Psychological Stress and its Effects on your Body

Psychological stress occurs when an individual perceives that environmental demands tax or exceed his or her adaptive capacity.¹ Operationally, studies of psychological stress focus either on the occurrence of environmental events that are consensually judged as taxing one's ability to cope or on individual responses to events that are indicative of this overload, such as perceived stress and event-elicited negative affect. 

Sheldon Cohen, PhD; Denise Janicki-Deverts, PhD; Gregory E. Miller, PhDJAMA. 2007;298(14):1685-1687. doi:10.1001/jama.298.14.1685
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/209083 

I have been working in the same company for almost four years now and have had a chance to go on actual vacation only twice. Not that I didn’t have the opportunity to go on leave or have long weekend holidays, it’s that when the time came, I was so physically and mentally exhausted that staying at home and doing mundane things were what helped me recover to being a contented version of myself.

I’ve continuously tried and struggled to keep the balance of what little I yearn for versus the reality of how adults live. In retrospect, what I and the people around me have is an above average pay in comparison to the norm. Stress levels are mostly built by people than the actual corporation. What lacks is almost always so obvious but reasoned out to be something “justifiable.” But enough about this -- after reading some articles to settle my mind, I came across an ABS-CBN news article (one of few that made sense) about how World HealthOrganization recognizes ‘burnout’ as a medical condition. About damn time. Studying stress and understanding the effects thereof were one of the few things I was grateful learning in majoring in Psychology. I had a background study before the actual experience. As everyone can agree on, learning on paper vs experience are very different things, but knowing about it first helps. So, I wanted to share this article for enlightenment:

The Effects of Stress on your Body

https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/effects-on-body#5

If your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include:

• irritability
• anxiety
• depression
• headaches
• insomnia

Central nervous and endocrine systems

Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. In your brain, the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up your heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and other important organs.

When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, the response will continue.

Chronic stress is also a factor in behaviors such as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or drug abuse, and social withdrawal.

Respiratory and cardiovascular systems

Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response, you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to breathe.

Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to constrict and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you’ll have more strength to take action. But this also raises your blood pressure.

As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack.

Digestive system

Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge. Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive system. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach acid. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading to diarrhea or constipation. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.

Muscular system

Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication for relief.

Sexuality and reproductive system

Stress is exhausting for both the body and mind. It’s not unusual to lose your desire when you’re under constant stress. While short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the male hormone testosterone, this effect doesn’t last.

If stress continues for a long time, a man’s testosterone levels can begin to drop. This can interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. Chronic stress may also increase risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the prostate and testes.

For women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle. It can lead to irregular, heavier, or more painful periods. Chronic stress can also magnify the physical symptoms of menopause.

Immune system

Stress stimulates the immune system, which can be a plus for immediate situations. This stimulation can help you avoid infections and heal wounds. But over time, stress hormones will weaken your immune system and reduce your body’s response to foreign invaders. People under chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the flu and the common cold, as well as other infections. Stress can also increase the time it takes you to recover from an illness or injury.

--

Let this information be a source of knowledge on the effects of stress and the consequences of allowing yourself to be stuck in the same situation. 

Take a breather and take care of yourself.

Happy weekend!