Understanding and Overcoming Daily Stress, Chronic Stress, and Anxiety Disorders

Thrive • November 2, 2021
By Thrive Reno’s Clinical Director and Therapist, Kerstin Trachok, CPC

Stress that does not interfere with your overall functioning is perfectly normal, manageable, and even helpful. Without the effects of stress, we wouldn’t be motivated to make necessary changes in our lives. 

Stress can, however, become chronic and even lead to the development of an anxiety disorder, both of which may require clinical treatment . The symptoms of these conditions differ in intensity, frequency, and duration.

Learn more about the different ways stress can be expressed, self-regulated, and clinically treated below. 

DAILY STRESS

Daily stress is unavoidable and simply a part of being alive. It’s typically caused by an external trigger that is either short-term or long-term.

Examples of stress triggers are: 

  • Deadlines at work 
  • An argument with a significant other
  • A school assignment
  • Chronic illness

The connection between stress and the rest of your being can be powerful. When faced with stressful external triggers, you may notice negative effects on your body, emotions, and lifestyle.

Some common symptoms of stress include:   

  • Low energy levels
  • Headaches
  • Upset stomach
  • Frequent sickness
  • Sleep changes
  • Muscle tension 
  • Increased heart rate
  • Difficulty relaxing
  • Inability to focus
  • Forgetfulness
  • Feeling overwhelmed 
  • Being pessimistic
  • Feeling increasingly irritable or angry
  • Procrastination
  • Appetite changes, such as feeling more or less hungry

CHRONIC STRESS

If you continue to feel stressed consistently for months at a time, you may be struggling with chronic stress.

Chronic stress can lead to serious physical and mental health issues such as:

  • Anxiety 
  • Depression
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Panic
  • Other disorders

ANXIETY DISORDERS

When the symptoms of stress continue after the trigger is gone, you may be experiencing anxiety. Genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events all play a role in the development of anxiety. As the most common mental illness in the U.S, 18.1 percent of adults experience anxiety. Typically, individuals struggling with anxiety are not able to function normally. 

The ​​Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is used by clinicians to diagnose psychiatric illnesses, lists ten types of anxiety disorders.

The ten types of anxiety disorders are:

  • Separation anxiety disorder: Feeling anxious or fearful when a person you’re close with leaves your presence. 
  • Selective mutism: When children speak normally with their family but don’t talk in public.
  • Specific phobias: Feeling intense fear of a specific object or situation causing you to avoid ordinary situations.
  • Social anxiety disorder: Feeling overwhelming worry over normal social interactions. 
  • Panic disorder: Feeling sudden, intense fear that leads to a panic attack. 
  • Agoraphobia: Feeling intense fear in places that seem hard to escape from or get emergency help in, such as an airplane, public transportation, or in crowds.
  • Generalized anxiety disorder: Feeling excessive, unrealistic worry for little or no reason. 
  • Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition: Feeling intense anxiety or panic directly caused by a physical health problem. 
  • Other specified anxiety disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder: Anxiety disorders that don’t meet the full criteria for any other anxiety disorders.

Though experiences differ with each type of anxiety disorder and each individual, some common symptoms of anxiety disorders include:

  • Persistent worry
  • Restlessness
  • Feeling on edge
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Changes in appetite
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty thinking or concentrating
  • Muscle tension

When these symptoms begin to affect an individual’s relationships, occupation, or other areas of functioning, they should be clinically treated. 

COPING WITH DAILY STRESS USING YOUR BREATH

Practicing awareness is the key to managing stress. By identifying the trigger(s) that are causing your stress, you can determine any life changes that may be necessary. 

When experiencing stress and its corresponding heightened emotions, it can be difficult to think clearly, much less perform a deep self-reflection. So, the first step to mitigating your stress is to calm yourself down. The simplest way to do this is through your breath. By breathing deeply and slowly, you can calm your heart rate and allow your mind to clear. 

Box breathing is an effective breathing exercise that you can practice anywhere.

The steps of box breathing are as follows:

  1. Take one long, deep breath in for four seconds.
  2. At the top of the breath, hold the air in your lungs for four seconds. 
  3. Release all of the air in your lungs over the course of four seconds. 
  4. Refrain from inhaling for four seconds. 
  5. Repeat the steps above until you feel calm enough to think rationally. 
  6. Adjust the length of your inhales and exhales as needed, as this practice should not cause added stress in the process.

Once you’re in a calm state, consider the possible causes of your stress. Then, reflect on potential adjustments that may alleviate your stress. Simple and small changes in your life can often help support your basic needs, which can mitigate your daily stress. These adjustments may mean altering your routines so you get more sleep, eat consistently, and stay hydrated. 

CLINICAL SUPPORT FOR STRESS

When your stress begins affecting your daily functioning, you may want to consider seeking clinical support. Left untreated, the symptoms of stress can exacerbate the problem, leading to chronic stress, anxiety disorders, and other mental health conditions. 

Depending on the severity of the condition, treatment for stress may involve regular therapy sessions until the symptoms subside. In addition to therapy, individuals struggling with stress may also benefit from psychotropic medications.

If you’re struggling with stress or anxiety, Thrive offers outpatient therapy and medication management to help you find inner peace and embrace life confidently.

About the Author
Kerstin Trachok, CPC — Thrive Reno Clinical Director and Therapist

Kerstin received her master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling from the University of Nevada, Reno. Kerstin has seven years of experience in the counseling field working in different settings and a wide array of mental health issues. Kerstin has experience working in schools with children of all ages, clients with psychosis in a hospital setting, adults and teens in private practice, and working at an agency providing counseling to children and families. Kerstin is a fully licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Nevada and received her certification in Complex Trauma Levels I and II. Kerstin has experience working with children, teens, adults, and families with trauma, anxiety, grief, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum, suicidal ideation, behavioral issues, and eating disorders. Kerstin is passionate about fostering clients’ growth and autonomy while providing a safe and secure space to process emotions. Kerstin uses creative interventions and other tools to allow clients to voice their internal experiences beyond traditional talk therapy. Kerstin’s therapeutic modality of choice is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She uses mindfulness tools and techniques to help clients be present-moment oriented, and reduce stress so they may move towards psychological flexibility. Kerstin believes all individuals have the right to live a fulfilling and vital life.

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By Erin McGinty Fort, MS, MHA, CPC, LPC-S, CEDS-C December 18, 2025
Sometimes, people need more support, structure, and monitoring than the typical outpatient setting can provide. When this happens, the treatment team will usually recommend that someone be "stepped up" to a different level of care, or program, that can better meet their needs. I like to think of it as being similar to medication dosages; people need different strengths of medications, or dosages, to get better when they're sick. Stepping someone up to a higher level of care is like increasing the dosage of a medication to match the severity of their symptoms. How Are Higher Levels of Care Different from Standard Outpatient Care? At the core of differentiating higher levels of care from standard outpatient care is the intensity and structure of the treatment. Higher level of care programs tend to offer more days of treatment each week and more hours of treatment per day than in the outpatient setting. Those in higher level of care programs may also meet with their treatment team members more frequently each week. There are more staff present to support someone at or after meals and snacks, or to help those who are having urges to engage in compulsions or other harmful behaviors. Clients in our HLOC programs get access to an assortment of treatment modalities tailored to their individual needs, including personalized therapy sessions, group support, medication management, medical nutrition therapy with a dietitian, and check-ins with our primary care providers. We support clients with personalized treatment plans and regular assessments to monitor and tweak interventions as needed. Higher levels of care also offer increased peer interaction and support. Intensive programs incorporate additional group therapy sessions, which can help those in treatment feel less alone as well as create a greater sense of community. For some people, it can be difficult to devote the time and energy needed to recover while also balancing other responsibilities like school or work. Stepping up to more intensive levels of care allows people to fully dedicate themselves to recovery. As they get better and make progress, a person may be stepped back down to a less intensive level of care to start practicing their recovery in their usual home, school, or work settings while also receiving professional support from their treatment team. What Levels of Care are Available? At Thrive Wellness, we offer four different levels of care to help clients step up (or down) in their treatment when needed: -  Outpatient Treatment - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings with a therapist, psychiatrist, primary care provider, and/or dietitian. - Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) - A minimum of three hours per day, three days per week. - Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) - A minimum of six hours per day, five days per week. - Residential Treatment - Coming soon in 2026, The Greenhouse at Thrive will offer residential treatment for eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This level of care offers 24-hour support for those aged 12-24 living in our residential treatment center. How To Decide Which Level of Care is Right for You If you're unsure which option is right for you or your loved one, we offer a free assessment that can be completed with our admissions team. In this initial assessment, we'll gather information from you about what you're struggling with, speak with our team of providers, and then make a recommendation for what level of care we feel is the best fit for you and your needs. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, anxiety disorder, or other behavioral or mental health challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out. To get started with our intake process, give us a call at 775-525-8103 or fill out this form . We can’t wait to help you Thrive.
December 2, 2025
Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.
November 14, 2025
The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again. 
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