Stressors and Effects

Difficult times in our life trigger stressors that can adversely affect our overall health and well-being: our self esteem, activity level, and connectedness to others.

Self-esteem

Do you like yourself? Do you see only your weaknesses? Are you always asking for validation from others? Do you consistently feel less valuable than others or take the blame for anything that goes wrong?

Activity Level

Do you participate in a variety of social and career activities? Is your activity level passively low or frenzied, yet unproductive? Are you doing too little toward getting what you want?

Connectedness

Do you have social acquaintances? A number of familiar friends, with at least one or two friends or family members with whom you talk candidly and share feelings?

As previously noted, these difficult times may be caused by a life changing event or seemingly nothing in particular. Either way the impact may be more than we are equipped to cope with on our own. Some examples are listed below:

• Death of a spouse, family member or significant other
• Separation or divorce
• Marital or relationship problems
• Loss of a relationship
• Difficulty or inability to conceive a child
• Miscarriage
• Problems with children
• Change or loss of job
• Job crises or burnout
• Serious illness or injury
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Depression

Please, if you are in an emergency crisis situation, call your local hospital or 911 for immediate help.