Because the word stress became so popular and has different connotations, it seems to be something common and normal, which is true and false at the same time. Most people don’t know there are three different types of stress:
1- Eustress is good stress. It motivates the individual to take action, to be dynamic and pro-active. It has pleasant and exciting effects, such as falling in love. Which, in turn, causes a short-term alarm response and its duration is limited.
2- Neustress is considered neither good nor bad because the perceived stimuli have no consequences in the human physiology.
3- Distress is known as bad stress. It fully initiates the fight-or-flight response and may have a prolonged impact on a person’s life and well-being. (Eliopoulos, 2017).
Also, there are two categories of stress: short-term stress (when an animal crosses in front of the car while you are driving) and long-term stress (hours, days, months, and even years living in a stressful situation, such as a loss of a dear one or a job).
Normally, when people refer themselves by being stressed or dealing with stress, they are talking about distress, which is long-term stress that can cause many physiological and psychological symptoms and ailments. According to Seaward (2018), with long-term stress, the individual can experience chronic pain, headaches, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal distress, constipation or diarrhea, weight loss or gain, immune system disturbance (frequent flu, colds, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, or even cancer), fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood instability, hypertension, elevated blood lipid levels, changes in eating, drinking, or smoking behaviors, dizziness, irritability, depression, restlessness, heightened sensitivity to stimuli, poor impulse control, substance abuse, muscle tension, skin disorders, teeth grinding, panic attacks, difficulty thinking, concentrating, or remembering things, social withdrawal, and changes in the quality of relationships. Any symptom or a combination of them doesn’t indicate the person is dealing with long-term stress, but it can be an indicator of a need for a lifestyle change.
Stress affects the whole body, but mainly the following:
- The Autonomic Nervous System
- The Endocrine System
- The Immune System
- The Cardiovascular System
- Gastrointestinal System
The conclusion is that even though the word stress potentially became a cliché, its consequences are not. Stress has deep, long-lasting effects on human physiology, psychology, and behaviors. It should be taken seriously and treated with care and love.
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