| When you feel
under stress a number of things happen |
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There are
large numbers of physical illnesses which may have stress as
a major contributory factor. Anything that causes fear, anxiety,
worry, anger or even excitement can cause physical responses
and disease. Part of this is due to evolutionary history as at
one time people had to live with the constant physical threat
from wild animals, each other, and natural elements. As a consequence,
man adapted to be able to cope with these physical stresses.
The 'fight or flight' mechanism with its physiological changes
is well documented. Modern man still has these mechanisms which
are alerted when a threat, real or imagined is perceived and
the body is prepared for danger but situations often demand there
is no outlet, and so where no action can be taken, the body's
systems remain active. It is well accepted that exposure to prolonged
stress can lead to hypertension, or raised blood pressure. A
physical illness, such as asthma, may stem from emotional upsets.
Such attacks tend to be characterised by wheezing, panting and
a feeling of being suffocated. As a result of these physical
symptoms, the individual may become more distressed and this
in turn will lead to a greater degree of the typical wheezing,
panting etc. which creates a spiralling effect. It can be helpful
in such cases if the factors creating the emotional stress can
be reduced or even eliminated. |
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Pressure creates stress. It
is an individual's response to this pressure that is important.
An inappropriate response may lead to stress, and this may be
due to the individual's own shortcomings, as heredity, lifestyle
and diet can all affect the response. Thus the coping strategy
is important. When the stressor is confronted successfully by
applying relevant coping strategies, all is fine. It is where
unsuccessful coping strategies lead to continued stress that
stress-related illness may occur. As stated, it is possible for
stress to be brought on by the individual's personality characteristics
and attitudes, but it is also possible that the stress is initiated
by external pressures, such as work situation, world events and
sudden and unexpected lifestyle changes. Thus there is an interaction
between external factors and their effects on the individual
due to the manner in which the events are perceived and internalised
by the individual. Each person will react differently to the
same event; some may experience chronic stress, others go unaffected.
Therefore it seems appropriate to conclude that stress can be
brought on by an individual's reaction to outside events, which
is clearly an interaction between the individual's inherent shortcomings
and the outside influences. |
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