Our ancestors responded to stressful ordeals in this fashion. Millions of years later, whenyou face a situation that you perceive as challenging, your body automatically goes intooverdrive, engaging the stress response. Immediately, you release the same hormonesthat enabled cave people to move and think faster, hit harder, see better, hear moreacutely, and jump higher than they could only seconds earlier. Like theirs, your heartbeatspeeds up; your blood pressure increases; your breathing quickens. Most modernstresses, however, do not call for either fight or flight. Our experience of stress is generallyrelated to how we
respond
to an event, not to the event itself.
When is stress a warning signal?
When it is part of a natural reaction to challenge or danger, the body’s response is called
positive stress
. However, when you feel out of control or under intense pressure, youmay experience the physical, emotional, or relational symptoms brought on by
negativestress
. These are the signs of stress that you need to recognize and control.It is important to remain attentive to negative stress symptoms and to learn to identify thesituations that evoke them. When these symptoms persist, you are at risk for serioushealth problems because stress can exhaust your immune system. Recent researchdemonstrates that 90% of illness is stress-related.It is not possible to live without any stress. We can, however, learn ways to handle thestress of daily life efficiently, and to manage our reactions to stress and minimize itsnegative impact. For information on stress relief and management see Helpguide’sCopingwith Stress: Management and Reduction TechniquesandStress Relief: Meditation, Yoga,and Other Relaxation Techniques.
What are the symptoms of stress?Physical symptoms
Physical symptoms can be caused by other illnesses, so it is important to have a medicaldoctor treat conditions such as ulcers, compressed disks, or other physical disorders.Remember, however, that the body and mind are not separate entities. The physicalproblems outlined below may result from or be exacerbated by stress:
•
sleep disturbances
•
back, shoulder or neck pain
•
tension or migraine headaches
•
upset or acid stomach, cramps,heartburn, gas, irritable bowelsyndrome
•
constipation, diarrhea
•
weight gain or loss, eatingdisorders
•
hair loss
•
muscle tension
•
fatigue
•
high blood pressure
•
irregular heartbeat, palpitations
•
asthma or shortness of breath
•
chest pain
•
sweaty palms or hands
•
cold hands or feet
•
skin problems (hives, eczema,psoriasis, tics, itching)
•
periodontal disease, jaw pain
•
reproductive problems
•
immune system suppression:more colds, flu, infections
•
growth inhibition
Emotional symptoms
3
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