Stress affects different people in different ways, and everyone has a different method of dealing with it.

The chemicals that are released by your body as a result of stress can build up over time and cause various mental and physical symptoms. These are listed below.

Mental symptoms

• anger,
• depression,
• anxiety,
• changes in behaviour,
• food cravings,
• lack of appetite,
• frequent crying,
• difficulty sleeping (mental),
• feeling tired, and
• difficulty concentrating.

Physical symptoms

• chest pains,
• constipation or diarrhoea,
• cramps or muscle spasms,
• dizziness,
• fainting spells,
• nail biting,
• nervous twitches,
• pins and needles,
• feeling restless,
• a tendency to sweat,
• sexual difficulties such as erectile dysfunction or a loss of sexual desire,
• breathlessness,
• muscular aches, and
• difficulty sleeping (physical).

If you have been experiencing some of these symptoms for a long period of time you are at risk of developing high blood pressure which can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Experiencing even one or two of these symptoms can make you feel frustrated or anxious. This can be a vicious circle - for example, you want to avoid stress but symptoms such as frequent crying or nervous twitching can make you feel annoyed with yourself and even more stressed.