Transforming stress through awareness, education and collaboration.

Stress Effects
There are numerous emotional and physical disorders that have been linked to stress including
depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances that
increase susceptibility to infections, a host of viral linked disorders ranging from the common
cold and herpes to AIDS and certain cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid
arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In addition stress can have direct effects on the skin (rashes,
hives, atopic dermatitis, the gastrointestinal system (GERD, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel
syndrome, ulcerative colitis) and can contribute to insomnia and degenerative neurological
disorders like Parkinson’s disease. In fact, it’s hard to think of any disease in which stress cannot
play an aggravating role or any part of the body that is not affected (see stress effects on the body
stress diagram) or. This list will undoubtedly grow as the extensive ramifications of stress are
increasingly being appreciated.

50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress

1. Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain

2. Gritting, grinding teeth

3. Stuttering or stammering

4. Tremors, trembling of lips, hands

5. Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms

6. Light headedness, faintness, dizziness

7. Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds

8. Frequent blushing, sweating

9. Cold or sweaty hands, feet

10. Dry mouth, problems swallowing

11. Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores

12. Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps”

13. Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks

14. Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea

15. Excess belching, flatulence

16. Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control

17. Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing

18. Sudden attacks of life threatening panic

19. Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse

20. Frequent urination

21. Diminished sexual desire or performance

22. Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness

23. Increased anger, frustration, hostility

24. Depression, frequent or wild mood swings

25. Increased or decreased appetite

26. Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams

27. Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts

28. Trouble learning new information

29. Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion

30. Difficulty in making decisions

31. Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed

32. Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts

33. Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness

34. Little interest in appearance, punctuality

35. Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping

36. Increased frustration, irritability, edginess

37. Overreaction to petty annoyances

38. Increased number of minor accidents

39. Obsessive or compulsive behavior

40. Reduced work efficiency or productivity

41. Lies or excuses to cover up poor work

42. Rapid or mumbled speech

43. Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness

44. Problems in communication, sharing

45. Social withdrawal and isolation

46. Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue

47. Frequent use of over-the-counter drugs

48. Weight gain or loss without diet

49. Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use

50. Excessive gambling or impulse buying

As demonstrated in the above list, stress can have wide ranging effects on
emotions, mood and behavior. Equally important but often less appreciated
are effects on various systems, organs and tissues all over the body, as
illustrated by the following diagram.
 But too much stress has many effects on the body and mind, Alvord
says. In the short term it can cause anxiety; over long periods of time,
elevated levels of stress hormones can degrade the immune system,
cause heart problems, exacerbate respiratory and gastrointestinal
issues, and bring on chronic anxiety and depression. That’s bad for
anyone, but it can be especially bad for high schoolers: “Colleges are
complaining that kids are disengaged, they’re dropping out, taking a
long time to graduate. It’s not developmentally appropriate for them
to work so hard,” says Gwadz, one of the authors of the recent study.
And since everyone has a different psychological capacity for stress,
it’s hard to know when a student is pushed to the point of degrading
his or her health.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/high-stress-high-school/409735/

https://www.learnpsychology.org/student-stress-anxiety-guide/
 https://www.stress.org/stress-effects/

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Stress
The different kinds of stress
 Stress management can be complicated and confusing because there are different types
of stress — acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress — each with its own
characteristics, symptoms, duration and treatment approaches. Let's look at each one.

Acute stress
Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands and pressures of the
recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future. Acute stress is thrilling and
exciting in small doses, but too much is exhausting. A fast run down a challenging ski slope, for
example, is exhilarating early in the day. That same ski run late in the day is taxing and wearing.
Skiing beyond your limits can lead to falls and broken bones. By the same token, overdoing on
short-term stress can lead to psychological distress, tension headaches, upset stomach and other
symptoms.
Fortunately, acute stress symptoms are recognized by most people. It's a laundry list of what has
gone awry in their lives: the auto accident that crumpled the car fender, the loss of an important
contract, a deadline they're rushing to meet, their child's occasional problems at school and so on.
Because it is short term, acute stress doesn't have enough time to do the extensive damage
associated with long-term stress. The most common symptoms are:
 Emotional distress — some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety and depression, the three
stress emotions.
 Muscular problems including tension headache, back pain, jaw pain and the muscular tensions
that lead to pulled muscles and tendon and ligament problems.
 Stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, acid stomach, flatulence, diarrhea,
constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
 Transient overarousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart
palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath and chest
pain.
Acute stress can crop up in anyone's life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.

Episodic acute stress

There are those, however, who suffer acute stress frequently, whose lives are so disordered that
they are studies in chaos and crisis. They're always in a rush, but always late. If something can
go wrong, it does. They take on too much, have too many irons in the fire, and can't organize the
slew of self-inflicted demands and pressures clamoring for their attention. They seem perpetually
in the clutches of acute stress.
It is common for people with acute stress reactions to be over aroused, short-tempered, irritable,
anxious and tense. Often, they describe themselves as having "a lot of nervous energy." Always
in a hurry, they tend to be abrupt, and sometimes their irritability comes across as hostility.
Interpersonal relationships deteriorate rapidly when others respond with real hostility. The
workplace becomes a very stressful place for them.
The cardiac prone, "Type A" personality described by cardiologists, Meter Friedman and Ray
Rosenman, is similar to an extreme case of episodic acute stress. Type A's have an "excessive
competitive drive, aggressiveness, impatience, and a harrying sense of time urgency." In addition
there is a "free-floating, but well-rationalized form of hostility, and almost always a deep-seated
insecurity." Such personality characteristics would seem to create frequent episodes of acute
stress for the Type A individual. Friedman and Rosenman found Type A's to be much more
likely to develop coronary heat disease than Type B's, who show an opposite pattern of behavior.
Another form of episodic acute stress comes from ceaseless worry. "Worry warts" see disaster
around every corner and pessimistically forecast catastrophe in every situation. The world is a
dangerous, unrewarding, punitive place where something awful is always about to happen. These
"awfulizers" also tend to be over aroused and tense, but are more anxious and depressed than
angry and hostile.
The symptoms of episodic acute stress are the symptoms of extended over arousal: persistent
tension headaches, migraines, hypertension, chest pain and heart disease. Treating episodic acute
stress requires intervention on a number of levels, generally requiring professional help, which
may take many months.
Often, lifestyle and personality issues are so ingrained and habitual with these
individuals that they see nothing wrong with the way they conduct their lives. They
blame their woes on other people and external events. Frequently, they see their
lifestyle, their patterns of interacting with others, and their ways of perceiving the world
as part and parcel of who and what they are.
Sufferers can be fiercely resistant to change. Only the promise of relief from pain and
discomfort of their symptoms can keep them in treatment and on track in their recovery
program.

Chronic stress
While acute stress can be thrilling and exciting, chronic stress is not. This is the grinding
stress that wears people away day after day, year after year. Chronic stress destroys
bodies, minds and lives. It wreaks havoc through long-term attrition. It's the stress of
poverty, of dysfunctional families, of being trapped in an unhappy marriage or in a
 despised job or career. It's the stress that the never-ending "troubles" have brought to
the people of Northern Ireland, the tensions of the Middle East have brought to the Arab
and Jew, and the endless ethnic rivalries that have been brought to the people of
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Chronic stress comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable situation. It's
the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods of
time. With no hope, the individual gives up searching for solutions.
Some chronic stresses stem from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become
internalized and remain forever painful and present. Some experiences profoundly
affect personality. A view of the world, or a belief system, is created that causes
unending stress for the individual (e.g., the world is a threatening place, people will find
out you are a pretender, you must be perfect at all times). When personality or deep-
seated convictions and beliefs must be reformulated, recovery requires active self-
examination, often with professional help.
The worst aspect of chronic stress is that people get used to it. They forget it's there.
People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new; they ignore chronic
stress because it is old, familiar, and sometimes, almost comfortable.
Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke and, perhaps, even
cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical and mental
resources are depleted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are
difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and
stress management.
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds.aspx

19 April 2013 Last updated at 17:43

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 Stress can cause
headaches, high blood pressure and stomach upsets.

While we commonly think of stress as too much mental or emotional

pressure, physiological or physical stress is also important. Stress can
affect how you feel, think and behave as well as how your body works,
because your mind and body constantly interact.

What is stress?
Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. When your body detects
stress, a small region in the base of the brain called the hypothalamus reacts by
stimulating the body to produce hormones that include adrenaline and cortisol.

These hormones help you to deal with any threats or pressure you are facing -
which is called the 'fight or flight' response.

Continue reading the main story

Can exercise help?

 Exercise helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called
endorphins
 Regular exercise can boost self-confidence, mood and sleep quality, and lower the risk of depression
 Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer
 It can lower your risk of early death by up to 30%
Source: NHS Choices

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure and provides
extra energy.
Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, also temporarily increases energy by
triggering the release of glucose into the bloodstream, to help the person fight or
run away. At the same time, other bodily functions which are not immediately
needed, such as digestion, are suppressed.

The body's response to stress usually regulates itself. As your hormone levels
fall, your heart and blood pressure will return to normal.

Everyone needs a certain amount of stress or pressure to live well. It's what gets
you out of bed in the morning and motivates you throughout the day. However,
stress becomes problematic when there's too much or too little.

Whilst a lack of stress means your body is under-stimulated, stress that is too
intense or prolonged, causes your body to release stress hormones over a long
period. This increases the risk of a range of physical health problems including
headaches, stomach upsets and high blood pressure. It can even increase the
risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

More often, stress leads to psychological problems. It can make people feel
distrust, anger, anxiety and fear, which in turn can destroy relationships at home
and at work. Stress also plays a key role in the development of anxiety disorders
and depression.

Long-term stress can play havoc with your immune system, and a recent
study suggests it raises the odds of developing viral infections.

Other research found people who suffered from chronic stress at work were at
greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of
diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Causes of stress
Many aspects of life can cause stress, such as money problems, work issues or
difficult relationships. When a person is stressed, it can get in the way of
managing responsibilities, which in turn can pile on yet more pressure. Having to
cope with illness can compound these sorts of stresses.

Continue reading the main story

The psychology of stress

The human brain has been described as the most complex object in the universe. And, because we all
have unique experiences from which we develop our personalities, the complexity of human emotional life
is immense.
The word "stress" is an unusual one. It is used to describe negative, difficult, emotions, or even mental ill-
health. It's useful to think about three broad groups of causes of emotional difficulties - biological factors,
social factors and life events.

Biological factors are very important. The structure and functioning of the brain - the nerves, synapses,
and neurotransmitters - are vital to mental health. But human beings are much more than their biology...

Read more about the psychology of stress from Professor Peter Kindermann

People often feel over-stressed as a result of an event or 'trigger'. This doesn't

have to be negative, such as the death of a loved one, redundancy or divorce, it
can also be seemingly positive like a new partner, new job or going on holiday.

Feelings of stress can occur over a short period of time or can be chronic, for
example when someone is coping with long-term unemployment or is stuck in a
bad relationship.

People have different ways of dealing with stress. Some situations that may be
motivating to one person, could feel stressful to someone else due to their
personality type.

Recent research suggests our genes are closely linked to our personalities and
may therefore dictate how susceptible we are to stress.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21685448