Behavioural Stress Symptoms

Drugs

Drinking, smoking or using other drugs more than usual can be indicative of trying to “forget” or numb the stress, worry or anxiety, but can also lead to physiological as well as psychological addictions.

Hostility

Hostility is a desire to thwart and injure, and can manifest as aggression when the intention is to cause injury. It is also over eating or compulsive overeating, is characterized by compulsive “need” to engage in frequent bouts of uncontrollable eating or bingeing, during one may feel a frenzied or out of control behaviour. Such behaviour is usually followed by feelings of guilt and depression.

Social Phobia

Avoiding people or social phobia is an anxiety that is characterized by a persistent fear of social situations, or performance situations in which one may feel there is a risk of embarrassment or humiliation. Social Phobia can manifest itself in many ways, avoiding people in shops, or work, unable to answer a phone because of this fear to engage.

Fingernail Chewing

Chewing fingernails also known as onychophagia, is a compulsive habit of biting fingernails or toenails during periods of stress, anxiety, nervousness, hunger or even boredom. This behaviour can also be linked to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Smoking

Smoking (increased), during periods of stress and anxiety many people find smoking as a way of coping, however, smoking has a direct negative impact upon the smokers health and those around, additionally, smoking provides a short, usually about 20 minutes of rest bite.

Withdrawal

Withdrawn/ being quite, many people facing anxiety about specific situations can develop a fear of being with people or encountering situations with others, therefore, there is a tendency to withdraw, which can exaggerate feelings of isolation and increase anxiety, feeding into a cyclic loop of increasing withdrawal and even depression.

Fast Speech

Fast /abrupt speech can be caused by feelings of nervousness, restlessness and anxiety. Anxiety can also prevent individuals from being able to speak, as a result of feeling tightness in the chest, dry mouth, unable to swallow or just feeling confused.

Relationships

Relationship problems can easily become yet another source of anxiety, as well as being impacted as a result of anxiety. This can be as a result of being withdrawn, unable to effectively communicate because of anxiety, avoiding difficult issues that may help relationships.

Fast Driving

Driving fast is a common symptom of people under stress, especially when trying to get to a meeting on time or simply wishing to “get away”. This is dangerous for not just the driver but others too. Being occupied by ones own feelings of anxiety may contribute to greater risk taking or carelessness while driving.

Impatience

Behaving impatiently, or impatience is a common symptom of stress and anxiety, and can manifest itself in many ways, including talking over people, not listening to others, trying to fit many activities in a short time, being “short” or curt with others.

Sex Drive

Increased or decreased sex drive can also be indicative of stress and anxiety. Increased sexual behavior can be characterized by two key features:

  • A recurrent failure to control the sexual behavior
  • Continuation of the sexual behavior despite significant harmful consequences

Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction for men can manifest as the inability to have or maintain an erection, and for women it can be as a lack of interest in sex, however, these symptoms within women can also be present during the menopause, premenstrual, postpartum and depression.

Accidents

Accident-proneness is most likely as a direct result of those under stress and anxiety inability to maintain concentration or focus. This can be a danger during driving, operating machinery or looking after children or pets.

Self-harming

Self-harming or self-injury can be any act of intentionally causing a physical injury to oneself. This may include, cutting, bruising, burning, scratching, piercing etc. and may be an effort to relieve or express emotional pain.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Compulsive behavior or OCD is characterised by distressing thoughts patterns often accompanied by images that are unusual, powerful, frightening, or absurd. The distressing thoughts and feelings are dealt by ritualized actions from the distressed individual. A ritualized action is a behavior which is repeatedly performed again and again in exactly the same way and the patients believe that these actions will protect them from the terrible thoughts or feelings or consequences.