Treatment of Stress with Metacognitive Therapy​

Your Body is Functioning as it Should

When a mother races her bike from work to daycare, arrives two minutes before closing time, ends a phone call with her boss while helping her child put on a jacket, and nods goodbye to the daycare worker, we often say, "She looks really stressed."

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Similarly, we use the term "stressed" to describe how we feel when 40 guests are about to arrive for a confirmation party, and we have the entire to-do list running through our minds.

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Did we set the last forks at the place settings? Will the catering company remember to use the back door? Can I squeeze in another read-through of my speech? I hope my son isn’t too nervous.

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Such stressful situations are part of being human.

Our bodies and brains are designed to handle them.

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Stress, therefore, should not initially be viewed as harmful. When your body shifts into high gear, it simply means your body is working as it should.

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However, if you remain in a state of stress daily for many months, it can take a toll on your physical and mental health.

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Without treatment, prolonged stress can lead to anxiety and depression.

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Some people describe prolonged stress as claustrophobic. They experience shortness of breath, a restless, buzzing sensation in the body, and an urge to run, jump, and escape, even as they feel stuck, "burned out," and immobilized.

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Because the word "stress" is used loosely to describe states ranging from ordinary busyness to something resembling depression, it is difficult to quantify how many people suffer from stress.

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However, estimates suggest that several hundred thousand Danes feel affected by stress daily, and at least 30,000–50,000 are on sick leave every day due to stress symptoms.

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What Is Stress?​

There is no definitive definition of stress. There are no universal diagnostic criteria, which means that different individuals and practitioners may not have the same understanding of the condition.

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This might sound provocative in an era where stress is often labeled a societal disease caused by unreasonable demands for efficiency and adaptability.

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However, stress is not solely a burden.

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Stress is a healthy, built-in mechanism that equips the body to perform at a higher level during challenging or demanding situations.

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This frequently occurs at work but can just as easily happen in private life.

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When we face mental or physical challenges, the body essentially shifts gears or increases performance temporarily to help us overcome these challenges.

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When we feel stressed, hormones like oxytocin are released. Oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," is released when we are in love or when women have just given birth.

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During stress, this hormone keeps blood vessels flexible, allowing them to expand and contract as needed.

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Additionally, oxytocin motivates us to seek support from friends and family, helping us feel better equipped to manage the situation effectively.

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Stress is Not Dangerous in Itself

We must challenge the notion that stress is inherently harmful. Stress, on its own, is not dangerous. It is our thoughts about stress that make it harmful.

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Recent research shows that stress only becomes damaging to the body when accompanied by significant "meta-worries."

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What are Meta-Worries?

Meta-worries are concerns about stress itself:

• "Oh no, my heart is racing; I’m stressed; this can’t be healthy!"
• "I can’t handle this—I’m getting too stressed."
• "I need to do something—quit my job—all this work stress is making me sick."

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These meta-worries keep us locked in a prolonged stress response, preventing the body’s natural regulatory mechanisms from functioning properly.

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When we constantly monitor, register, and evaluate our body’s signals, we amplify these concerns.

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For instance, if your heart races in the morning and you focus on it throughout the day, your attention remains fixated on yourself.

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It’s not the body’s stress response that is harmful but the persistent worries about stress, which trap us in a vicious cycle.

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Stress itself is not the cause of heart attacks or memory problems.

Both the body and brain can return to normal functioning once the stress is treated.

How Does Stress Manifest?​

When we experience stress, we need to exert extra physical, mental, and emotional effort. This can feel like an overwhelming wave of demands crashing over us.

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Fortunately, humans are built to handle such pressure. Our autonomic nervous system is automatically activated during stress. This system has two components:

• The sympathetic nervous system, which activates the body to respond to threats (fight or flight).
• The parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body rest and recover.

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The sympathetic nervous system is triggered when we need energy to fight or flee.

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Today, we rarely face physical threats like dangerous animals, but the system responds in the same way to modern challenges like excessive workloads or financial pressures. It cannot distinguish between real physical threats and imagined worries.

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The parasympathetic nervous system becomes active during rest, counteracting the effects of the sympathetic system.

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For optimal health, there should be a balance between these two systems.

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Symptoms of Stress

Stress manifests differently in different individuals and situations. Symptoms can be categorized into four areas:

1. Physical: Difficulty relaxing, extreme fatigue despite adequate sleep, or being overly alert with poor sleep. Other symptoms may include tension headaches, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, or digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation. Prolonged stress may lead to memory and concentration problems.
2. Cognitive: Negative thoughts, excessive worries, and dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s abilities.
3. Emotional: Irritability, tearfulness, anxiety, and feelings of guilt for not being as capable as before.
4. Behavioral: Withdrawal from family and friends, reliance on substances like alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, or comfort foods, and increased use of sleeping pills.

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Why Do You Get Stressed?​

A common explanation for stress is when personal or external demands exceed one’s internal resources or belief in their abilities.

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Some experience stress from a heavy workload, while others feel it stems from self-doubt, interpersonal relationships, or worries about the future.

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However, stress doesn’t only arise from external demands.

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How Can Stress Be Treated?​

At CEKTOS, we believe that stress is caused by worries and rumination, not external demands.

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We do not recommend stress treatment by reducing external demands or taking sick leave. In fact, sick leave can lead to more self-focus, new worries, and increased stress.

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Metacognitive Therapy for Stress Treatment​

At CEKTOS, we specialize in metacognitive therapy for stress treatment, including long-term stress and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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We offer online therapy providing an effective method for reducing the causes of stress in a healthy way.

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In metacognitive therapy, the goal is to understand that our ingrained habits and beliefs contribute to stress.

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Together with a psychologist, you’ll work to reduce negative and positive metacognitive beliefs, such as:

• Negative beliefs: "My stress is beyond my control."
• Positive beliefs: "If I analyze my worries enough, I can find a solution."

By minimizing rumination and self-focus, you can regain control, reduce stress symptoms, and restore quality of life.

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Treatment typically involves 6–12 sessions, either in group therapy or one-on-one. We also offer stress prevention guidance.

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