Stress: types and stages

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We are used to believing that stress is the body’s reaction to the effect of an unpleasant, or harmful factor. It manifests through deterioration of the psycho-emotional state, even though the scientific view on stress is not as unequivocal and pessimistic. 

Our environment is constantly changing: air temperature decreases or increases, precipitation occurs, atmospheric pressure fluctuates, we achieve professional successes or failures. In all cases, our body must adapt to new challenges. If we are able to readjust, we will survive.

There is a universal mechanism which allows all living beings to be flexible under different circumstances. This mechanism is stress. Thanks to the stress, we can adapt to changes in the environment and society. And, it does not matter whether the circumstances in which we find ourselves are pleasant or unpleasant.

The term ‘stress’ was first used by American physiologist Walter Cannon, and he identified it as a state in which an organism mobilizes to the maximum protective function to eliminate threat. His scientific findings were developed by Canadian endocrinologist Hans Selye, who experimentally found that stress does not always have to be harmful. He distinguished two types of stress: eustress – ‘positive’ stress, as well as distress – ‘negative’ stress, which is caused by an unpleasant event. 

What happens in the body during a stress reaction? Brain, perceiving a threat, signals the adrenal glands to secrete stress hormones — adrenaline and cortisol. The body’s internal reserves are activated, so muscle strength, reaction speed, endurance, and pain threshold increase. These are important reactions that help the body to fight the source of danger, or escape from it. When the threat disappears, the body returns to a relaxed state.

Stress can be acute, for example, in a situation when someone almost gets hit by a car. Another type is episodic acute stress, for instance, the exam session in the university. Stress can also be chronic, for example, living in dangerous environments, war, etc. 

Stress is a protective reaction of the body in response to a very strong emotional, physical or psychological effect from the outside. That is our attempt to adapt to difficult changes in life. 

There are many types of stress: chronic, physiological, psychological and other.

Chronic stress implies the presence of a constant significant physical and moral stress on a person (long-term job search, toxic relationships), as a result of which his neuropsychological or physiological state is extremely tense. Symptoms of chronic stress can be:

• irritability;
• anxiety;
• depression;
• headaches;
• insomnia.

Acute stress is the state after a certain event or phenomenon, as a result of which a person loses one’s psychological balance (almost getting into an accident, a quarrel with the boss, etc.). 

Symptoms of acute stress:

• nausea;
• rapid heartbeat;
• chest pain;
• abrupt aggression.

Physiological stress arises from the physical overload of the body, and the influence of harmful environmental factors on it (too high or low temperature in the working room, strange smells, insufficient lighting, increased noise level). Symptoms of physiological stress are:

• frequent pulse;
• redness;
• sweating.

Psychological stress is a consequence of violation of an individual’s psychological stability for a number of reasons, for instance, insults, work that does not correspond to qualifications, etc. In addition, such stress can be the result of a person’s psychological overload: performing too much work and a lot of responsibility for the complex and long-term job. 

Symptoms:

• change of mental functions;
• most often slowing down of mental operations;
• not able to focus attention;
• weakening of the memory function;
• decrease in sensitivity;
• inhibition of the decision-making process.

Adaptation syndrome

Adaptation syndrome is a complex of various protective mechanism reactions that occur in the body in response to significant damaging actions (stressors).

The following 3 stages are distinguished in the development of adaptation syndrome.

1. The alarm stage.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt stressed and your heart started to beat fast? You may have started sweating or felt like running away? 

This is the very first stage that occurs with the emergence of a stress-causing stimulus. The presence of such an irritant causes a number of physiological changes: the person starts to breathe more often, the pressure rises slightly, the heart rate increases.

In the anxiety stage, your body experiences a fight-or-flight response. Mental functions also change, in particular, the disturbance increases, all attention is focused on the stimulus, and an increased personal control of the situation. All together, it is designed to mobilize the body’s protective capabilities and self-regulation mechanisms to protect against stress. 

If this action is enough, anxiety and excitement subside, stress ends. Most of the stress stops at this stage.

2. The resistance stage.

Occurs if the stress factor that caused it continues to act. Then, the body protects itself from stress by using up its reserves of strength, with the maximum load on all body systems.

When the initial threat subsides, the body tries to return to its homeostatic state and recover. This is part of the resistance phase of the general adaptation syndrome, which is characterized by a lack of concentration and irritability. 

The pulse and cardiac output are trying to return to normal, the blood pressure is decreasing, and the hormones released by the body are trying to return to their previous levels. However, due to the initial stress, the body remains in a heightened state of readiness for some time in case the stress returns. Assuming the stress is over, the body will return to its previous state.

However, if there is chronic stress, the body will try to compensate and continue the stage of resistance. If the body is stressed for too long and stays in the resistance stage, it can lead to the exhaustion stage.

3. The exhaustion stage.

If the stimulus continues to act, the ability to resist stress decreases because the person’s reserves are depleted. The general resistance of the body decreases. Stress “captures” a person and can lead to illness.

The exhaustion stage occurs as a result of chronic exposure to stress. At this stage of stress, the body cannot return to its initial homeostatic state. In other words, the body has exhausted its internal resources and is not able to adequately deal with stress. Symptoms of the exhaustion stage may include anxiety and depression. The stage of exhaustion is also characterized by disorders of the immune system, which makes it difficult to fight infection. Constant chronic stress can lead to a number of concomitant diseases and problems, such as type 2 diabetes, ulcers, and hypertension.

Taking into account everything mentioned before, it is evident that stress is a normal part of our life, and reaction to it is a mechanism for survival, forcing us to react to threats. Therefore, stress is an integral part of our life, since the presence of stressors in all spheres of human life is limitless. Eradicating or fighting stress is pointless. But, we can learn to adapt to it and influence our state of mind. This is facilitated by the formation of stress resistance, as a set of personal qualities that allow you to endure stressful situations without unpleasant consequences for the individual and the environment, and is one of the important aspects of maintaining mental health.

Iryna Falkivska 

iryna.falkivska01@icatt.it

Bibliography

1. Jones, F., Bright, J. & Clow, A. (2005). Stress: Myth, Theory, and Research. Pearson Education. New York.
2. Robert M. Sapolsky. (2017). Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. New York.
3. Hans Selye. (1974) Stress without distress. New York.
4. Lazarus R.S. Coping theory and research: Past, present, and future. Psychosomatic Medicine. 1993. V.55. P.234-247.