Overwhelm is a 20-foot wave crashing into you. Repeatedly. Psychologist Marla W. Deibler, PsyD, described overwhelm as “feeling completely overcome in mind or emotion.” When we think a stressor is too great for us to manage, we feel overwhelmed, she said.
Feeling overwhelmed has many faces. According to Deibler, overwhelm might manifest as an intense emotion, such as anxiety, anger or irritability; maladaptive thought process, such as worry, doubt or helplessness; and behavior, such as crying, lashing out or experiencing a panic attack.
Anxiety seems to be the most common, according to L. Kevin Chapman, Ph.D, a psychologist and associate professor in clinical psychology at the University of Louisville, where he studies and treats anxiety disorders. For instance, you might experience a fast heartbeat, sweating, tingling, chest pain or shortness of breath, he said.
What causes overwhelm?
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 18 Jun 2013
|
I agree with these strategies. They are all very helpful. But where is Jesus in all of this? Jesus is our counselor. He has promised us peace in times of trouble. “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
When I am engaging all these stress relief actions I’m praying at the same time, incessantly, intensely. God hears us, He knows the seriousness of our hearts and the damaging issues generated by this stress. You’ve made a #1 point, and I personally appreciate your having brought up this. Currently I’ve done 25 sessions with VA counselors, PhD’s, @ the VA for PTSD. They have helped me reduce the trauma, but I dare say I’ve not left God out of any of it. With God, it’s going to work out much better, no doubt, none whatsoever.
James: I am so excited to hear that. So many people in this world have turned against God and focus on pleasing themselves. The consequences I see from this are so many people in distress, depressed, sad and lonely. I want them to have what I have. It wasn’t always this way for me; I was 31 years old before I finally gave my life to Jesus. Since that time, my focus, desires and actions have changed. I have been transformed by Jesus Christ. Amen
Thank you for many excellent articles and thoughts.
I particularly enjoyed this one on how we can be become overwhelmed, and also your other on how to
get our loved ones the psychological “we” need.
You remind me much of Kay Jamieson Redfield.
I have a wonderful, bright, successful daughter who is going through what I consider “Success Syndrome”–the gross carving and building is over
and now only the “sandpaper refinement” stage is left. Yes, this is the important, essential part of her professional life–which is carrying over to her personal life, living, being, and doing.
She is irritable and pessimistic. A few years ago she turned down a prospective position as principal of a highly regarded high school in order to ressurect a fledging elementary school–which today only a few years later is successful under her leadership.
Recently she told me, “Dad, this school would have succeeded irrespective of me. It wasn’t me who made it happen. It just happened.”
Is that humility or insecurity? Where does dad go
from here. Please advise. Thank you.
Continued Success and Blessings–Rick Martinez
Thank you for sharing! As a therapist I see many clients feeling overwhelmed that leads to anxiety. I myself can fall victim to the overwhelmed experience and this was also a helpful reminder for me!
I feel that I do a lot of things to keep my husband happy and he never takes a minute to even let me know that he appreciates what I do. We have an 8 month old baby girl n my mom n me take care of her he never even offers to change a diaper. I been feeling overwhelm lately because his 20year old sister just told us she is pregnant and the bf doesn’t want the baby so now she crys anf calls my husband when ever she needs money and he is always telling me how much she suffer. She doesn’t.work, I worked my entired pregnancy and he never put thay mutch attention to.me. I need help or an advice am I been selfish or is he not giving me the attention I need?
“I feel that I do a lot of things to keep my husband happy….”
The answer is in your first sentence. You have conditioned your husband to become dependent on you, and appreciation gets overlooked. Therefore perhaps he doesn’t think that YOU need (or want) him “to do” for you…or thinks that he doesn’t have enough to offer you. So he helps his sister who definitely shows need.
Go for a walk, take a deep breath, etc….all those years of education to arrive at those suggestions to help relieve being overwhelmed??
I wish it were that easy!
After that walk, after that deep breath, the cause or causes are still going to be there exactly as they were before.
Being overwhelmed is more than just a feeling…it is KNOWING the FACT that important issues, circumstances, and problems need to be addressed…but have gone beyond our physical and/or financial, and/or emotional ability to resolve them no matter how hard we tried.
So now what?
I just say: “I’ve had it! Who cares?? What’s the use?? Come what may.”
I hear you! I feel the same way. I need some real help to alieviate the overwhemingness of my life. Yes, the walks, deep breaths used to work but not anymore. When I am done and come back to reality, every thing, problem and circumstance is still there staring me in the face and seems to grow exponentially, to the point of… “I can’t do this, but I have to.” I hate feeling this way and on the brink of tears, anger and withdrawl. I feel as if I have ruined any relationship i have because I can’t just deal with life as well as everyone else around me seems to. Talking about nothing to people around me seems fake and I am not going to start sharing whats bothering me, than I just sound like a whiner. LIKE RIGHT NOW. UGH!
So I agree, Now what?!?!