Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z

    Common Conditions

    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Cold, Flu & Cough
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All

    Resources

    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Message Boards
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics

    • woman with migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
    • knee joint illustration Slideshow Things That Can Hurt Your Joints
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements

    Find & Review

    • Drugs
    • Supplements

    Tools

    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions

    Drug Basics & Safety

    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    • Featured Topics

    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy

    Diet, Food & Fitness

    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise

    Beauty & Balance

    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care

    Living Well

    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics

    • doughnut and avocado Slideshow Which Food Has More Saturated Fat?
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy

    All About Pregnancy

    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All

    Parenting Guide

    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All

    Pet Care Essentials

    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics

    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • little girl doing homework Quiz How Can You Avoid Homework Stress?
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts

    Health News

    • Medicare for All: What Does This Mean?
    • Having Trouble Falling and Staying Asleep?
    • Rates of Anal Cancer On the Rise
    • New Lung Illness Tied to Vaping
    • Is There a Safer Way to Sterilize Medical Equipment?

    Experts & Community

    • Message Boards
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics

    • photo of man sitting on edge of bed WebMD Investigates Why Can't We Sleep?
    • man using computer mouse Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Newsletters
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Health and Balance Home

    • News
    • Reference
    • Quizzes
    • Slideshows
    • Videos
    • Questions & Answers
    • Message Board
    • Find a Psychologist

    Health & Balance Guide

    • A Balanced Life
    • Take It Easy
    • CAM Treatments

    Related to Balance

    • Quit-Smoking Assessment
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Mental Health
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Stress Management
    • More Related Topics
    • Health & Balance
    • Videos

    Your Stress Threshold

    Video Transcript

    Narrator: How can I know when my stress has crossed a "threshold" into full blown anxiety?

    Patricia Farrell, PhD: Well I think when you start having symptoms, such as you can't go to sleep at night because every time you put your head down on the pillow, you're constantly thinking of what you have to do, or what you didn't do, or what you did wrong. It's interfering with your ability to relate to others; it's causing irritable kinds of things, you're irritable where you never really would be irritable. You're finding that your short tempered, you can't handle things, you're having problems concentrating, you really feel like you can't remember some things, and that is kind of scaring you.

    Patricia Farrell, PhD (cont.): You're having problems doing your job, meeting your deadlines. You never are at ease, you always feel as if there is something that has to be done, you're jumpy about things. you may have eating changes, you may, you know, some, it's very interesting, some people eat an awful lot when they are stressed and they gain weight, so we say to people, sometimes they don't know if they've gained weight, so we say is your clothing a little tighter now, and other people they lose their appetite entirely, they lose weight.

    Patricia Farrell, PhD (cont.): So we look for weight changes, sleep changes, mood changes. We also look for things like stomachache, chronic headache, okay, feeling maybe very, very sweaty hands, things like that, inability to sit still and just enjoy being quiet for a little bit. You find that you can't do that. That's something that you're not allowed to give to yourself. Isn't that a terrible thing?

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Get The Protein You Need
    • How Bad Habits Affect Your Health
    • How to Break Your Phone Habit
    • Yoga: Health Benefits and Safety Tips
    • Which Massage Is Best for You?
    • The Healing Power of Music

    Today on WebMD

    woman in yoga class

    Strike a Pose

    6 health benefits of yoga.

    beautiful girl lying down of grass

    Stressed Out?

    10 relaxation techniques to try.

    couple painting room

    What Colors Your World?

    Different hues may affect your mood, diet, and more.

    woman making funny face

    What Affects Your Personality?

    Learn why you are the way you are.

    Recommended for You

    Take your medication Slideshow

    10 Health Myths Debunked

    woman cracking her knuckles Slideshow

    How Bad Habits Affect Your Health

    Hungover man Slideshow

    12 Myths About Hangovers

    Welcome mat and wellington boots Slideshow

    Clean Up the Clutter in Your Home

    fruit bowl in kitchen Slideshow

    What Your Home Says About Your Health

    Happy and sad faces Quiz

    Myths and Facts About Your Moods

    Fingertip with string tied in a bow Article

    Why Can't I Remember Anything?

    laughing family Quiz

    What Makes Us Happy?

    Tools & Resources

    • 10 Tips to Zap Stress
    • How Bad Habits Affect Your Health
    • 10 Health Myths Debunked
    • 9 Types of Yoga to Try
    • Bust Clutter in Your Home
    • Video: 5 Natural Ways to Get Happy

    Health Solutions

    • Easy Glucose Monitoring
    • CAR T Cell Therapy
    • Got BPH Symptoms?
    • Myths About Epilepsy
    • Treatments for Psoriasis
    • Life With MS
    • Liver Transplants Save Lives
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Diagnosing Colorectal Cancer
    • Heart Care You Need
    • Innovative Cancer Care
    • Prep for Oral Surgery
    • Epilepsy Explained
    • At Home Health Care
    • Avoid Colds This Winter
    • Bent Fingers?

    More from WebMD

    • MS: Tools to Keep Your Mind Sharp
    • Live Better With MS Assessment
    • What Is Endometriosis?
    • ­Life With Migraine
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • A Personal Story of RA
    • Beat Crohn's Flares
    • How Migraines Affect The Body
    • Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
    • What Are Thrombocytopenia and ITP?
    • Have Hives? Things You Need to Know
    • Living With Hep C
    • Stress and Psoriasis
    • Finding the Best MS Care Team
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.