Stress

Stress is a natural part of your everyday life. Your reaction to it allows you to manage difficult situations. But when stress is greater your tolerance level, or lasts longer than your endurance, you are likely to experience both physical and psychological affects. Everybody's reactions to stress are personal, individual, and unique.

One person's experience

Robin was a middle-aged manager of an office. Having always been very competent, there was a great deal of satisfaction in career achievements. For several months, Robin had been quite upset about what seemed like a "marriage going nowhere".

A company restructure changed Robin's role significantly, and Robin was not sure that this was going to work. Also, having a marriage partner that seemed to lie about their whereabouts, have demands that seemed unreasonable and a lack of commitment to the family, Robin felt that there was 'no hope'. Having lost weight because of poor appetite and experiencing sleepless nights and pains in the stomach, Robin believed she might be suffering from ulcers. As well as this the family started to 'fall apart'. The children seemed uncontrollable; their behaviour began to be an embarrassment. Robyn felt in a spin, spiralling down and out of control. At times there was intense anger - it just didn't seem fair - at other time just numb despair. At all times there was a lack of knowing why? How? What to do!

That's until Robin spoke with a psychologist.
Robin was dealing with an affective disorder. Cognitive-behavioural therapy allowed Robin to understand what was happening. The support received allowed Robin to work out what direction was going to be most beneficial and to regain some control over the thoughts and actions that seemed to be so out-of-control in the past.

As a result of the support received Robin's relationship issues were sorted out and, in time, the children seemed to become far less demanding. Robyn describes her life as more 'ebb and flow' these days.