Stress was only named as a factor in our lives only in the 1930’s! What did we do before then?

Certainly, human beings have been experiencing stress for eons, but it seems to be getting worse as we become more entangled locally and interconnected globally. The current economic situation is only the latest major cause for stress in many people’s lives.

As much as we all live with stress, many of us do not understand the basics about stress and its role in our lives. This ignorance can lead to very real negative consequences: Stress can bring on and exacerbate a host of physical illnesses — from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease. And stress can also trigger or make many mental illnesses more severe. Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders are among the most susceptible to stressors.

This post examines 7 common myths about stress, with explanations for why they are not true, under these headings:

• Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody
• Myth 2: Stress is always bad for you
• Myth 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can’t do anything about it
• Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones
• Myth 5: No symptoms, no stress
• Myth 6: Only major symptoms of stress require attention
• Myth 7: Stress always comes from the outside

Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody

Every person is different, not only in their genetic and biological makeup, but in the environment of their upbringing and their personalities. Every one of us has a different stress threshold and learned ways of handling stress. Stress does not affect everybody the same way, nor can it. What is a stressful situation for one may not be stressful for another. Each of us responds to stress in a different way.

And stress affects us differently at different times of our lives. As we go through our lives the stressors will change: We do not face the same situations as when our children are young, when they go to college, or when we are facing retirement. Studies have shown that our reactions to stress change as we age and as we gain experience in our lives. 

Myth 2: Stress is always bad for you

Humans have always had stress of one sort of another, whatever the society, whatever the millennium. We have become dependent on certain types of “good” stress to keep us active and productive. Excitement is a type of stress, as are hunger, an imminent test, or the anticipation of a good event . 

Stress is to the human condition what tension is to the violin string: Too little and the music is dull and raspy; too much and the music is shrill or the string snaps.

Stress is essential to the daily conduct of life, and is not bad in and of itself, especially in small amounts. It can be the kiss of death or the spice of life — the key is to understand how to best manage it.

Myth 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can’t do anything about it

It is true that our modern society seems to generate stress as a byproduct of its 24/7 activity. It’s everywhere, from the job, to the home, to the school. But always remember that stress is neutral: It doesn’t become bad until we accept it and transform it into something bad.

You can shape and plan your life so stress does not overwhelm you. Effective planning involves setting priorities and working on simple problems first, solving them, and then going on to more complex difficulties.

When stress is mismanaged, it’s difficult to prioritize: All your problems seem to be equal and stress seems to be everywhere. Learning to deal with stress keeps stressors from all being the same size and helps you prioritize your reaction to them.

Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones

No universally effective stress reduction techniques exist (although many magazine articles and pop psychology articles claim to know them!). There are hundreds — if not thousands — of articles on the internet about how to handle stress. Many of them contain valuable information applicable to all people, but many of them are simply lists that come off the top of an uninformed person’s head!

We are all different — our lives are different, our situations are different, and our reactions are different. A comprehensive stress management program tailored to the individual works best. But self-help books that can teach you many of the successful stress management techniques can also be of great help, as long as you are careful about your choice of books, you stick to the program and practice the techniques daily.

Myth 5: No symptoms, no stress

An absence of the negative symptoms of stress does not mean the absence of stress in your life. Many people go to their family physician for stress and are given a medication to help them. Others use alcohol and drugs to “self-medicate” their stress away. But camouflaging symptoms with medication, alcohol, and drugs may deprive you of the signals you need for reducing the strain on your physiological and psychological systems.

Many of us experience symptoms of stress in a very physical way, even though stress is a psychological effect. Feeling anxious, shortness of breath, or simply feeling run down all the time can all be physical signs of stress. And stress produces psychological effects. Common symptoms are feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, and having difficulty concentrating.

Myth 6: Only major symptoms of stress require attention

This myth assumes that the “minor” symptoms, such as headaches or stomach acid, may be safely ignored. Many of us are trained by our parents or society to ignore such symptoms; giving into them is somehow being “weak.” 

But minor symptoms of stress are the early warnings that your life is getting out of hand and that you need to do a better job of managing stress. Ignoring them is just asking for them to grow and become big problems.

If you wait until you start feeling the “major” symptoms of stress (such as a heart attack), it may be too late. Those early warning signs are best listened to earlier rather than later. A change in lifestyle and attitudes to deal with those early warning signs will be far less costly in time and money than dealing with the effects of not listening to them.

Myth 7: Stress always comes from the outside

We tend to think about stress as coming from the outside: the boss, driving, unruly kids. But at least half of all the stress in our lives comes from within ourselves. We generate it ourselves for our selves alone. Perfectionism that is not required by the circumstances, worrying about things you can’t control, and the effects of procrastination are all examples of inner stress.

Inner stress is much harder to handle than stress coming from the outside. A person can be be stressed out when their lives are placid and without external pressure or conflict. Dealing with inner stress requires admitting that you have a problem, identifying the sources of the stress, and working to get rid of it, not only for the present, but in the future as well. This often requires the help of a life coach, counselor or another mental health professional.

Unfortunately, inner stress can easily grow and become symptomatic of a more serious mental disorder, particularly the Anxiety Disorders. It can take over your life, making you miserable whatever your external circumstances. The solution is to separate your external and internal stresses and work proactively to nip them in the bud.

What do you think?

It may be significant that the concept of stress was not used until the 1930’s, when endocrinologist Hans Selye used it to describe the perceptions and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life.

What did people call stress before Selye named it? Nerves? Pressure? Many people who ignore the stress in their lives still resort to such euphemisms to avoid taking action on their stress.

• Do you know some terms that people used for stress before it was named?
• How do you handle stress? Do you have some favorite “secrets?”
• Do you agree with all these “myths,” or do you thinks some are invalid?
• Could you add more myths to this list?

As always, your comments are welcome!

If you have enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog, either via RSS or email at the top of your screen. It’s free! You can also follow me on Twitter from the same place. I would also appreciate your sharing this post using your favorite social media, such as StumbleUpon or Digg. Just click the little green “ShareThis” button at the bottom of this post.

RESOURCES USED IN THIS POST

Six Myths About Stress – Psych Central  

RESOURCES THAT YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL

The Physical Effects of Long-Term Stress – Psych Central  

Stress And Diet: You Aren’t What You Eat – Psych Central

Stress, Anxiety Can Make Allergy Attacks Even More Miserable And Last Longer – Science Daily

Caregiver: Stressed Out? Advice to Help You Cope – WebMD

Tips for Better Managing Your Stress – Psych Central

Tips To Reduce Family Stress – Psych Central

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Stress seems to be just another component of the modern life.

It is so common that it is treated as a joke by standup comedians, in tv sitcoms and in the print media. Here’s one for you, brought to you by one of the prominent stress reduction gurus:

• Picture yourself near a stream.
• Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air. 
• No one knows your secret place. 
• You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called “the world”. 
• The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity. 
• The water is clear.
• You can easily make out the face of the person you’re holding under the water…

Can you relate to this joke? It’s funny because you can picture being at the breaking point, with the person causing so much stress leaving the picture permanently.

But stress is no laughing matter. It can ruin your physical and mental health. It can ruin your relationships and make your life a living hell. Following are lists of signs of stress to watch out for, along with information on how stress can affect your body and mind.

Signs of stress

Stress has physical, mental, emotional, behavioral reactions

Stress often is accompanied by an array of physical, mental, emotional and behavioral reactions. These signal that your stress levels are too high and you need to do something about it. The following signs of stress are just some of the manifestations that it can cause in your life. Of course, many of these signs can be symptoms of mental and physical problems as well, so you should have yourself checked out by a health care professional to make sure they are not caused by a physical disease.

Physical signs of stress include:

• Sleep disturbances such as insomnia or waking frequently
• Clenched jaw or grinding your teeth
• Stomach or digestive upsets
• Lump in your throat and/or difficulty swallowing
• Agitated behavior, like twiddling your fingers or playing with your hair
• Increased heart rate
• General nervousness and/or restlessness
• Sense of muscle tension in your body or actual muscle twitching
• Non-cardiac chest pains
• Dizziness, lightheadedness
• Hyperventilating
• Sweaty palms
• Stumbling over words
• High blood pressure
• Lack of energy
• Fatigue

Mental signs of stress include:

• Mental slowness
• Confusion
• General negative attitudes or thoughts
• Constant worry
• Your mind races at times
• Difficulty concentrating
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty thinking in a logical sequence
• The sense that life is overwhelming and you can’t solve your problems

Emotional signs of stress include:

• Irritation
• No sense of humor
• Frustration
• Jumpiness, overexcitability
• Feeling overworked
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of hopelessness and helplessness
• Apathy

Behavioral signs of stress include:

• Decreased contact with family and friends
• Poor work relations
• Sense of loneliness
• Decreased sex drive
• Avoiding others and others avoid you because you’re cranky
• Failing to set aside times for relaxation through activities such as hobbies, music, art or reading

Physical health problems caused by stress

Stress can cause physical illnesses

There have been many reports recently about stress and how it can affect your body and mind, causing very real physical and mental problems. Heart disease, high blood pressure, Anxiety Disorders, and depression have all been linked to chronic stress. Here are some physical conditions caused by stress:

• Heart disease – Research has confirmed that being under continual stress may place you at greater risk for having heart disease. This is especially true if your heart rate or blood pressure rise dramatically in response to everyday stress. 
• Suppression of the Immune System – Stress has been linked to a suppression of the immune system, making you susceptible to illness or sicker if you already have an illness. You are much more susceptible to colds, flu and viruses.
• Cancer – Stress has been implicated as playing a role in cancer, particularly in the recovery of cancer patients. Research has implicated stress in the development of cancers related to the immune system, such as virus-related tumors.
• Gastrointestinal problems -  Stress is recognized as a major contributor to gastrointestinal diseases, particularly irritable bowel syndrome.
• Skin problems – Stress can trigger or aggravate skin conditions such as hives, acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores, and blisters.
• Neurological disorders – Among other effects, stress compromises the blood-brain barrier, causing drugs taken for other purposes to enter the brain, causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
• Elevated blood pressure – Too much stress with little or no coping skills keeps the body in the “fight or flight” mode, which raises blood pressure. 

Mental health problems caused by stress

Stress triggers or aggravates mental health problems

There are a myriad of mental health disorders that can be laid at the feet of stress. Stress can act as a trigger or aggravate a condition already present. If stress is untreated, it can eventually lead to a sense of dysfunction. This may result in increased Anxiety or a sense of depression because you are not mastering your world. 

Feeling depressed or anxious are common reactions to stress. When these are temporary, they are just a reflection of life’s ups and downs. But if they persist long enough, they may develop into a mental health problem that could benefit from professional help.

Following is a short list of mental disorders that are triggered or aggravated by stress:

• Depression – Stress can trigger short-term depression by elevating feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, sadness and so on. Untreated, these can develop into clinical depression.
• Bipolar disorder – The depressive/manic cycles of bipolar disorder can be triggered by stress, especially if a person has been enjoying a period of relief from symptoms.
• Panic attacks – Panic attacks are often triggered by stressful situations, or the anticipation of stressful situations.
• Panic Disorder – When stress is persistent, panic attacks come so frequently they can be diagnosed as Panic Disorder. The avoidance behavior typical of Panic Disorder is aggravated by stress.
• Social Phobia – By definition, one of Social Phobia’s primary triggers is stress caused by the reality of or the anticipation of a social situation. Stress can trigger Social Phobia’s several symptoms, and causes the diagnosed disorder itself to deepen.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder – Worrying is the key symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and stress just causes more worrying, especially in relationships and work situations. Stress has been shown to be a direct precursor to Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – The behaviors associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are aggravated by stress, and chronic stress leads to the course of the mental disorder getting rapidly worse.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Stress triggers many of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, such as traumatic flashbacks. Other symptoms of PTSD, like relationship problems, tend to create more stress, which causes the condition to worsen.

• Hypochondriasis (fear and excessive complaints of bodily disease) – The majority of people with Hypochondriasis experience real physical pain and anxieties as a natural result of other emotional issues. Stress can trigger or exacerbate Hypochondriasis, particularly chronic stress.

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple personality) – The causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder have not been identified, but the condition has been linked with overwhelming stress, among other experiences.

• Amnesia – Stress and stress-related mental illnesses such as Dissociative Identity Disorder and Dissociative Fugue can cause amnesia. 

Stress in the brain

Stress causes permanent brain changes

Researchers are finding that stress causes definite physical changes inside the brain, some of which remain permanent. For example, stress causes the protein kinase C (PKC), located inside brain cells, to behave abnormally. The enzyme has been found to play a critical role in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome, movement disorders and dementia. 

Kinase C can impair memory and other functions in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for:

• Attention span
• Perseverance
• Planning
• Judgement
• Impulse control
• Organization
• Self-monitoring and supervision
• Problem solving
• Critical and forward thinking
• Learning from experience and mistakes
• Ability to feel and express emotions
• Empathy
• Internal supervision

Summary

Stress causes serious physical and mental problems

When stress and anxiety escalate without a means to cope with the stress, they often are linked to many serious psychological and physiological conditions. Many times, psychological distress accompanies and produces these conditions.

There are many ways to learn to cope with stress. One of the best is therapy with a qualified mental health professional. You will be taught resilience, relaxation techniques, and coping skills to deal with not only the stress of everyday life, but with extraordinarily stressful situations, as well.

What do you think?

Stress is to be expected

Stress is an expected component of life. Everybody has stresses, and some stress is not necessarily bad. But when stress becomes too much to handle, or becomes chronic, it leads to burnout on the job, strained relationships at home, and a miserable life.

I have had two jobs that I experienced burnout in and they were both related to stress. The second, in which I was working 80-hour weeks for a boss that was never pleased, still gives me nightmares. Literally. It directly contributed to the beginnings of a very serious mental condition and to the breakdown I had some years later. I am still undergoing therapy to help me get rid of the horrible memories.

• How do you handle stress?
• Have you ever had a situation that led to chronic stress?
• Do you think the joke at the beginning of this article was in good taste?

As always, your comments are welcome!

If you have enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to this blog, either via RSS or email at the top of your screen. It’s free! I would also appreciate your sharing it using your favorite social media, such as StumbleUpon or Digg. Just click the little green “ShareThis” button at the bottom of this post.

Resources used in this post:

Bressert, Steve. (2006, February 17). The Impact of Stress. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from Psych Central Web site: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-impact-of-stress/

Cleveland Clinic. (2008) Hypochondriasis. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from Cleveland Clinic Web site: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Hypochondriasis/hic_Hypochondriasis.aspx

Franklin Institute. (2004). The Human Brain – Stress. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from Franklin Institute Web site: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html

MedicineNet. (2002, October 10). Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Retrieved August 10, 2008 from MedicineNet.com Web site: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38077

Nargundkar, Vasu. (2002). Warning: Stress Can Be Hazardous to Your Skin! Retrieved August 10, 2008 from Pioneer Thinking Web site: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/stress-skin.html

National Cancer Institute. (2008). Psychological Stress and Cancer: Questions and Answers. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from National Cancer Institute Web site: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/stress

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (2007, May). What I need to know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse Web site: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs_ez/

Tomlin, Ross. (2004, October 29). Links found between brain enzyme, stress, neurological disorders. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from Baylor College of Medicine Web site: http://www.bcm.edu/fromthelab/vol03/is10/04dec_n4.htm

Wikipedia. (2008). Amnesia. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia

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The biology of stress has been studied extensively, and untold numbers of rats have been driven nuts in the process. But you don’t need to be a scientist or a rat to know that stress greatly effects your peace of mind and well-being. 

Stress disrupts the balance in your life, putting a strain on you and those around you. It can and does make you sick, both physically and mentally. In the midst of plenty, it can make you miserable. As Aesop says in his Fables, “A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.” 

We need to learn where the undesirable stress is coming from in our lives in order to take steps to manage it. The sources of stress may be broken down into two broad categories: that which comes from outside ourselves, and that which comes from within ourselves. These may be further divided into things we can control and things we can’t control.

Stress that comes from outside ourselves

Stress from outside easiest to identify

In our modern lives, stress from external sources are often out of our control, but they’re the easiest to identify. Some typical stressors of this sort are:

• Loud sounds, bright lights, pain
• Lack of control over environmental circumstances, such as food, housing, health, freedom or mobility
• Illness, both minor such as a cold or flu, or major, like cancer or heart disease
• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Disabilities and the effects of aging

We may have some measure of control over other stressors coming from outside ourselves:

• Unhealthy living, such as eating and drinking too much, or staying up too late
• Work and study that is boring, unrewarding or excessively demanding
• Relationships with friends, family and others
• Life events like births and deaths, marriage and divorce
• Responsibilities such as money and unemployment

All these and many, many more affect us mentally, but they tend to have a greater effect on our bodies. We become tired and ill, continually sleepy, and prone to sickness. And once we become ill from the effects of stress, it’s harder to get well. Some doctors say that the stress that goes along with sickness is one of the major obstacles to getting well.

Stress that comes from within ourselves

Internal stress has great effects on well-being

Stress coming from within ourselves has an equal or greater effect on our mental and physical health and well-being as external sources of stress. It’s something that scientists and their rats don’t have a clue about!

There has been far less research on internal stress than external stress because 1) it’s far harder to study, and 2) most people don’t recognize that one can be stressed from the inside as much or more as from the outside.

We ignore our internal stressors

We often get so overwhelmed with external stress that we either ignore or don’t realize the stress that we are causing ourselves. And stress from the inside can keep going even when the stressors from the outside have been calmed. It makes us anxious, unhappy and depressed, and keeps us from enjoying life even when our external circumstances are peaceful and prosperous. We’ve all heard stories of miserable billionaires!

Psychological or emotional stress is hard to come to grips with; even if we know it’s there, we often can’t put a finger on it. It’s far easier to blame something external, like the stress of driving in daily traffic, than to really take a look within to see that the stress really comes from our reaction and attitude toward it.

Stress makes it hard to think

Stress affects the way we our brains function, making it difficult to think clearly and objectively. This is particularly true if stress has made you anxious or depressed. These conditions lead to thinking that you are less capable or weaker than you really are, or that the situation is worse than it is.

Stress distorts our thinking

These subtle distortions in thought are hard to identify. A person with a thought like “My condition is hopeless” may take for granted that the statement is true, since that is what they truly feel. But objectively we know that it is not true, that it’s just the depression and anxiety talking. People deny that their thinking is affected by their feelings, but exaggerated and self-defeating thoughts can get in the way of assessing the situation and improving it.

Unlike external stress, most sources of inner stress are under your control. Anxieties and Panic Disorder have one of the highest rates of treatment success among all the mental illnesses. A good psychological professional can help you recognize, dissipate and control these destructive inner stressors, not only for the short term, but for the rest of your life.

What do you think?

My own experience with stress

This post arises from what I have learned about the stressors in my own life. I have found that my internal stressors have as much or more influence on my well-being as external stressors. I really didn’t realize this until I became so ill that I had to retire; the external stresses were removed, and all the internal stressors were able to rear their ugly heads. I discovered that these were actually exerting more pressure on me than the external stressors!

What are the stressors in your life? Are they external or internal, or both?

How do you feel about the “balance” between your internal and external stressors?

As always, your comments are welcome!

If you have enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog, either via RSS or email at the top of your screen. It’s free! You can also follow me on Twitter from the same place. I would also appreciate your sharing this post using your favorite social media, such as StumbleUpon or Digg. Just click the little green “ShareThis” button at the bottom of this post.

Last revised January 1. 2009

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