Health effects of chronic stress

ruralgirl08 · Aug 22, 2011

I live out in the country, which is very tranquil and quiet, as opposed to my city hospital job. I like to garden, the outside work gives me time away from the chaos, and I like seeing the results of my work. The plants never talk back:) I like spending time outside among nature.

ruralgirl08 · Aug 22, 2011

Oh yeah, and yoga, or an occasional glass of wine:)

DizzyLizzyNurse · Aug 22, 2011

I also enjoy nature. Also, being active. Throwing some loud music and cleaning or walking my dog helps me relax.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Aug 22, 2011

I struggle to stay calm and find myself overreacting to stress. The constant alarms drive me crazy and yes, typical abusive childhood that already amped up my stress level, hyper alert, jumpy.

I want more than anything to stay calm, and envy coworkers that never seem stressed out. I've been taking elavil for migraines, which I noticed helps calm me and also started using clonidine to deal with my exagerated stress response, nightmares and of course HTN.

It helps, but I still have my moments when I get upset usually if I feel I'm being overworked and bombarded. I take a break to get away, try to eat, but always feel hurried knowing there is so much left to do.

I've worked a lot of other jobs besides nursing and I've never had these issues with stress and frustration. I wish I could just retire, but that is many years away.

I just find nursing so discouraging because the working conditions are just inhumane and not getting better, only worse!

If I could figure out a job that paid halfway decent, enough to pay my mortgage I would wash my hands of nursing entirely. It's pretty sad to have to take medicine in order to cope with the job. I know I'm not alone, I've talked to many nurses who are on antidepressents, antianxiety meds, beta-blockers to deal with anxiety, and plenty more that probably need all the above but aren't on them!

If I could afford I'd at least cut my hours, but that's not possible, plus they double your insurance premiums if you're less than 32hrs/week.

nnl erRN · Aug 22, 2011

I do crossfit and Olympic weightlifting to get my mind off the chaos of nursing. I try the very best to not think of work when I'm off, but it's hard nursing is always on my mind. Walking my dog, music, eating, and watching movies r other outlets that help.

leslie :-D · Aug 22, 2011

What do you do to help you relax ? :)

i read some of the article from the cdc link.

i think that those with toxic stress (from prolonged child abuse/molestation) cannot just pick a random task to relax.

it is usually advised from a therapist, as a part of the total regimen.

i was dx'd w/traumatic ptsd in 2004, r/t 'memories' that had randomly appeared out of nowhere.

whether it's conscious or not, repressing trauma from one's life, is not the protective mechanism it's purported to be.

pain can present itself in so many ways, even if you don't have anything pop up yrs later.

the way that i protected myself (my abuses lasted for 10 yrs) was to dissociate myself from the trauma.

even these days, it's just too darned easy for me to go into a dissociative state...that is my relaxation.

that, and meds, and yrs of therapy, seem to be keeping my sanity in check.

therapy, which is supposed to be therapeutic, has propelled me to quit a zillion time...

as i'm so resistant to talking about anything from my past.

my therapist has been an angel w/me...

and it's helpful that she specializes in my type of trauma, since so few of these types, are available.

but believe me, no one is truly healthy unless it addresses both the mental and physical.

we beings, truly need to achieve that homeostatic balance...no doubt about it.

so to answer your question, my relaxation is a very in-depth and complex regimen.

when it comes to be too much, i dissociate.

there is no other feeling like it.

and most important, attitude can make you or break you.

don't ever minimize its value.

leslie

leslie :-D · Aug 22, 2011

oops...so sorry.

leslie

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2011

i read some of the article from the cdc link.
i think that those with toxic stress (from prolonged child abuse/molestation) cannot just pick a random task to relax.
it is usually advised from a therapist, as a part of the total regimen.
i was dx'd w/traumatic ptsd in 2004, r/t 'memories' that had randomly appeared out of nowhere.
whether it's conscious or not, repressing trauma from one's life, is not the protective mechanism it's purported to be.
pain can present itself in so many ways, even if you don't have anything pop up yrs later.
the way that i protected myself (my abuses lasted for 10 yrs) was to dissociate myself from the trauma.
even these days, it's just too darned easy for me to go into a dissociative state...that is my relaxation.
that, and meds, and yrs of therapy, seem to be keeping my sanity in check.
therapy, which is supposed to be therapeutic, has propelled me to quit a zillion time...
as i'm so resistant to talking about anything from my past.
my therapist has been an angel w/me...
and it's helpful that she specializes in my type of trauma, since so few of these types, are available.
but believe me, no one is truly healthy unless it addresses both the mental and physical.
we beings, truly need to achieve that homeostatic balance...no doubt about it.
so to answer your question, my relaxation is a very in-depth and complex regimen.
when it comes to be too much, i dissociate.
there is no other feeling like it.
and most important, attitude can make you or break you.
don't ever minimize its value.
leslie

:hug::hug:

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2011

I have no problem relaxing when I am away from work. I have a full life with family, friends, physical activity, hobbies, etc.

It is during the course of my work day, when the stress piles up, that I am called upon to cope.

Coping with stress in the moment is a significant challenge for me. I tend to draw inward emotionally, and have a hard time communicating effectively if at all, while physically, every muscle in my body becomes tense. I develop cravings for unhealthy "comfort foods", and start looking forward to an alcoholic beverage the moment I get home.

Critical care situations do not provoke this kind of stress. When I am one on one with someone critical, I am able to focus on what needs to be done, and still keep myself calm and in control internally.

The situations that elicit this overwhelming stress are when I am being pulled in too many different directions. Say I have five patients; one is up for discharge but needs IV antibiotics first, two was just seen by the physician and needs more blood work, medications, and imaging studies, three just came back from the lobby and needs a line, labs, and a liter, four needs more pain and nausea medication and the family wants to know what is going on, and five is a six year old that needs moderate sedation for reduction of a fracture.

I'm juggling all of this fine until......my phone rings and it's the lab telling my my blood samples were hemolyzed and they need another draw, or it's a family member wanting information, or it's CT ready for the patient who needs the abdominal CT but I can't find anyone to do the transport and I'm too busy to do it myself, or it's a family member coming into the hallway to tell me the patient needs to go to the bathroom and wants some ice chips.

It's these little confounding factors that push me into that place where my stress level is so high that I have to work really hard to cope with it in a healthy way.

Obviously, taking the dog for a walk or weeding the garden is not an option in those moments!

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 23, 2011

i read some of the article from the cdc link.
i think that those with toxic stress (from prolonged child abuse/molestation) cannot just pick a random task to relax.
it is usually advised from a therapist, as a part of the total regimen.
i was dx'd w/traumatic ptsd in 2004, r/t 'memories' that had randomly appeared out of nowhere.
whether it's conscious or not, repressing trauma from one's life, is not the protective mechanism it's purported to be.
pain can present itself in so many ways, even if you don't have anything pop up yrs later.
the way that i protected myself (my abuses lasted for 10 yrs) was to dissociate myself from the trauma.
even these days, it's just too darned easy for me to go into a dissociative state...that is my relaxation.
that, and meds, and yrs of therapy, seem to be keeping my sanity in check.
therapy, which is supposed to be therapeutic, has propelled me to quit a zillion time...
as i'm so resistant to talking about anything from my past.
my therapist has been an angel w/me...
and it's helpful that she specializes in my type of trauma, since so few of these types, are available.
but believe me, no one is truly healthy unless it addresses both the mental and physical.
we beings, truly need to achieve that homeostatic balance...no doubt about it.
so to answer your question, my relaxation is a very in-depth and complex regimen.
when it comes to be too much, i dissociate.
there is no other feeling like it.
and most important, attitude can make you or break you.
don't ever minimize its value.
leslie

Sounds like we had the same upbringing. :crying2:

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Aug 23, 2011

I have no problem relaxing when I am away from work. I have a full life with family, friends, physical activity, hobbies, etc.
It is during the course of my work day, when the stress piles up, that I am called upon to cope.
I'm juggling all of this fine until......my phone rings and it's the lab telling my my blood samples were hemolyzed and they need another draw, or it's a family member wanting information, or it's CT ready for the patient who needs the abdominal CT but I can't find anyone to do the transport and I'm too busy to do it myself, or it's a family member coming into the hallway to tell me the patient needs to go to the bathroom and wants some ice chips.
It's these little confounding factors that push me into that place where my stress level is so high that I have to work really hard to cope with it in a healthy way.
Obviously, taking the dog for a walk or weeding the garden is not an option in those moments!

That is exactly the problem! When your at work, your trapped and have no one to help you when you are overwhelmed. I get so tense and angry I have to avoid coworkers or I'll snap at them. I'm told ask the CNA to help, but it frustrates me to have to beg them to do something they should already do, and I won't have the right tone at that moment and it'll only lead to more tense relations with co-workers. Although yesterday our CNA saw how stressed I was and helped me out of the goodness of her heart!

I've been told I'm brusque, and talk down to people and they don't like my attitude. I've been making a concerted effort to change this impression of me (brusque stress and also I don't look down on the CNA's or housekeepers or secretaries) to try to get along. I have great respect for them and I know they have a hard job too and worse it is so low-paying I honestly don't know how they make it! I've tried not to ask for help, because when I'm stressed you'll hear it in my voice! I'm trying very hard to sound pleasant and get along because I don't want the tension,and I do want to get along with my coworkers, They know I will always help them turn a patient or clean them up because I don't want anyone to get a back injury. On the noc shift we really have to work together as a team as there are even less of us to go around!

I'm doing well and then something tips me over the edge, I'm so mad at myself for losing it and not being able to stay calm and cheerful. I've even taking a clonidine at that moment to try to regain calm and it does work fairly quickly.

Away from work, everything ok! I have friends, family, loved ones, hobbies and a beautiful house and garden that makes me happy! If I didn't have to do this job under these insane working conditions I don't think I would need these meds to cope and stay calm.

In all the other jobs I've ever done I've never had these problems, even with at times rude bosses, coworkers it was such a piece of cake. I wish I could go back to one of those jobs, but they just don't pay a living wage. Certainly not enough to pay my mortgage.