Stress cont.
their stress container will overflow more quickly than for a young person who has a large stress container or low vulnerability and is therefore able to cope with stress more efficiently. When the container overflows the young person becomes overwhelmed. This needs attention because mental and physical illness can arise if a young person constantly feels overwhelmed. This is sometimes called our ‘stress signature’. Awareness of what an overwhelmed state looks and feels like is very important for maintaining health. In the Stress Container model we say there is a tap on the stress container to release stress safely before it overflows. We similarly say there is a gap at the bottom of the container below the tap where stresses in life can become trapped. This is normal and sometimes certain stressors can’t be dealt with at that time. A person’s stress container is never completely empty. It is about actively managing what is in there. Coping strategies Stresses need to be dealt with to create capacity in the stress container so that we stay healthy. Learning coping strategies for dealing with stress is another way of stopping the container overflowing. Some examples include talking through worries with someone or getting a good night’s sleep. These allow stressors to be released by the tap. Some coping strategies are not helpful and may actually make things worse and may increase overflowing or block the tap, e.g. drinking alcohol, sharing with strangers online, or not talking through worries with friends or family. It is important to know that we all use unhelpful coping strategies sometimes and some unhelpful coping strategies can come about as a result of other vulnerabilities or life experiences including trauma. Some may have
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