Stress Symptoms in Men

Stress is unfortunately, a part and parcel of today's lifestyle. Stress can adversely affect our wellbeing and health. Generally, stress is of two types, eustress and distress. Eustress is the type of stress that is often termed as helpful stress and distress is the damaging stress. Distress occurs when the person is unable to cope up with the daily pressures of life. Stress is considered to be an individual experience and a person's ability to deal with stress can differ invariably from another. When it comes to recognizing stress symptoms, men are the worst at it. Recognizing stress for men is often assumed as a sign of weakness in their personality, so men generally tend to ignore the initial symptoms of stress.

Symptoms of Stress in Men
Men, like anyone else, are affected by stress and can experience physical and psychological problems due to severe stress symptoms. Stress symptoms in men have been mentioned below.

Extreme Exhaustion
The most common stress fatigue symptoms in men is lack of energy and exhaustion. A feeling of weakness and loss of energy engulfs the body and the person is unable to concentrate on his daily work. Even if he works for a small duration, he experiences extreme fatigue. This fatigue is not only physical, rather it's a type of a mental crushing of the individual's ability to take on the pressures of work. No amount of sleep and rest works in this case and the person feels demotivated after every failed attempt to rejuvenate his energy levels.

Irregular Sleeping Patterns
Disturbed sleeping patterns and in some acute cases, insomnia are the major stress symptoms in men. The person experiencing irregular sleeping patterns will either sleep too much or more probably, will only sleep for few hours every night. Moreover, the disordered sleep may be accompanied by nightmares. Long continued irregular sleeping patterns result in sleeping disorders, that are more psychological rather than caused by any physical problems.

Excessive Anxiety
Excessive worrying disrupts the mental stability of an individual and the sufferer worries for even small things that require little or no attention. Constant worrying creates a vicious cycle of negative thinking and ruins the mental peace of the individual. The person lives in a world of fear, tension and worry that harms the mind and body in the long run of life.

Irritability
Sudden mood swings and behavioral changes mark the beginning of stress symptoms in men. We all know how irritable it feels when we are under severe stress while at work or at home (due to various reasons). Under severe stress, we are often at the threshold of losing patience and even a small problem can provoke us to be extremely rude or harsh in behavior. The frustration building inside our mind and body erupts in the form of anger and often, aggressive behavior on friends or family members.

Guilt and Feeling of Worthlessness
One of the stress symptoms in men that increases the intensity of emotional upheaval is the feeling of guilt in the sufferer's mind. A deep emotional anguish about past events or failures, leads to a feeling of worthlessness in the mind of the sufferer. The individual continually drags himself in an orgy of self pity and prefers isolation.

Some More Severe Stress Symptoms in Men
The below list enlists some more stress symptoms in men.

• Loss of appetite
• Muscle aches
• Erratic heartbeat
• Low sex drive
• Headaches
• High Blood Pressure
• Increased Perspiration
• Weight gain or excessive weight loss
• Increased use of drugs and alcohol
• Relationship changes with close ones
• Overeating or Anorexia nervosa

Stress symptoms in men can be tackled by sustained efforts of the individual and the ones close to him. An individual experiencing these symptoms need not be hesitant in seeking a counselor's help. The sufferer can also share his experience with the family members and chalk out a plan to kick stress out of his life.

Developing healthy habits like yoga and meditation are a boon for emotional and physical health. With determination and the urge to live a healthier, happier and richer life, any amount of stress can be eliminated. So, the mantra to get rid of stress is, Stop thinking, Just do it! All the best!