Psychological Effects Of Stress On A Human Mind And Body

[Rida.Tahir9]

Stress is the change in our emotional state which goes from stable to unstable and disturbed. It allows our emotions and mental state to get disturbed, hence putting us in a dilemma. Stress is caused by any event or circumstance that differs from our current stable state and causes us to panic, worry, or get upset. Stress has both physical and emotional reactions to the specific situation. Emotionally, a person panics or feels upset in a stressful situation, while physically, stress can cause severe bodily conditions like heart attacks or panic/anxiety attacks.

How does stress affect us psychologically?:

Stress is caused by a lot of unfavorable conditions and situations which can arise from different areas of human life. Some of these situations which explains how does stress affect us pyschologically are mentioned below:

Difference between toxic and healthy relationships:

Human beings tend to seek for companionship and affection from one another. It is one of the important needs of human beings as mentioned in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Due to that, people search for compatible partners for themselves and spend the rest of their lives in their company and exchange love, affection, efforts, and a lot of other emotional and financial investments.

Summary: Not all of these relationships are healthy and contribute to one’s mental health in a beneficial manner.

Toxic relationships are one of the common and deeply-damaging cause of a person facing psychological effects of stress. It can be highlighted by the red flags which are most often less obvious for one to notice. Gaslighting, narcissistic behavior, constant fights, disrespect, infidelity, dishonesty, and other similar factors causes huge amounts of stress in a person, which then not only ruins the relationship but also their self-esteem and mental health.

Parenting styles that cause stress:

Society dictates that parents never do anything wrong. Every single act of parents whether or not they are damaging to their child’s soul is justified through one way or another. Most Asian families follow a traditional practice as well, where they completely dominate their offspring and even the partners of their offspring to the point where they feel suffocated and trapped. There was also recorded a high percentage of teenage rebellion and suicide due to rigid expectations and extreme restrictions that parents enforce on their children. This proves to be more damaging than a source of discipline as they expect it to work.

summary: Toxic parenting can contribute a lot to a child’s stress and that as a result, affect everything a child is linked with including social relationships, education, physical activities, etc.

The concept of unconditional love is a myth in most families as parents tend to prefer such children who conform the most to their whims and norms. From selecting a career of their choice (or lack of) to choosing their own partners, parents tend to believe it as their birthright to make these decisions for their children without taking their input at all. Refusing to participate in such a practice makes the children go through ample amount of psychological effects of stress and gaslighting from their families which impacts severely to their psychological health.

Societal expectations with people:

In societies where religion seems to hold a much higher position than anything else, people who are less practicing are subjected towards ruthless bullying and hate speech on the basis of their faith. People are more likely to abandon their loved ones if they tend to follow a different religion or simply become atheists. Women who choose to become independent are still looked down upon and are subjected to various taunts and labels. It gets extremely challenging for women to fight sexism, racism, harassment, bullying, discrimination, and other issues at the same time without putting their guard down. This contributes a lot in decaying their mental health too.

Summary: Society favors only those who conforms to its norms.

Moreover, men are subjected by society as well to be the breadwinners for the entire family. Such gender roles put the entire responsibility of earning on men and puts unnecessary pressure on them to be emotionally locked up and focus their entire strengths on earning and proving themselves as “manly”. This way, toxic masculinity not only feeds the societal notions of gender inequality but also managed to disturb the mental health of men to an alarming extent.

Toxic academic productivity:

Rigid expectations that are placed on students successfully manage to ruin their mental health as well as academic productivity. They lose whatever potential that they had to study and completely lose their hope in scoring better grades. Parents and teachers are equally responsible in making sure that educational institutes and grades are considered as a source of learning rather than making it a competition among other children and make it all about their self-worth. Such academic stress impacts students a lot and even pushes them towards suicide as they feel that they are letting everyone down. This is exactly where parents and teachers fail to be compassionate guiders and become more of rigid dictators.

Toxic workplace productivity:

Workplace stress can have a lot of psychological effects of stress due to a lot of factors. Workplace harassment and rigid expectations for achieving a certain goal puts the employees at a lot of risk. They can lose their productivity, efficiency, health, and will to continue to work well. Workplace should be a place to help the employees become motivated to reach their goals and give their best through various positive reinforcements. Expecting people to work at ridiculous hours with an unrealistic and rigid set of goals will only stress them out and lose whatever motivation they have left to work. This can be bad for both the workers and the organization where they work.

Symptoms of stress:

There are various physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of stress on a human being. Some of them are:

Physical symptoms:

Physical symptoms of stress includes:

• Rapid heartbeats.
• Headaches.
• Chilled hands and feet.
• Shortness of breaths.
• Body ache.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea.
• Insomnia.
• Obesity.
• Acne.

Emotional symptoms:

Some emotional symptoms of stress includes:

• Irritability in mood.
• Stress eating.
• Anti-social behavior.
• Drug/alcohol/tobacco abuse.
• Emotional breakdowns.

Mental symptoms:

Some mental symptoms of stress includes:

• Anxiety.
• Lack of motivation.
• Depression.
• Mood disorders.
• Aggression.
• Restlessness.

Psychological effects of stress on a human brain:

Excessive stress, also known as chronic stress can severely harm the brain. Stress can contribute to memory loss as well. It is because the part of brain that handles memory and learning is the prefrontal cortex, which shrinks due to excessive stress. Too much stress can also cause your brain to release those hormones which frequently causes panic attacks and emotional breakdowns. One can get their blood pressure high and their arteries clogged due to excessive stress, which can cause life-threatening conditions like heart attacks.

Final thoughts:

Stress is much more than just worrying about something bad that happened. It has serious consequences and can actually land you in life-threatening positions. One must take care of their physical and mental health in a way that it helps keep them healthy. For that, a healthy life with healthy relationships and practices are needed to make sure one stays safe. It also helps keep their mental health intact. Regularly seeking therapy to keep the psychological effects of stress and other worrisome factors in check goes a long way in keeping a person mentally and physically healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: What are the physiological effects of stress on the body?

A: Physiological effects of stress on body includes high blood pressure, heart diseases, skin conditions, obesity, insomnia, etc.

Q2: What are the symptoms of psychological stress?

A: The symptoms of psychological stress are:

• Low emotions.
• Restlessness.
• Irritability.
• Panic.
• Overthinking.

Q3: What is psychological stress?

A: A psychological stress is the feeling of being upset, tensed, worried, or irritablity from something or someone.

Q4: What are some mental effects of stress?

A: The initial mental effects grow into physical symptoms that can potentially harm the body and mind. Some of the mental effects of stress are depression, anxiety, and aggression which also follow up with physical symptoms, like rapid heartbeats, high blood pressure, memory loss, and sometimes even heart attacks or anxiety attacks.

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[samia_naeem]

In psychology, stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure. Stress is considered as a type of psychological pain. Small amounts of stress may be desired, beneficial, and even healthy. Positive stress helps improve athletic performance. It also plays a factor in motivation, adaptation, and reaction to the environment. Excessive amounts of stress, however, may lead to bodily harm. Stress can increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks, ulcers, and mental illnesses such as depression and also aggravation of a pre-existing condition.

What is the exact definition of psychological stress?

Psychological stress is a term which donates the processes believed to contribute to a variety of mental and physical conditions. Stress affects us psychologically as well as physically. Despite widespread interest in the construct and its consequences for health and well-being, there is little consensus on definitions for psychological stress. Three perspectives for defining and studying psychological stress are reviewed with respect to their history, development, and current status. The three perspectives on psychological stress differ in terms of the relative emphasis each places on the environment, the organism, and the interaction between organism and environment over time.

Types of Stress

Understanding stress can help us know more quickly when we need help. Stress is our built-in response to danger, a surge in hormones as we choose between fighting, fleeing, or freezing. The danger may be real or imagined, immediate or farther away; our bodies don’t know the difference.

According to the American Psychological Association, there are three types of stress, the three types of stress acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress. These can all make us feel out of sorts or even ill, but chronic stress is often ignored.

1. Acute Stress. We all know the feeling when we are behind on a seemingly all-important deadline and then we get a call from our child’s school asking us to come by or we barely miss a serious car accident.

Our heart might race and our blood pressure might rise. Our sense of emergency might trigger a migraine or even chest pain.

What are the possible symptoms of Acute Stress?

Other possible symptoms of acute stress include

• irritability

• anxiety

• sadness

• headaches

• back pain

• and gut problems

These may appear for a short time and subside when the stress eases. Our minds may extend acute stress. A recent argument may replay in our mind, keeping us up at night. Or we might keep worrying about the future, a deadline ahead. We might benefit from learning techniques to calm our mind, but stress isn’t interfering with our relationships or career.

What are the causes of acute stress?

People can develop acute stress after experiencing one or more traumatic events. A traumatic event can cause significant physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

Among others, possible traumatic events can include:

• the death of a loved one
• the threat of death or serious injury
• natural disasters
• motor vehicle accidents
• sexual ■■■■■■■, rape, or domestic abuse
• receiving a terminal diagnosis
• surviving a traumatic brain injury

Risk factors of Acute Stress

A person can develop acute stress at any point in their life. However, some people may have a higher risk of developing this condition.

Factors that can increase an individual’s risk of developing acute stress include:

• previously experiencing, witnessing, or having knowledge of a traumatic event
• a history of other mental health disorders
• a history of dissociative reactions to past traumatic events
• being younger than 40 years old.

Diagnosis

A doctor or mental health professional can diagnose acute stress. They will ask questions about the traumatic event and the person’s symptoms.

To diagnose acute stress disorder, a healthcare professional will also rule out other possible causes, such as:

• other psychiatric disorders
• substance use
• underlying medical conditions

Treatment for Acute Stress

Treatment options for Acute stress may include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Doctors usually recommend cognitive behavioral therapy as the first-line treatment for people with acute stress. CBT involves working with a trained mental health professional to develop effective coping strategies.
• Mindfulness. Mindfulness-based interventions teach techniques for managing stress and anxiety. These can include meditation and breathing exercises.
• Medications. A healthcare professional may prescribe antidepressants or anticonvulsants to help treat a person’s symptoms.

Prevention

It is not always possible to avoid experiencing traumatic events. However, there are ways to reduce the risk of developing acute stress afterward.

These can include:

• consulting a doctor or mental health professional following a traumatic event
• seeking support from family and friends
• getting treatment for other mental health disorders
• working with a behavioral coach to develop effective coping mechanisms
• getting preparation training if a person’s job involves a high risk of exposure to traumatic events

Summary

Acute stress disorder is not an uncommon condition, and it can occur after a person experiences a traumatic event. People whose occupation exposes them to traumatic events have a higher risk of developing acute stress disorder.

Treatment aims to reduce symptoms and help a person develop effective coping strategies. Options include CBT, mindfulness techniques, and medications.

Reaching out to friends, family, and community support groups can also help a person process their feelings and move on with their life following a traumatic event.

Episodic acute stress. Some people experience mini-crises regularly and live in a state of tension. They may be taking on too much or simply be overburdened by their lives. If people tend to worry, their body will be tense or angry.

The symptoms are similar but occur more often and accumulate.

In modern life, we often can’t take big, immediate actions to solve our problems. Instead, we can take small steps that build up over time.

We might need to spend more time getting physical exercise while rethinking our finances in case we need to quit. We might need the help of a therapist to change our circumstances or our responses to them.

Over time, a pattern of episodic acute stress can wear away at your relationships and work.

That risk is greater if we turn to unhealthy coping strategies like binge drinking, overeating, or clinging to bad relationships. Many people also slowly give up pursuing pleasurable activities or meaningful goals.
If poorly managed, episodic acute stress can contribute to serious illnesses like heart disease or clinical depression.

Chronic stress. This is the grinding stress that wears people down over the years. It arises from serious life problems that may be fundamentally beyond our control: poverty, war, or racism.

The demands are unrelenting and we don’t know when they will stop. We get by day by day.

If a person had a traumatic childhood, he may experience life as chronically stressful even when the surface appears okay. He believes he is perpetually threatened by poverty or illness even when this is untrue.

Whether the cause lies in a person’s mindset or difficult circumstances, many people stop fighting for change and begin to accommodate chronic stress.

What are the symptoms of chronic stress?

Chronic stress affects the whole body. It can have several physical or psychological symptoms, which can make functioning on a daily basis more challenging.

The type and severity of symptoms vary considerably from person to person.

Signs and symptoms of chronic stress may include:

• frequent infections or illnesses
• irritability, which can be extreme
• nervousness
• fatigue
• a perceived loss of control
• difficulty concentrating, or an inability to do so
• rapid, disorganized thoughts
• difficulty sleeping
• digestive problems
• changes in appetite
• feeling helpless
• low self-esteem
• loss of sexual desire
• headaches
• irritability, which can be extreme

What can be the causes of chronic stress?

Some potential causes of chronic stress may include:

• high-pressure jobs
• challenging relationships
• financial difficulties

Chronic stress puts pressure on the body for an extended period. This can cause a range of symptoms and increase the risk of developing certain illnesses.

Health Consequences of Chronic Stress

Over long periods, chronic stress can contribute to the development of a range of physical and mental disorders, including:

Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure.

• sexual dysfunction
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD
• obesity
• a weakened immune system
• autoimmune diseases
• gastrointestinal disorders
• skin irritation
• respiratory infections
• schizophrenia
• insomnia
• burnout
• depression
• anxiety disorders

Common Psychological Effects of Stress

Indeed, stress symptoms can affect our body, our thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that’s left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

On our body	On our mood	On our behavior
Headache	Anxiety	Overeating or undereating
Muscle tension or pain	Restlessness	Angry outbursts
Chest pain	Lack of motivation or focus	Drug or alcohol misuse
Fatigue	Feeling overwhelmed	Tobacco use
Change in sex drive	Irritability or anger	Social withdrawal
Stomach upset	Sadness or depression	Exercising less often

How to manage stress?

Chronic stress can seem overwhelming, and a person may feel unable to regain control over their life.

However, a number of strategies can help to reduce stress levels and improve well-being.

Some methods for managing stress may include:

• Understanding the signs and symptoms of stress . These indications can vary, but if a person can recognize their own signals of stress, they will be better able to manage them.
• Speaking to friends and family . Friends and family can provide emotional support and the motivation to take action.
• Identifying triggers . It is not always possible to avoid triggers of stress. However, taking note of specific triggers can help a person to develop coping and management strategies, which may involve reducing exposure.
• Exercising regularly . Physical activity increases the body’s production of endorphins, which are chemicals that boost the mood and reduce stress. Exercise can involve walking, cycling, running, working out, or playing sports.
• Trying mindfulness . People who practice this form of meditation use breathing and thought techniques to create an awareness of their body and surroundings. Research suggests that mindfulness can have a positive impact on stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Improving sleep quality . Getting too little sleep or sleep of poor quality can contribute to stress. Try to get at least 7 hours every night, and set regular times for going to sleep and waking up. Avoid caffeine, eating, and intense physical activity in the hours before bed.

It can also help to unwind before sleeping, by listening to music, reading a book, taking a warm bath, or meditating, for example.

Treatment

If strategies are not helping, it is important to see a healthcare professional for advice and support. A doctor may recommend psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

One established aim of CBT is to help people deal with chronic stress. In structured sessions, a therapist works to enable a person to modify their behaviors, thoughts, and feelings concerning stressors.

CBT can also help a person develop tools and coping mechanisms to manage stress responses.

Sometimes, a doctor recommends medications to help treat some symptoms of chronic stress. For example, they may prescribe antidepressants to treat anxiety or depression. For people with trouble sleeping, doctors may prescribe sedatives.

Frequently asked question:

• How does stress affect the mind and body?

Ongoing, chronic stress , however, can cause many serious health problems, including: Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and stroke.

• What are psychological and emotional signs of stress?

Psychological and emotional signs of stress may include:

• Depression or anxiety.

• Anger, irritability , or restlessness.

• Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused.

• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.

• Racing thoughts or constant worry.

• Problems with your memory or concentration.

• Making bad decisions.

• What are the examples of life stresses?

Examples of life stresses are:

• The death of a loved one.

• Divorce.

• Loss of a job.

• Increase in financial obligations.

• Getting married.

• Moving to a new home.

• Chronic illness or injury.

• Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem)

• How do you treat psychological stress?

Following are the ways to manage stress:

1. Find a balance.
2. Be kind to yourself.
3. Lean on the people you trust.
4. Keep a journal.
5. Eat well-balanced, regular meals.
6. Exercise regularly.
7. Get plenty of rest.
8. Practice relaxation exercises.

• What are the consequences of long-term stress?

• Mental health problems , such as depression, anxiety , and personality disorders.

• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and stroke.

• Obesity and other eating disorders.

• Menstrual problems.

Conclusion
Indeed, Symptoms of stress can affect our body, our thoughts and feelings, and our behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms may help us manage them. Stress that is left unchecked may contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

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[AshraAbdulRazzaq]

There are various psychological effects of stress on human body and mind. Stress can be defined as our body’s response to anything. Stress is any change that causes emotional, physical and psychological strain. Stress is an undesirable condition. People face stress due to the problems they are facing in their life. Some people face stress on daily basis . Stress have negative affects on our health. We might not realize it but stress symptoms badly affect our health.We blame illness for the irritating headache, decreased productivity at work and frequent insomnia. But the actual cause is the stress.Stress symptoms can affect our feelings, body and thoughts. Stress that is left untreated can cause many health problems,such as diabetes, blood pressure and obesity.

Common effects of stress

On your body	On your mood	On your behavior
Chest pain	Restlessness	Overeating
Stomach upset	Irritability and anger	Tobacco use
Headache	Feeling overwhelmed	Angry outbursts
Sleep problems	Sadness and depression	Social withdrawal
Change in sex drive	Anxiety	Drug and alcohol misuse
Muscle tension and pain	Lack of motivation	Exercise less often

Act to manage stress
Taking steps to manage the stress symptoms can have various health benefits. Look stress management strategies such as:

• Spending more time with friends and family.

• Getting Physical activity on daily bases.

• Giving some time to hobbies such as listening to music and reading a book.

• Practicing different relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, massage or yoga.
  Try to find active ways to handle the stress. Inactive ways to handle the stress such as surfing the internet, watching televisions or playing video games for a little time they seem relaxing ,but they may increase the stress over the long period. Eat a balanced and healthy diet and be sure to get plenty of sleep. Avoid excess caffeine, tobacco use , use of illegal substances and alcohol.

Summary
Taking steps to manage the stress symptoms can have various health benefits. Spending more time with friends and family can reduce our stress.

Psychological Stress
In psychology stress is a feeling of emotional pressure and pain. Stress is a kind of psychological pain. Small amounts of stress may be beneficial and even healthy. We can identify the negative stress. The stress affects us psychologically.

Eustress is a term used for good stress. Good stress can actually be beneficial to us. Unlike distress or bad stress , eustress can help with focus, energy, performance and motivation. Bad stress causes concern, a decrease in performance and anxiety. It can lead to more serious problems if not treated.

Psychological stress effects
It is obvious that the long-term effects of a stress can spoil or damage our health. Stress negatively impact our lives. Stress can cause physical conditions such as digestive issues, headaches and sleep disturbances. It can also cause psychological strains such as depression, anxiety, headaches and confusions.
According to the American Psychological Association unchecked chronic stress or any type of stress that is constant and lasts over an longer period of time can result in weakened immune system and high blood pressure. It also causes the development of heart diseases and obesity.

Psychological stress signs
There is a distinction between an actual stress and a stressor. A stressor can be a place, situation or a person that is causing stress. Stress is the response to a combination of those stressors. There are various number of situations that can cause stress. Dr. Gary Brown, a psychotherapist says some of the stressors include:

• Health Issues

• Moving to a new place

• Relationship conflicts with family members and friends

• Increasing work responsibilities

• Financial Issues

• Increasing demands

• Loss of a caring and loved one

• Exposure to the traumatic incidents such as violent crime or a car accident.

The first step to manage the stress and its adverse effects is knowing how to spot the signs of stress. Some of the more common psychological, physical and emotional signs of chronic or a long lasting stress include:

• High blood pressure

• Persistent thoughts about stressors

• Fatigue

• Changes in behavior include feelings of sadness, loss of emotional control, inability to rest, self-medication and social withdrawal.

• Difficulty in sleeping

• Poor problem-solving ability

• Feeling overwhelmed

Summary
In psychology stress is a feeling of emotional pressure and pain. Stress is a kind of psychological pain. It is obvious that the long-term effects of a stress can spoil or damage our health. There is a distinction between an actual stress and a stressor.

How does stress impact our health?
Stress is experienced by everyone. Despite being having many negative effects ,stress in itself is not an illness. But there are connections between mental health conditions and stress including anxiety, depression psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. Stress links to the mental health. The more we comprehend the stress the more we can handle it. In this article we examine the science of mental health and stress.

Fight or flight
Stress causes physical alterations in the body. It increases breathing and heart rate. Short-term memory becomes effective. This stress is prepared by the body for “fight or flight” when we have a danger. Its response has evolved to keep us safe when we sense danger. Thinking skills improve as stress enhances, so in short stress can be a good thing. It can help us prepare for a job interview, sports match or exam. The body returns to its normal state after a stressful event.

Long-term stress
Various situations can Cause a stress response in the body. Changes at work, accidents, illness, problems with relationships money, housing or family can all cause stress. Daily hassles can make us feel stressed. We are unable to control and predict what is happening to us and so our body goes into a state of increased changes. When the stress response becomes chronic it has a many different effect to the short bursts that increased the body’s abilities.
In most cases the stress response controlling system is no longer able to return to its normal state. Memory, attention and the way we deal with feelings are negatively impacted.

The long term stress can contribute to both mental and physical illness through effects on the immune, heart, hormones acting on the brain and metabolic functions. Some of the behavioral and emotional symptoms of stress interconnected with those of mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. This can make it hard to differentiate where one ends and the other begins, or which came first. Someone who is stressed may feel down, worried, angry and irritable.

What are effects of stress on our body parts and their functioning?
Stress have various effects on body parts. Functions and effects of various body parts under the stress are following:

Digestive system
In stress, our liver produces extra blood sugar glucose to give you a energy. If we are under long term stress our body may not be able to keep up with this excess glucose surge. long term stress may increase our risk of developing type 2 diabetes

The rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and more amount of hormones can also upset our digestive system. We are more probably to have acid reflux and heartburn. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers but it can increase our risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

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

Sexuality and Reproductive system
Stress is exhausting for both the mind and body. It is not strange to lose our urge when we are in constant stress. Although short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the hormone testosterone, this effect doesn’t end.If stress continues for a large period, a man’s testosterone levels can start to drop. This can cause erectile dysfunction or interfere with the sperm production. Long term or Chronic stress may also enhance the risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the testes and prostate.

Respiratory and Cardiovascular system
Stress hormones affect our cardiovascular and respiratory system. During the stress response, we breathe speedily in an effort to rapidly distribute oxygen-rich blood to our body. If we already have a breathing issue such as emphysema,or asthma stress can make it even difficult o breathe.

In stress, our heart also pumps speedily. Stress hormones divert more oxygen to our muscles and cause our blood vessels to constrict, so we’ll have more energy to take action. But this also increases our blood pressure. Long term or Chronic stress will make our heart work too difficult for too long. When our blood pressure increases, risks for having a heart attack or stroke also increases.

Central Nervous system and Endocrine system
Our central nervous system is in charge of our “fight or flight” response. In our brain, the hypothalamus, telling our adrenal glands to release the stress hormones cortiso and adrenaline . These hormones increases our heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it badly in an emergency, such as our heart, muscles, and other necessary organs.

When the fear that is perceived is gone, the hypothalamus should tell systems to return in a normal state. If the stressor doesn’t go away, or if the central nervous system fails to return to normal, the response will continue.

The Immune system
Another link between mental health and stress is the immune system. The immune system is activated during the stress response, helping to keep us safe. But the long-term stress and longer activation of the immune system could negatively affect the brain functions. A long term activation of the immune system is linked with the depression.Researchers are working to comprehend how in some people this activation can lead to mental illness and depression. 30 percent of people with depression and anxiety have enhanced immune activity in the body. Researchers are also working to find out if anti-inflammatory drugs might help people with this kind of stress.

The biology of mental health and stress
The long term and chronic stress enhances the risk of developing anxiety and depression. Researchers founds that the first response to stress occurs in the brain within in seconds of sensing a ‘stressor’. Chemicals which signal between neurotransmitters are released. These include adernaline and serotonin. After this, stress hormones are released,which affect areas of the brain key for regulating emotions and memory.

Researchers are also examining how these systems are involved in depression and anxiety, mentioning a biochemical link between mental illness and stress. Long-term stress can alter the structure of the brain, especially in areas supporting memory and learning.

Summary
Stress is experienced by everyone. It causes physical alterations in the body. It increases breathing and heart rate. It have various effects on body parts.

What are the symptoms of stress?
Stress can affect all areas of our life. Psychological symptoms of stress including changes in our behaviors, emotions , physical health and thinking ability. No part of our body is immune. But, because people tackle the stress differently so the symptoms of can change. We may experience any kind of the following symptoms of stress.
Physical Symptoms

• Insomnia

• Rapid heart beat and chest pain

• Pains, aches and tense muscles

• Often infections and cold

• Loss of sexual ability

• Headaches

• Low energy

• Difficulty in swallowing

• Shaking and nervousness

• Grinding teeth and clenched jaw

• Upset stomach including constipation, nausea and diarrhea.

Cognitive symptoms
Cognitive symptoms of stress are:

• Disorganization and forgetfulness

• Inability to concentrate

• Poor judgement about things

• Persistent worrying

• Seeing only the negative aspects

• Racing thoughts

Emotional symptoms
Emotional symptoms of stress are:

• Becoming easily frustrated, moody and agitated.

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Loosing control

• Having difficulty quieting and relaxing the mind

• Avoiding family members and friends

• Feeling bad about the self, worthless and lonely

Behavioral symptoms
Behavioral symptoms of stress are:

• Avoiding responsibilities and procrastinating

• Increased use of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

• Changes in the appetite,either eating too much or not eating

• Exhibiting nervous behaviors such as fidgeting, pacing and nail biting.

Summary
Some symptoms of the stress are :Insomnia, rapid heart beat and chest pain, pains, aches and tense muscles, feeling overwhelmed, loosing control, having difficulty quieting and relaxing the mind etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is an example of social stress?
  Social stress can be defined as a situation which threatens one’s sense of belonging within a group dyad or larger social context. Social stressors can elicit raise in self conscious feelings such as embarassment and shame.

• How to get rid of social stress?
  Slow and stop down: Don’t react when you have feelings of social anxiety. Do few relaxation exercises or practice medication. By remaining busy in these adaptive behaviors will break the cycle between runaway emotions and anxious thoughts.

• Why am I stressing for no reason?
  Stress can be caused by various aspects: brain chemistry, environmental factors and genetics. Symptoms of the anxiety can be decreased with anti-anxiety medication. But people may still experience some stress with medication.

• Are bananas good for stress?
  Taking potassium-rich foods in diet like bananas and pumpkin seeds may help to decrease the symptom of stress and anxiety.

• What causes constant stress?
  Some potential causes of long-term stress are:

• Financial difficulties

• Pressure of work

• Relationship issues

• Loss of loved ones

Conclusion
There are various psychological effects of stress on human body and mind. Stress is any change that causes emotional, physical and psychological strain. Stress is an undesirable condition. In psychology stress is a feeling of emotional pressure and pain. Stress is a kind of psychological pain. Small amounts of stress may be beneficial and even healthy. It is obvious that the long-term effects of a stress can spoil or damage our health. Stress negatively impact our lives. There is a distinction between an actual stress and a stressor. A stressor can be a place, situation or a person that is causing stress. Stress is experienced by everyone. Despite being having many negative effects ,stress in itself is not an illness. But there are connections between mental health conditions and stress.

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How to get rid of headache?

[Arisha62]

The psychological effects of stress on a human body and mind works much like a reflex whereby the nervous system reacts by secreting hormones that naturally boost.
To cope with stressful situations, an additional supply of energy is necessary.
The effects associated with stress and anxiety can be multiple and the consequences are sometimes devastating.

Adaptation system

Stress is in no way an aggressive agent of our organism; on the contrary, it is the adaptive response of our body to physical and psychological attacks. It allows us to prepare for an emergency and therefore react accordingly. Specialists call it a general adaptation syndrome. Stress triggers physiological reactions that help maintain an internal balance in our body, homeostasis, whatever the external context. Stress is vital for the evolution of man.
Where it becomes pathological and destructive is when we are no longer able to distinguish between a real threat and simple little hassles.

The human body

This beautiful machine has its limits. It has a tolerance threshold that should be avoided so that the body does not exhaust itself. With society being what it is today, many people suffer from psychological disorders. The body can no longer decompress. He is in a permanent state of emergency which has repercussions at the psychological level. The individual loses all objectivity and analytical mind when faced with a situation. The person often suffers from depression and physical exhaustion.

Acute stress

Following a stressful situation where it is a question of fighting or fleeing, the organism reacts biologically in 2 stages.
The response is controlled by the ANS (Autonomous Nervous System) which triggers the production of hormones intended to provide a short-term response, independently of any voluntary control.

1st step: the shock

1. the level of sugar in the blood collapses;
2. muscle tone also collapses;
3. the mind becomes confused;
4. physical manifestations appear.

2nd step: the reaction

When it perceives a threat, the body instantly activates the hypothalamus, a limbic brain structure that provides homeostasis, that is to say, the maintenance of biological constants (blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory). On the one hand, the stress reaction mobilizes the sympathetic branch and therefore the adrenal medulla, which immediately releases catecholamines (adrenaline) or “stress hormones”. We speak of “stress axis” which is triggered by two kinds of stimuli directly alerting the hypothalamus:

1. cognitive stimuli, such as physical stimuli (pain, cold, noise), and emotions perceived by the sense organs and the nervous system;
2. non-cognitive stimuli such as viruses and bacteria recognized by the immune system.

Thanks to this adrenaline intake, the body is able to increase your mental and physical strength tenfold. Nevertheless, it is an expensive operating regime in which the mobilizable energy reserves are quickly lacking. The prolongation of the reaction involves the support of the corticotropic axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex) which increases the secretion of cortisol.
Under these conditions, and if the threat has disappeared, the situation is under control,everything is back to normal under the soothing effect of cortisol.

Chronic stress

If it is no longer a predator but persistent stress, which regularly returns to the load, the activation of the organism tends to persist. It secretes hormones such as cortisol, dopamine, serotonin, endorphin. However, the effects of the first, beneficial in a situation of acute stress, turn out to be harmful when the stress becomes chronic. Indeed, cortisol is responsible for an increase in protein degradation; to produce energy substrates, the organism which has exhausted its reserves of sugars and lipids, attacks its own structures. This production of energy components results in:

1. an increase in glucose, triglycerides and blood cholesterol, causing cardiovascular disease;
2. an effect on immune capacities.

To overcome the negative effects of excessive and prolonged secretion of cortisol, the body has a regulatory mechanism: the hippocampus, structure of the temporal lobe of the brain. While under the effect of acute stress, the hippocampus slows down the hypothalamus, the secretion of CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone *) then decreases, which reduces that of cortisol, which is toxic for it. Under chronic stress, it loses its ability to slow down the hypothalamus. The activation of the corticotropic axis tends to be sustained. Cortisol remains high, it then manifests its anxiety-inducing and depressant power and leads to a degradation of memory and learning capacities. You reach what specialists call “the exhaustion phase”;

1. CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone): CRH or corticoliberin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and acting in the pituitary gland. CRH will stimulate the release of ACTH by the pituitary gland which will, in turn, stimulate the production of glucocorticoids (cortisol) in the adrenals.
2. SNA (Autonomous Nervous System)

The physical reaction

The physique in the face of acute stress

During a period of intense stress, physical symptoms may appear: pallor, tremors, profuse sweating, malaise, a lump in the throat, tightness in the chest, knot in the stomach, digestive spasms, cold extremities.

After stress, it is common to be exhausted both physically and mentally. The movements are slow and heavy, the voice is altered, a feeling of euphoric relief appears at the same time as a loss of evaluation and memorization skills. This is why we must always avoid, after having overcome a serious danger, to relax completely: this is the phenomenon of an accident.

Body and mind intimately linked

Following a traumatic event or a repetition of failures, stress sets in and threatens the body’s balance. Most often, the effects of prolonged stress begin to be felt on the psyche, and physical manifestations appear heart palpitations, pain and tension (in the jaws, neck or back), asthenia (general state of fatigue), difficulty falling asleep, nocturnal awakenings, dizziness, dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), nausea, bloating.

The harmful effects of stress on the physique

The hormonal storm triggered by stress is not harmful to the body if the situation settles down, either because the stressors have disappeared or because the person concerned has coped with them. On the other hand, if the tension persists, stress hormones can affect the physical health of the individual. The nervous system, by dint of being called upon, overreacts and depletes the body’s natural reserves.

The psychological impact

The resources of the mind

Biological mechanisms alone are not sufficient to manage a stressful event. Indeed, the body provides substances to quickly take action or to withstand the shock. It is then necessary to mobilize psychic resources. The mind governs motivation, combativeness, composure and self-confidence.

The psyche in the face of different stresses

1. During acute stress, we instantly raise our level of alertness to focus our attention on danger. All the senses are on the alert. Psychic phenomena can appear :
2. a feeling of unreality of what has just happened;
3. painful psychic tension with lucid awareness of the situation experienced.

Conversely, in chronic stress, the following psychological disorders can disturb you: rumination of daily worries, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, feeling of empty head, anxiety, hypermobility, agitation, feverishness, inhibition, inability to react to events, feelings of blocking any initiative.

The harmful effects of stress on the psyche

After stress, we say that the emotion subsides. There is then a loss of all emotional control (possible crying, impulses …). It is then impossible to mobilize to act. If the stress persists and if no one is supporting it, a loss of self-confidence can occur.

Consequences of stress

Diseases can appear as a result of chronic stress, all the more so if the latter is combined with family, environmental, hereditary and personal contexts that favor its presence.

These diseases can be found in different systems:

1. Dermal (eczema)
2. Cardiovascular (hypertension)
3. Cognitive (memory problems)
4. Pulmonary (asthma)
5. Psychic (anxiety disorders)
6. Neurological (frequent headaches)
7. Immunological ( infections)
8. Gastrointestinal (ulcers)

What to do if you are stressed?

It should be understood that faced with stress, the individual is subject to two choices: face his stress or flee. This concept is called “fight or flight response”.

In order to be able to cope with his stress adequately, a person has adaptation strategies:

1. Good nutrition
2. Exercises, sports
3. Assessment of the problem from different angles.
4. Social support

[CaptainAakashKhan]

can you tell me the name of the person who has never experienced stress in their life?