Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse, severe or demanding circumstances. In a medical or biological context, stress can be described as a physical, emotional or mental element that causes bodily or mental tension or strain on an individual. Stress can also be defined as the body’s natural reaction to any real or perceived harmful circumstances or situations thus initiating the fight or flight factor that the brain and body generate and execute. Stress is normally the result of individuals believing that their own inherent resources or abilities for coping with certain obstacles are inferior to the threat posed by the circumstances they face. Humans perceive stress when they think that they cannot cope with the demands they encounter. Stress can be physical, emotional or mental.
Stress is a condition that every individual experiences at one point or another in their lives. Medical experts claim that a little bit of stress is healthy for an individual, a state referred to as positive stress. However, prolonged stress, that is, stress expressed or experienced over a long period is harmful and can lead to several other complications by manifesting itself physically, thus taking a toll on one’s body. This type of condition is called chronic stress.
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Physical stress is stress that manifests itself on an individual’s body thus being more palpable than either emotional or mental stress. Emotional stress is mainly exhibited through irritability, anxiety or depression. Perhaps mental or psychological stress is the epitome of stress rather than being an actual departure from or deviation of stress. This is because stress is mostly experienced mentally due to the perception of one’s own inferiority towards any sort of demanding circumstances before stress then manifests itself through any emotional or physical means. Stress, like any other condition, can be caused by any number of things, before it is evinced by various symptoms, bodily or otherwise. Stress is known to have various effects on people, but like any other disease it can be managed or cured by a range of solutions.
Causes of Stress
Basically, any difficult, strenuous, laborious or even harmful activities or situations may cause stress. The main causes of stress are family, work, and health. These three factors are common to every individual in one way or another. Family, which comprises relatives or friends, may be a source of stress through any of the following factors; bereavement, marriage or divorce. Bereavement is obviously something that causes great sorrow and as a result of that grief which is an element of emotional stress.
Work is perhaps the most notorious source of stress because it is at work or at school that people face numerous tasks. Unemployment is one of the most stressful situations one may encounter (Pharr, Moonie & Bungum, 2012). This is because unemployment denotes financial burden or struggle and the lack of money is never a good thing particularly if you have the family to support. Without money one cannot eat well and without a proper diet comes the possibility of falling ill which is lack of good health. It is therefore evident that these factors are linked forming a vicious cycle that eventually causes a state of distress.
Health and emotional problems complete the cycle. When someone suffers a chronic illness or injury, it is common for them to experience stress. Furthermore, poor health can also be caused by any number of things including an irregular or poor sleep pattern causing exhaustion, eating unhealthy foods leading to a poor diet and lack of physical exercise. Emotional troubles such as depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt and low self-esteem are the most prevalent causes of stress.
Symptoms of Stress
Stress manifests itself in any of four ways; emotionally, cognitively, behaviorally or physically, which is the crux of the issue herein. The physical signs and symptoms of stress vary unpredictably from one person to the other. These symptoms include: low physical energy, frequent headaches, stomach problems including diarrhea, constipation and nausea, aches, pains and tense muscles, chest pains and a rapid heartbeat, insomnia, frequent infections, low sex libido, nervousness and shaking, dry mouth, cold or sweaty hands and feet, clenched jaw and difficulty swallowing.
Effects caused by Stress
The physical effects of stress are numerous. These effects if put on a scale can vary from minor issues or problems to potentially deadly consequences. The effects caused as a result of stress depend on the amount of stress one faces. This is because stress varies from positive stress which refers to the positive adaptations experienced as a result of stress, also known as eustress, to negative stress commonly called distress. Eustress is the state a person experiences as a consequence of euphoria or perceiving the stressor, something that causes stress, as positive or good (Le Fevre, Matheny & Kolt, 2003). Distress, on the other hand, denotes dissonance and is considered a threat to the quality of life since the demands faced significantly exceed an individual’s capabilities.
The unwanted, minor or less deadly physical effects of stress include hair loss, frequent stomach upset that include diarrhea, digestive problems such as constipation and nausea as hitherto indicated, sleeping disorder or insomnia, persistent headaches, hair problems such as hair loss, cases of obesity or being overweight due to poor eating habits and an irregular menstrual cycle in females. Stress may sometimes lead to more serious problems such as skin issues or disorders that include acne, psoriasis, and eczema, conditions mainly experienced during the adolescent or youth stages of many individuals.
Stress if mismanaged can lead to severe problems or conditions that were previously unprecedented hence the reason why stress suffered over a long duration of time, chronic stress, should be treated urgently by healthcare providers or medical experts. This is because when stress goes unaddressed, it can lead to cases of high blood pressure which can be manageable or fatal. Stress can also cause diabetes in certain instances, a condition that may also prove calamitous.
The impact of stress is in certain instances dire and may lead to numerous complications. Stress can cause gastrointestinal problems such as Gastroesophageal reflux disease also known as GERD which is caused by frequent acid reflux, gastritis which refers to the inflammation or erosion of the stomach lining and ulcerative colitis which is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. The major difference between normal stomach upsets and these problems is in the length, and thus the intensity of stress faced. Stress can also cause sexual dysfunctions such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men if not addressed expeditiously or if left unaddressed for a long period.
The most significant and thus catastrophic effects of stress are many types of cardiovascular diseases ranging from heart disease, heart attacks or even experiencing a stroke due to high blood pressure (Steptoe & Kivimäki, 2013). It definitely goes without saying how fatal any of these diseases or conditions are on a person.
Solutions to Stress
The easiest solution or way to deal with stress is by managing and handling stress in the right way. This is because it does not matter the person or their status, race, age or gender, one way or the other everyone experiences stress in their day to day lives. The secret thus becomes the means by which an individual handles stress and stressful situations that they encounter.
There are tens or even hundreds of ways to deal with stress. Some activities such as yoga or Pilates that have meditation or mindful or a somatic element to them are helpful to reduce stress. Regular physical exercise, better eating habits, improved sleeping patterns and something as simple as frequently laughing is also encouraged. Individuals suffering from depression or chronic stress are advised to socialize more and to seek social support from family and friends by talking about their issues so as to be aided through their rough patches. With regards to school or the workplace, setting achievable targets, changing expectation levels and taking regular breaks are crucial to dealing with any developing stress. General optimism and listening to music, which experts say lowers blood pressure as well as reduces cortisol, a hormone linked to stress, are essential in alleviating high-stress levels.
Conclusion
Stress is a common experience that every person goes through a number of times in their day to day activities. Stress, or eustress, can be a positive thing that helps motivate and challenge individuals to perform better in whatever spheres of their lives. However, stress or distress can also be negative and affect a person adversely and in a detrimental manner be it physically, emotionally or mentally. The main goal with regards to stress is being able to manage it. This means balancing between the two types of stress and eventually experiencing more eustress than distress. This is highly essential as it leads to a productive lifestyle in the long run instead of one filled with regret, unhappiness, struggle, and difficulty.
References
Le Fevre, M., Matheny, J., & Kolt, G. (2003). Eustress, distress, and interpretation in occupational stress. Journal of Managerial Psychology , 18 (7), 726-744. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02683940310502412
Pharr, J., Moonie, S., & Bungum, T. (2012). The Impact of Unemployment on Mental and Physical Health, Access to Health Care and Health Risk Behaviors. ISRN Public Health , 2012 , 1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/483432
Steptoe, A., & Kivimäki, M. (2013). Stress and Cardiovascular Disease: An Update on Current Knowledge. Annual Review of Public Health , 34 (1), 337-354. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114452
