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June 19, 2013
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Stress (cont.)

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When to Seek Medical Care for Stress

  • You should call your doctor when you are unable to identify the source of your stress or anxiety and if the condition continues or comes and goes.
    • If, in conjunction with your friends, family , or spiritual or personal advisers, you cannot identify a source or solution for your anxiety and stress, your next resource can be your doctor.
    • A physical problem may be causing your symptoms. Or there may be a hidden cause that requires the assistance of a counselor to help uncover. Once your doctor has ruled out a medical cause for your symptoms, your doctor can be a great resource for other options in treatment of your stress symptoms.
    • Primary care doctors have many resources that they can use to help get to the source of your stress. You should never be embarrassed about your situation or the fact that you are seeking help. It is the doctor's role to help.
    • Remember, the sooner you get help, the sooner you will feel better. If you are having physical symptoms that seem either unrelated to stress or are worse than you have experienced in the past, you should consult your doctor immediately.
  • You should call 911 or go to the nearest hospital's emergency department if your stress is resulting in any of these symptoms:
    • Thoughts about harming yourself
    • Thoughts about harming others
    • Chest pain
    • Fluttering or rapid heartbeats
    • Headaches unlike your usual headaches
    • Any condition that you feel might cause you serious harm if not treated immediately

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Stress - Physical Symptoms

The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:

Symptoms of stress can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your physical symptoms?

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder »

The formal diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)was not introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until its third publication in 1980.

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