Stress can be overwhelming. If this is the case, you may want to seek outside help from a professional counselor or other health professional. This can help you find a number of approaches to reducing the symptoms of stress and help you decrease the stress in your life.

Professional help is available for the following therapies or techniques:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches you to be aware of how you perceive stress, helps you understand how your perception influences your reaction to it, and teaches you how to develop and maintain skills to deal with stress. (See tips for finding a counselor or therapist.)
• Biofeedback is a method of consciously controlling a body function that is normally regulated automatically by the body, such as skin temperature, muscle tension, heart rate, or blood pressure. Learning biofeedback requires several sessions in a biofeedback lab or other setting.
• Hypnosis by a hypnotherapist helps people accept suggestions that can help change their behavior. It is important to find a health professional with a lot of training and experience in hypnotherapy. Some psychologists, counselors, doctors, and dentists are experienced in hypnotherapy.