Behavioral Health » Service/Family Members » Emotional Well-Being » Stress

Service members and families will likely experience stress, particularly during a deployment, or when exposed to a combat situation. Because everyone experiences stress differently, the type and severity of reactions will vary. It is important to acknowledge and seek support before a minor problem turns into a crisis. People can develop depression, PTSD, or addictive disorders when minor problems go untreated.

"Stress" itself is not a psychiatric disorder, even though symptoms of stress overlap with many psychiatric disorders. Posttraumatic stress or acute stress disorders are very specific reactions to stressful events. For more information check out the FAQs for PTSD. People who do not effectively cope with stress may develop psychiatric disorders, including depression12, substance abuse13, or pathological gambling14.

Self-assessment Tools

Self-assessment tests and screening tools can be helpful in identifying, understanding, and getting the right support to protect your physical and mental health, including a drug and/or alcohol problem. Take one of the quick tests below as a first step toward getting helpful information for yourself or someone you care about.

Common Signs of Too Much Stress
Symptoms can be divided into physical and behavioral indicators. Use this checklist to determine if you are experiencing signs of stress.
Measure Your Current Level of Stress
Take a brief survey to help identify your current level of stress.
Stress IQ test
Allow about 15 minutes to take this survey and determine your level of stress. Upon completion, you will have the opportunity to create a free "anonymous" account so that you can easily retake the test in the future and review past scores.
Consequences of Stress

Individuals experience a number of physiological symptoms in response to stress, such as sweaty hands, racing heart, nausea, headaches or muscle tension. 2 Stress is related to many physical problems, such as diabetes, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, coronary heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, low back pain, asthma, skin disorders, and tension headaches. 3,4,5,6,7,8 Stress can impair a person's ability to pay attention and can cause people to continually think about situations or triggers that are perceived as stressful. 9 Individuals who experience stress may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. 10,11 Some people cope with stress by overeating, smoking, drinking, or isolating11, which in turn reduces a person's ability to cope effectively. When an individual is feeling stressed, they may become hostile or irritable towards others, and so a cycle of stress-affected relationships can become an ongoing vicious cycle, leading to more stress. 11

  1. Lazarus, R. S. (1993). From psychological stress to the emotions: A history of changing outlooks. Annual Review of Psychology 44, 1-21.
  2. Guthrie, G. M., Verstraete, A., Deines, M. M., & Stern, R. M. (1975). Symptoms of stress in four societies. The Journal of Social Psychology 95, 165-172.
  3. Brand, N., Hanson, E. & Godaert, G. (2000). Chronic stress affects blood pressure and speed of short term memory. Perceptual and Motor Skills 91(1), 291-298.
  4. Hafen, Brent Q., and Karren, Keith J., Frandsen, Kathryn J., and Smith N.Lee (1996) Mind/Body Health: The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions and Relationships. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
  5. Krantz, D. S. & McCeney, M. K. (2002). Effects of psychological and social factors on organic disease: A critical assessment of research on coronary heart disease. Annual Review of Psychology 53(1) , 341-368.
  6. Mrazek, D.A. & Klinnert, M. (1996). Emotional stressors and the onset of asthma. In: Pfeffer, C.R. (Ed.) Severe stress and mental disturbance in children. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
  7. Robert-McComb, J. J. (2001). Eating disorders in women and children: Prevention, stress management and treatment. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
  8. Taylor, S. E. (1999). Health psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  9. Lepore, S. J. (1997). Social-environmental influences on the chronic stress process. In B. H. Gottlieb (Ed.), Coping with chronic stress. New York: Plenum.
  10. Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York: Springer.
  11. Sarafino, E. P. (2002). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial interactions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  12. Voelkner, R. (2004). Stress, sleep loss, and substance abuse create potent recipe for college depression. Journal of the American Medical Association 291 (18), 2177-2179.
  13. McQuaid, J.R., Brown, S.A., Aarons, G.A., Smith, T.L., Patterson, T.L, Schuckit, M.A. (2000). Correlates of life stress in an alcohol treatment sample. Addictive Behaviors 25(1) , 131-137.
  14. Coman, G.J., Burrows, G.D., Evans, B.J. (1997) Stress and anxiety as factors in the onset of problem gambling: Implications for treatment. Stress Medicine 13 (4) , 235-244.
  15. Hughes, G. H., Pearson, M. A., & Reinhart, G. R. (1984). Stress: Sources, effects and management. Family & Community Health 7(1) , 47-58.