somehow problematic."
Unfortunately, they're not always receptive when the people they interact with tell them to take it easy. So, she says it's important for stress seekers to reconnect with people in their social circle, face to face, and listen to what they say.
There are other ways to figure out if you're craving stress in an unhealthy way. Marelius says sleep problems become commonplace and stress seekers may start obsessing about things they don't need to.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
