“This is your body, doing its job. It’s reacting to stressful events in your life, and you should start looking for them,” says Dr. John Carr, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He also is a UW professor of psychology.

When Carr talks to patients with stress-related symptoms, he uses an automotive comparison. Your physical symptoms are like the red light on a vehicle dashboard. When your red light goes on, you visit a mechanic and seek out the problem. Then you get the underlying problem fixed.

You don’t tell the mechanic to solve your problem by removing the red light. But that’s often what patients hope to do.

“They go into the doctor, and they say, ‘I’m anxious. Make it go away,” Carr says.

But the symptoms may not go away unless the patient understands what is happening, and deals with the underlying source of the stress.

The stress can come from several different places. It can be biological: you’re exerting yourself. It can be emotional: you’re mad at your spouse. It can be cognitive: seeing someone’s face or getting into an elevator may bring back bad memories, or remind you of a chore that you’re dreading. It can be social and cultural: someone may be asking you to do something that goes against your upbringing. And it can be environmental: why isn’t that car stopping as I start to cross the street?

Increased anxiety can lead to an increased heart rate, irregular breathing, perspiration, and flushed skin, among other things. Often, these symptoms alone will alarm patients if they don’t understand why they are happening. The symptoms will then add to the person’s stress.

If any of these symptoms are interfering with your life, consult your family doctor. Most discerning physicians, if they determine there is no medical cause for your symptoms, will refer you to a mental health professional who will help you to understand how your stress response works and how to identify and work through the problems, Carr says.

Most importantly, a mental health specialist will help you realize that your body is having a normal reaction, Carr says. Prolonged stress can have a debilitating or wearing effect on your body, so good self-maintenance should involve learning how to relax and treat yourself well at appropriate times. Take a walk, or get some other exercise. Have a massage. Take a shower. Take a rest. Listen to music. Do whatever works for you. But do it regularly and always schedule some personal time or relaxation in your day.

One of Carr’s patients suffered seizures, for which a neurologist could determine no cause. It turned out that the seizures happened weekdays before the patient went to a job that involved high-stress negotiations. After work, the person had to return to a demanding home life. The patient recovered after asking for more staff support at work, and getting family members to understand the importance of “down time” to relax, Carr says.

“A lot of times, people don’t realize that their body is giving them useful information. Often, they will feel at the mercy of forces beyond their control,” Carr says. “What we want people to know is that they’re in charge. With understanding, comes control and with control, comes empowerment and confidence to handle any challenge.”.