psychological theory of stress

Anil Pantha

PSY 443

Psychological Theories of Stress

Stress is a process in which environmental demands strain an organism's adaptive capacity, resulting in psychological needs and biological changes that could place at risk for illness and, ultimately, death. Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is a normal part of life. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between stressors. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stress-related tension builds. The body's autonomic nervous system has a built-in stress response that causes physiological changes to allow the body to combat stressful situations.

However, this response can become chronically activated during prolonged periods of stress. Prolonged activation of the stress response cause wear and tear on the body, both physical and emotional. Symptoms of functional neurologic disorders may appear suddenly after a stressful event, or with emotional or physical trauma. Other triggers may include changes or disruptions in how the brain functions at the structural, cellular, or metabolic level. But the trigger for symptoms can't always be identified (Mayoclinic, 2019). Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen specific symptoms or diseases. Stress is linked to 6 of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. Stress also becomes harmful when people engage in the compulsive use of substances or behaviors to relieve their stress. These substances or behaviors include food, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, and sex.

The psychological theories of stress gradually evolved from the Theory of Emotion, The Emergency Theory, and the Theory of Emotion. Theory of Emotion (James-Lange, 19th century) states that we have experienced that our autonomic nervous system creates physiological events such as muscular tension, heart rate increases, perspiration, dryness of the mouth, etc. This theory proposes that emotions happen due to these, rather than being the cause of them.

A substantial amount of research has been done to prove the correlation between stress and physical illness. This research proves that stress is a large contributor to both the onset and progression of both physical and mental illnesses. Walter Cannon first confirmed the stress response system in the late 1920’s. His observations and research proved that certain stressors such as lack of oxygen, extreme cold, and emotional incidents all lead to the release of stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands. Physical illness is associated with stress because of the body’s biological response system dealing with stress. Some large spread human and animal studies have shown that uncontrollable stressors increase gastric lesion tendencies, and reduce immune defenses. A thirty-year study on the high stress job of air traffic controllers helps show that not only is it a biological effect but also an environmental/behavioral response.

Today's society is more stressed than ever. Our lives are more complex than our grandparents, and we have much more to juggle day today. However, those of us lead incredibly stressful lives, whether it be issues at home or stress from demanding jobs, and that stress is leading to an early grave. According to the Center for Disease Control/National Institute on Occupational Safety & Health, the workplace is the number one cause of life stress. The American Institute of Stress reports 120,000 people to die every year due to work-related stress (CDC,2018). It also revealed that stress levels among Americans are higher than the overall world average. Additionally, the "Stress in America" annual survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that as many as 63% of Americans stress the nation's future, money, work, political climate, violence, and crime.

There are numerous evidences that points stress is leading cause of death. When under stress, cells of the immune system are unable to respond to hormonal control, and consequently, produce levels of inflammation that promote disease (Cohen,2012). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress has been classified as the health epidemic of the 21st century. The general level of worry, unhappiness, and accidents in the modern world creates a national epidemic of stress (WHO,2019). It is becoming part of the new disease for people, causing a decrease in productivity and health problems that can be initially silent. After a while, it can catch up and result in morbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and inflammatory disease, all of which are made worse by chronic stress. If stress gets out of balance, it can become chronic anxiety. Anxiety is considered an extended stress response and can result in panic attacks, depression, decreased ability to function, and lower levels of energy. In its worst case, thoughts of suicide can be a side effect of excessive stress.

Chronic stress can affect both men and women. Studies have shown that men are less likely than women to express their concerns or see a doctor or therapist for help. If they turn to alcohol and smoking, they will only make matters worse. Likewise, men who had felt they had low levels of support from friends and family were twice as likely to have an abnormal PSA. The study shows that chronic exposure to stressful conditions may lead to psychological discomfort, mental health problems, depression, and anxiety symptoms, which might increase the risk of suicidal thinking.

Although stress is not a disease, its presence is associated with suicidal thoughts, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. As many as 66% of people admit that they have thoughts of suicide under stress, and 32% of those have committed suicide. If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-being at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life. It may seem like there’s nothing you can do about stress.

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. While it's easy to identify significant stressors such as changing jobs, moving, or going through a divorce, pinpointing chronic stress sources can be more complicated. It's all too easy to overlook how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to your everyday stress levels. Sure, you may know that you're always worried about work deadlines, but maybe it's your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands causing the stress. Effective stress management helps you break the hold stress has on your life so that you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun.

Any form of physical activity can help burn away tension and stress; rhythmic movements are especially useful. Good choices include walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobics. But whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy, so you're more likely to stick with it. Also, there is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. Face-to-face interaction triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the body's defensive "fight-or-flight" response. It's nature's natural stress reliever. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. Plus, you’ll be tempted to avoid or cut back on all the healthy things you should be doing to keep stress in check, like socializing and getting enough sleep.

It is important to remember that not all stress is bad for the body or mind. Has stress at school or work ever prompted you to achieve something worthwhile and helped you develop new skills? Many Psychologists have found that not all stress is bad. Stress can help motivation, problem solving, and the fighting of infections. There have been specific ways stated by which an individual can easily manage stress. These are setting priorities, practice facing stressful moments, examining one’s expectations, living a healthy lifestyle, learning to accept changes as a part of life, and creating social networks. Eating a nutritious diet, reducing caffeine and sugar, and avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs also reduce stress. Not having enough sleep also increases stress. So, it's better to get enough sleep. Follow the rules and live long. In conclusion, stress is something everyone has to deal with at some point in his or her lives. The difference between jeopardizing your health and accomplishing stressful tasks is how you handle the stress. It is important to find that one thing that helps to relieve stress in a way that is individually suiting.

Bibliography

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/