2024-02-10 18:00:00
If the effect of progressive wear and tear is very real, stress can suddenly overwhelm us like a tsunami. If the warning signs have not been heard, or neglected, the breaking point has been reached and the damage can be significant.
Stress is a ubiquitous phenomenon in modern life, affecting all of us at one time or another. Whether at work, at home, in our personal relationships or even in leisure situations, the stress can arise in a variety of ways and have significant impacts on our mental and physical health. Stress is a natural reaction of the body when faced with a situation perceived as threatening or difficult. It is an automatic response of the nervous system that prepares the body to face an impending challenge. In some situations, stress can be beneficial because it gives us the energy and alertness to respond quickly. However, when stress becomes chronic or excessive, it can become detrimental to our well-being.
Takotsubo: “cardiac burnout”
Also called “stress cardiomyopathy” or “broken heart syndrome”, Takotsubo is a serious heart muscle disease associated with an episode of intense stress, which can be physical or emotional, described for the first time in Japan in the 1990s. This “false heart attack”, essentially female, is due to a sudden surge of stress hormones (cortisol et catecholamines), the massive release of which causes a temporary contraction of the small vessels of the heart muscle, which plunges it into a state of “stunnedness”. The left ventricle, paralyzed, is no longer able to contract and suddenly deforms to take a characteristic “octopus trap” shape (which gave it its name in Japanese).
Yes, yes Takotsubo is not a heart attack, it remains just as serious and potentially fatal: the number of deaths is almost as high as that of “classic” heart attacks. It therefore requires hospitalization (emergency and intensive care), because it can cause the formation of blood clots in the heart and arterial accidents Cascade. Long-term cardiological monitoring will then be necessary until the heart has regained its full normal functions.
If the disease mainly affects women over 60 years old (in 90% of cases), surprisingly, during the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of cases skyrocketed: the incidence of this pathology was multiplied by 4.58 almost everywhere on the planet. According to specialists, it is the psychological, social and economic stress, and anxiety linked to the pandemic which would explain this sharp increase. The increasing frequency of psychological disorders, noted by several studies, seems to have a deleterious impact directly on the heart muscle.
Burn-out: a destructive inner fire
Burnout is not depression or simple “fed up”, but “physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from prolonged investment in emotionally demanding work situations”. This burnout syndrome results in both an erosion of commitment (in response to burnout), an erosion of feelings (as cynicism sets in), and an erosion of fit between the position and the worker (experienced like a personal crisis). In the most extreme cases, the worker may find themselves in such a physical and psychological state that they can no longer work. This collapse sometimes seems sudden, but in reality it takes time, and above all, certain warning signs might have raised the alarm: among the symptoms we note physical manifestations (including sleep disorders, muscular tension and chronic fatigue), anomalies cognitives (concentration problems, decision-making difficulties, errors, etc.), emotional manifestations (fears, nervous tensions, irritability, lack of enthusiasm, etc.), but also behavioral or interpersonal (withdrawal, aggressiveness, reduced empathy) and motivation difficulties with a gradual disengagement. THE burn-out occurs in people who are very committed to their work but who, following too intense or too prolonged stress (but also constraints or an excessive workload, a loss of meaning, a lack of recognition) have exhausted their resources and see their relationship with work deteriorates. Sick leave, of varying duration, is imperative. It will allow you to rest, but also to step back and, at the same time, to psychotherapysometimes combined with medications, is recommended.
More information on the Ministry of Labor website via the shortened link https://bit.ly/456CJRr
Panic attack: courage, let’s run away!
The panic attack (or attack) is an anxiety attack that occurs suddenly: for no apparent reason, the person experiences distressing physical signs that are sometimes called a “physiological storm”: feeling of fainting, or chokingor sometimes imminent death, rapid heartbeat, tremors, sweating, etc. While specialists estimate that 30 to 40% of people may have experienced this phenomenon (with varying intensity), during a difficult situation or period of life, in some , the crises are repeated, multiplied, intensified, which causes a severe anxiety linked to the haunting that they resurface: it is a real anxiety illness which then sets in and will really become disabling for daily life. The stress is a triggering and increasing factor, and it is important to be supported to overcome it through therapy (often behavioral and cognitive) and work on its management (medication is sometimes necessary).
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