Stress

Introduction

We all face different challenges and obstacles and sometimes the pressure is hard to handle. When we feel overwhelmed, under the gun, or unsure of how to meet the demands placed on us, we experience stress.

In small doses, stress can be a good thing. It can give you the push you need, motivating you to do your best. But when the going gets too tough and life’s demands exceed your ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to both your physical and emotional well-being. According to old concept To be alive is to be under stress.

Definition: According to Hans Selye, Stress is nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it, whether it is caused by the results of pleasant and unpleasant situation.

Stress is any physiological and psychological tension that threats a person’s total equilibrium. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical and psychological stimuli.

It is now accepted fact in the medical community that stress is one of the major causes of all illness. Stress can cause migraines, stroke, eczema, a weak immune system and many other diseases.

Classification of Stress

1.       Good stress

·         It motivates, focuses energy

·         It is short-term

·         It is perceived as within our coping abilities

·         It feels exciting

·         It improves performance

Examples of good stress

·         Meeting a challenge

·         Coming in first or wining

·         Getting a promotion

·         Marriage

·         The holidays

·         Buying a new home

·         Receiving a promotion or raise at work

·         Starting a new job

2.       Distress

It is the most commonly referred to type of stress, having negative implications. The word distress has various meanings

·         Distress is a kind of suffering

·         In medicine, distress is stress caused by adverse events.

It has following characteristics

·         It causes anxiety or concern

·         It can be short-or-long-term

·         It is perceived as outside of our coping abilities

·         It feels unpleasant

·         It decreases performance

·         It can lead to mental and physical problems

Examples of Distress

·         The death of a spouse

·         Divorce

·         Losing contact with loved ones

·         The death of a family member

·         Hospitalization (oneself or a family member)

·         Injury or illness (oneself or a family member)

·         Being abused or neglected

·         Separation from a spouse

·         Conflict in interpersonal relationships

·         Money problems

·         Unemployment

·         Sleep problems

·         Children’s problems at school

·         Legal problems

Different Types of Stress

1. Acute stress: Acute stress is the most common and most recognizable from of stress, the kind of sudden jolt in which a person knows exactly why he/she is stressed. Along with obvious dangers and threats, common causes of acute stress include noise, isolation, crowding and hunger. Normally, the body rests when these types of stressful events cease and life gets back to normal. Because the effects are short-term, acute stress usually doesn’t cause severe or permanent damage to the body.

2. Episodic acute stress: Some people endure acute stress frequently; their lives are chaotic; out of control, and they always seem to be facing multiple stressful situations. They’re always in a rush, always late, always taking on too many projects, handling too many demands. Unfortunately, people with episodic acute stress may find it so habitual that they resist changing their lifestyles until they suffer severe physical symptoms.

3. Chronic stress: Chronic stress is stress that wears you down day after day and year after year, with no visible escape. It grinds away at both mental and physical health, leading to breakdown and even death.

Common causes of chronic stress include:

·         Poverty and financial worries

·         Long-term unemployment

·         Dysfunctional family relationships

·         Caring for a chronically ill family member

·         Felling trapped in unhealthy relationships or career choices

·         Living in an area besieged by war or violence

·         Bullying or harassment

4. Traumatic stress: Severe stress reactions can result from a catastrophic event or intense experience such as a natural disaster, sexual assault, life-threatening accident, or participation in combat.

After the initial shock and emotional fallout, many trauma victims gradually begin to recover. But for some people, the psychological and physical symptoms triggered by the trauma don’t go away, the body doesn’t regain its equilibrium, and life doesn’t return to normal. This is a condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Common symptoms include flashbacks or nightmares about the trauma, avoidance of places and things associated with the trauma, hyper vigilance for signs of danger, chronic irritability and tension, and depression. PTSD is a serious disorder that requires professional intervention.