unknown face about anxıety and
stress
DR. AYSU
KUTLU
WHAT IS STRESS ?
Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you
feel threatened or upset your balance in some way.(1)
WHAT IS ANXIETY ?
Anxiety is a feeling of tension and grief related to stress.
Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and
demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has
become a way of life. Stress is not always bad. In small doses,
it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do
your best. But when you are constantly running in emergency
mode, your mind and body pay the price.(1)
CAUSES OF STRESS
The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as
stressors. Anything that puts high demands on you and forces you
to adjust can be stressful. Exhausting work schedule,
problematic relationship are examples of negative stressors;
getting married, buying a house or going to college are examples
of positive stressors.
COMMON EXTERNAL CAUSES OF STRESS
COMMON INTERNAL CAUSES OF STRESS
Melinda
Smith,M.A, Robert Segal,M.A, Jeanne Segal Ph.D, HELP GUIDE ORG.,
Uderstanding stres: Symptoms, Signs, Causes and Effects
makalesinden alıntılanmıştır.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS OVERLOAD
COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS
EMOTIONEL SYMPTOMS
-
Moodiness
-
Irritability or short temper
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Agitation, inability to relax
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Feeling overwhelmed
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Sense of loneliness and isolation
-
Depression or general unhappiness
·
·
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PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
-
Aches, pains
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Diarrhea, constipation
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Nausea,
dizziness
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Chest pain, rapid heart beat
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Decreased libido
-
Immune system failure, frequent colds
BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
-
Eating more or less
-
Sleeping much or little
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Isolating yourself from others
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Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
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Using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax
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Nervous habits(e.g. nail biting, pacing)
The more signs and symptoms you notice in yourself, the closer
you may be to stress overload.
EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS
Chronic stress:
-
Raises
blood pressure
-
Suppresses immune system, causes autoimmune
diseases(diseases where body shows reaction to its own
tissues)
-
Increases
the risk of heart attack and stroke
-
Contributes to infertility
-
Exacerbates attacks of skin diseases e.g. Eczama and
Psoriasis
-
Speeds up aging process
-
Makes
people prone to anxiety.
·
MECHANISM OF STRESS
When an organism meets with stress hypothalamus region of the
brain is stimulated. Then hypothalamus signals the pituitary
gland(a gland that is located at the bottom of the brain, also
known as hypophysis gland) to release the hormone ACTH (Adrenocorticotrophic
hormone) that instructs the adrenal gland to pump out the 30
other hormones that get the body’s respiratory, cardiac and
other systems crackling. Most important among these chemicals is
Cortisol (also known as stress hormone) Cortisol is found in
high concentrations in the blood of very anxious or stressed
people. Cortisol does most of the cellular damage when it stays
in circulation too long.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF STRESSFUL LIFE EXPERIENCES
In general events that represent severe loses are related to
subsequent onset of depression; in contrast, events that
represent severe threats or dangers are related to subsequent
onset of anxiety.
Genes are also effective at psychological disorders. A child who
has one parent with OCD(obsessive compulsive disorder) for
example, faces a risk of developing the disorder that’s five
times greater than one whose parents aren’t affected.(2)
After severely stressful life events, changes in three important
life domains appear:
-
Self-concept
-
Social relationships
-
Personal
growth and life priorities
If we look at these three domains:
SELF-CONCEPT: The
positive changes in self-concept following severe life stressors
include the belief that, one is a stronger person now and
although these stressors are inevitable events, it is possible
to manage them.
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS:
Stressful life events may cause strengthened social ties and
they can have positive influence on mood.
PERSONAL GROWTH AND LIFE PRIORITIES:
Stressful life events can help people to understand more about
themselves and motivate them to do things that they neglected
before.
CONCLUSION
Although experience with adversity can lead to a number of the
vulnerabilities described above, it can also serve as an
opportunity for personal change, growth, reassessment and a
chance to deepen people’s appreciation of themselves, their life
and their loved ones. This ability to transform adversity into
opportunity is the most impressive finding across the studies
reviewed here and highlights a human resiliency which is not
rare. Such resiliency is reflected in the observations of Viktor
Frankl* (1963) who drew from his own experiences in a Nazi
concentration camp, when he wrote “When we are no longer able to
change a situation…we are challenged to change ourselves”
*Viktor Frankl: A neurology and psychology professor born in
Vienna, who spent a part of his life in a Nazi concentration
camp in 1940’s.
REFERENCES:
-
Helpguide .org Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A.,Robert Segal,
M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D Understanding Stress: Symptoms,
Signs, Causes and Effects Last updated: December 2011
-
Time 12/5/2011, Vol 178 Issue 22, P 56-65, Two faces of
Anxiety, Authors: Park Alice, Van DYK, Deidre
-
Positive Effects of Anxiety,
Livestrong.com. University of Liverpool 2/9/2010 by Jerry
Shaw
-
From Vulnerability to Growth: Positive and Negative Effects
of Stressful Life Events,
John A. Updegraff, Shelley E. Taylor (2000)
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