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Effects of Stress

Stress is a normal response of the body to certain physiologic or environmental factors.  It is the body’s way of adjusting to particular circumstances it goes through.  Stress could be of two types. Good stress refers to particular times when the body is able to function superiorly brought about by minimal anxiety it causes.  Bad stress, on the other hand, occurs when stress causes the body to be weakened and affected physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

Stress effects are numerous and they affect several aspects of one’s life.  Physically, there would be a sympathetic response.  The body would exhibit increased heart rate, rapid pulse rate, increased effort in breathing, and increased blood pressure.  There would be that adrenaline rush. At this time, one will not be thinking of urinating or defecating, as the body tries to concentrate on the vital areas that would deal with the problem. There would be increased blood flow to the brain so one is able to think fast on what to do. In cases of fire for example, people would be able to lift heavy objects they never knew they could carry.

After the stressful event, the person constantly feels tired even in the morning.  In the example given, a person would naturally grow tired.  All the lifting and concentrating drained one’s energy. There would be muscle tension and severe pain. There would also be problems in digestion as the person might have diarrhea or constipation.  Other effects include oversleeping or insomnia, over eating or loss of appetite, headaches, and irregular heartbeats.  Other people result to increasing their vices such as drinking alcohol excessively or smoking.

Psychologically, a person could have problems in simple recall of things, exhibit poor judgment, and might have poor concentration. Emotionally, they would be extremely moody. They would be irritable even for minor reasons and may tend to overreact to something. Some even get angry all of a sudden, and it is unwarranted. These problems could also be brought about by the lack of sleep or lack of adequate intake.  It could also be brought by the substance abuse he has been doing.

Due to the lack of sleep, lack of adequate intake, and concurring substance abuse, the body is weakened. 

This makes him prone to contacting common illnesses like coughs and colds.  It might also lead to problems of the heart and blood vessels.  The person could get sick with heart illnesses, hypertension, and ultimately, stroke.  The eating disorders might lead to weight loss or gain depending on whether she is eating or not.  Skipping meals would then lead to ulcers. If the person is trying to conceive, she would have a hard time doing so.  Usually, she would have irregular menstrual flow and this would lead to infertility.  Some people become severely depressed and might continue to abuse substances. Still, there are others who get problems with hair loss due to stress and other skin problems.  Being overstressed is not good, people should avoid these behaviors.