I want to talk about theories, causes, and effects of stress. Stress is an inevitable consequence of life and is a state of mental or emotional tension that results in various or demanding circumstances. Stress is not always harmful, but it can trigger multiple biological responses. All people are stressed however, everyone interprets stress differently, and our coping strategies vary from individual to individual. According to Lazarus (1999), stress is a two-way process; that involves the production of stressors by the environment and an individual's response to these stressors. Lazarus stated that cognitive assessment occurs when a person considers two major factors that significantly contribute to their response to stress. These two factors include the tendency to threaten the stress for the individual and assessing the resources needed to minimize, tolerate or eradicate the stressor and the stress they do.
While fighting or running is the primary stress response, there are other physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses or effects. From a physical point of view, one may begin to have headaches, stomach aches, increased fatigue, or feel or feel unhealthy. Emotionally and psychologically, one can have mood swings, angry thoughts, and develop a lack of concentration. 'Stress is the body's way of responding to any request.'It refers to two simultaneous events: an external stimulus called stress physical and emotional responses to that stimulus (anxiety, fear, muscle tension, increased heart rate, and so on). Work, money, health, family relationships, lack of sleep, and inadequate nutrition are stressors that lead to psychiatric disorders. Stress can lead to depression and anxiety, and can cause nervousness, panic attacks, and even delirium in the worst cases. Due to stress, the ability to concentrate decreases, and there is increased fatigue and disinterest in the world around. All of this can lead to drug or alcohol addiction. Stress acts on the metabolism causing fat to be removed from the stores to carry it to the muscles and provide energy. Basically, the body is trying to get rid of this stress. When we are stressed we eat more and smoke more, and this can cause high cholesterol. Stress, upset or overwork triggers more and more often gastric diseases, a duodenal ulcer is one of them. Gallstones, constipation, or diarrhea are also effects of high stress. The difference between the two depends on the duration. Stress causes the release of chemicals, also called 'flight or fight', that can give you the strength and energy to cope with a task, such as a test or a presentation. If you do not have the power to solve a problem immediately, your body will eventually use you, which happens with long-term stress. Stressors are circumstances that cause anxiety or anything that someone might interpret as unfavorable. Physiological stressors can be beaten by things that strain the body, such as extreme temperatures, injuries, chronic illness, and pain. Psychological stressors include events, situations, or people that someone has negatively affected and cause anxiety. People react differently to things like traffic, a big presentation, or getting a new job; those things are subjective and relative stress. Absolute stressors are situations that every person can interpret as stressful. This is a simple answer: fight or flight syndrome. We get a surge of adrenaline and a stress hormone, and we do have not to face the problem and run away from it. Another stress hormone released when stressed is cortisol, and adrenaline comes from the adrenal gland, but when cortisol builds up too much, it becomes toxic and cannot affect the mind and body. The normal stress response is we face struggle or flight during stress or short-term stress. Elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels do not provide the energy needed to complete the tasks. The same hormone levels increase during long-term suffering or stress but instead have an outlet for everything. While stress activates the 'fight or flight' part of our nervous system, mindfulness meditation activates the 'rest and digest part of our nervous system, helping with stress management.
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The effects of stress have troubled humanity for a long time, yet the research behind this common phenomenon on its impact and how to deal with it is still being explored. Hans Seyle, notable for his work in this field, has described stress as a demand of the body requiring a non-specific response. He has also developed a model known as G.A.S.(General Adaptation Syndrome), describing the body's response initiated by stress (Greenberg, 2009).
When considering that no two people manage or perceive stress in the same manner and that each has its limitations, researchers can be concerned when collecting information supporting their hypothesis. G.A.S. theory is based on a three-stage reaction to stress:
- Reaction: when the rate of all bodily functions of the autonomous nervous system increases the high level to give us the physical strength to protect ourselves against an attack or mobilize internal forces. In normal circumstances, the alarm reaction phase will not last for very long. In some instances, it may only be for a few seconds. In other cases, longer.
- adaptation: Through this process of transformation, we learn how to cope better. Problems occur at the resistance adaptation phase if the combined biological, psychological, and social responses employed do not deal with the threat effectively or if the danger is chronic, whereby it eventually wears down the organism's capacity to resist the danger or deal with it properly.
- The problems lead us to the exhaustion phase. If the stressor environment is chronic and excessive without any real opportunity to recover or adapt successfully, the organism will begin to show signs of adaptation failure. Systems start to break down, and we become more susceptible to a range of biopsychosocial symptoms. If we persist in functioning at this level, death can occur.
In conclusion, stress is very different for every individual. However, the key to successfully co-existing with stress is to learn essential strategies that can help you manage and adjust your stress reaction. Stress can ruin relationships, interfere with once-simple tasks, and ultimately turn someone's life upside down. It can cause emotional imbalance, physical ailments, and unlikely behavior. Once stress has built up, it isn't easy to get rid of quickly, so it is best to manage it daily. Applying the three crucial activities, exercise, sleep, and meditation, are crucial in keeping a healthy mind and body. It is important to remember that not all stress is bad stress, and one will never completely escape life's stressors. However, even though stress affects people very differently, it is highly detrimental if not treated once it begins.
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