Chronic stress
By Shilo Hebert & Diane Eder
Effects on body:
The impact of stress on the body has much to do with how a person perceives stress, rather than than the stressor itself, how a person responds to stress may predict his or her long-term health. What this means is that individual coping strategies are crucial.
In addition to individual perception of stress, stress itself affects each person differently. So, individuals may experience any number of the signs or symptoms of stress to any differing degree. Some individuals may have one or two symptoms, while others may have all of them. Furthermore, individual differences will dictate how each person experiences a given sign or symptom.
General Adaptation Syndrome:
Selye (1974), describes the body’s reaction to chronic stress in three stages – alarm reaction, adaptation stage and exhaustion stage, which he terms general adaptation syndrome.
During the alarm reaction, autonomic nervous and endocrine system activation result in what is known as the fight-or-flight response. In this stage, which may last from one minute to several hours, many body systems are made ready to return the body to equilibrium.
In the adaptation stage (aka: resistance stage), the body stabilizes by calming the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems and repairing any damage that was done during the alarm reaction. As long as the stressor remains, the body will attempt to adapt.
If the stressor continues, the body enters the exhaustion stage. At this point, the body no longer has the energy necessary continue to try to adapt to the stressor and is overwhelmed, which results in system instability.
physiological impact:
Research suggests that in chronic stress, the stress response pathway may remain active for long periods after the stimulus ends, which means individuals may continue to feel the impact of stress for many years.
Increased cortisol levels may lead to:
High blood pressure (Hypertension)
Heart disease (Cardiovascular disease)
Hardening of the arteries (Atherosclerosis)
Stroke
Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction)
Diabetes (Type 2)
Obesity
Ulcers
Lower back pain
Chronic diseases
Decreased wound healing
Decreased ability to respond to vaccines
Decreased immune response
Increased risk of upper respiratory infections
Increased risk of osteoporosis
Increased risk of autoimmune disorders (ex: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn's Disease)
Increased inflammation
Changes in normal hormone levels
Premature aging
A greater risk for early death