Coping With Stress and Anxiety

Coping With Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are the fight-and-flight instincts that Research shows that long-term activation of your
are your body’s way of responding to emergencies.
body’s stress response impairs your immune system’s
An intruder crawling through your bedroom window
ability to fight against disease and increases the
in the dark of night may spark the response. Fears
risk of physical and mental health problems. For
and worries may also set off the instinct. For
example, studies have shown that stress and anxiety
example, worry over a loved one’s fragile mental or
in older adults are associated with the following:
physical health is a common source of ongoing stress
and anxiety.

U Increased physical problems, such as disability
and difficulty in carrying out activities of daily
When stressful challenges occur, your body senses
living
danger and responds by releasing hormones into

U Increased health problems, such as coronary
your bloodstream, which speed up your heart,
artery disease
breathing, and other physical processes and prepare

U Decreased sense of well-being and satisfaction
you to react fast to avoid the threat. This natural
with life
reaction is known as the stress response.

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Coping With Stress and Anxiety
Stress and Aging
Challenges, which often go hand-in-hand with aging and
can cause both short-term and chronic stress, may include:

U A serious illness, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease

U Multiple medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis

U Physical limitations, such as not being able to walk around the block or drive a car

U Chronic pain

U Retirement

U Financial concerns, such as learning to live on a limited income or coping
with today’s struggling economy

U Cognitive changes, such as declines in short-term memory

U Caretaking demands, such as responsibility for a loved one’s care

U Changing life situations, such as moving to a new residence

U Loss of loved ones and grief

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Coping With Stress and Anxiety
Signs of Stress
Although there are tremendous differences among individuals, if you are
feeling stress, you may have one or more of the following symptoms:

U Worry, anxiety, or panic attacks

U Sadness or depression

U Feeling pressured and hurried

U Irritability and moodiness

U Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

U Physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or chest
pain

U Allergic reactions, such as a skin rash or asthma

U Problems sleeping

U Feeling overwhelmed and helpless

U Drinking too much alcohol, smoking, or misusing drugs

U Sexual dysfunction

U Eating too much or not enough

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Tips for Preventing and Coping With Stress and Anxiety
Participate in social and community activities. happier than those without. Stable social relations
Social interaction and a sense of giving to your
help you adjust to changes such retiring, moving, and
community enhance self-esteem and reduce stress.
losing loved ones.
Take care of yourself. Get regular exercise, eat
Remember stressful events that you successfully
nourishing food, and maintain a healthy weight.
coped with in the past and repeat what
worked before.
Participate in activities you enjoy. Have you
always wanted to learn a new language? Take up
Focus on addressing your problems instead of
ballroom dancing? Mentor a child? Now is the time!
feeling helpless about them. Think of them as
(And activities like these will also help your brain.)
“challenges” or “tests” rather than as insurmountable
obstacles.
Stay focused on positive things and avoid
negative self talk such as “I can’t do that” or “I’m too Learn and use relaxation techniques and
old.” When your self talk is negative, you will feel
meditation.
more stress. Instead of thinking what you can’t do,
remember what you can do.
If you are a caregiver, make use of support and
education groups, as well as respite care, which
Connect with the people who are most
provides time off for caregivers.
meaningful to you. People with friends tend to be

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Seeking Help
If you have an ongoing problem with stress and worry
U Relaxation training, which may include
that prevents you from enjoying life, and you feel that
progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing,
you cannot control these feelings, help is available.
meditation, and education about tension and
Seeking the assistance of a psychologist may be
stress.
beneficial.
U Supportive therapy, in which the psychologist
Three of the therapeutic approaches that
listens to and validates feelings.
psychologists use to help older adults who are having
problems with stress and anxiety are:

U Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps
clients uncover and change negative thoughts or
points of view that are causing and prolonging
stress and anxiety.

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Other Ways Psychologists Can Help
Psychologists are experts in the therapies just
circumstances that trigger drinking, and help one
described. These are techniques that are proven to
learn new methods to cope with high-risk drinking
reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety in older
situations.
adults.
Psychologists can help older adults reduce or stop
Psychologists can treat the depression that often
the overuse of medication taken for anxiety or other
accompanies anxiety disorders. Between one third
symptoms.
and one half of older adults who are depressed also
have anxiety disorders. Individuals experiencing
Psychologists can also assist family members who are
both anxiety and depression have more physical and having trouble coping with the stressful demands of
mental health problems than those with one of these
caregiving.
disorders.
Psychologists can assist older adults with related
symptoms, such as overuse of alcohol. They can help
increase one’s motivation to stop drinking, identify

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Resources
To find a psychologist
www.findapsychologist.org
AARP’s Relax Your Stress Away
www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/stress/a2003-03-11-takingtime.html
APA Office on Aging
www.apa.org/pi/aging/homepage.html
This fact sheet was developed by the APA Office on Aging and Committee on Aging,
in cooperation with Elizabeth Vierck, health writer.
For more information about psychology and aging, visit the APA Office
on Aging Web site listed above.

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