Complete classification of stress: stages and phases of development, types and varieties

The article does not replace an appointment with a doctor and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.

Work, children, career, relationship difficulties - the list of sources of stress only gets longer over the years. And in moments of special experiences, the hypothalamus, the “control point” of the brain, “turns on.” In stressful situations, its job is to release stress hormones. At such moments we feel our heart pounding, our breathing quickening and our muscles contracting...

This reaction of the body helps protect it in an emergency situation, preparing it to react as quickly as possible. But when stress is repeated day after day, it is detrimental to your health.

Experts call stress the “silent killer.” Let's figure out what its danger is and how to avoid serious consequences.

What is stress and its symptoms

Stress is a natural physical response to life situations. It is sometimes useful and even necessary, especially when an immediate or short-term response is required, such as in potentially dangerous circumstances. Your body responds to stress by increasing your heart rate and breathing, and supplying your muscles with oxygen.

However, if this physiological response persists and stress levels remain high for longer than necessary, it can be detrimental to health.

However, in most cases, people do not pay attention to stress, while it takes a heavy toll on them. That's why it's important to know what its signs and symptoms are and how it affects the body.

The most common symptoms of chronic stress are:

• Memory problems;
• Inability to concentrate;
• Anxiety and constant worry;
• Mood swings;
• Feeling depressed and lonely;
• Diarrhea or constipation;
• Nausea or dizziness;
• Chest pain;
• Cardiopalmus;
• Loss of sexual desire;
• Frequent colds;
• Poor or, conversely, increased appetite;
• Excessive or insufficient sleep;
• Nervousness, etc.

With such a variety of symptoms, stress can affect not only your overall health, but also all areas of your life.

Stages of stress

It is customary to distinguish 3 main stages of stress:

1. Mobilization phase. It is an immediate response to a dangerous or difficult situation. At this point, the heart rate increases, hormones such as cortisol are released, and the body receives an energetic boost of adrenaline, which helps it respond.

2. Resistance phase. After the first exposure to stress, the body needs to relax and return to normal. However, if we do not overcome the situation that creates stress, the body remains vigilant and becomes accustomed to high blood pressure and hormone levels.

3. Exhaustion phase. At this stage, stress becomes chronic and it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to deal with it. Its effects are felt emotionally and physically through various reactions:

• Exhaustion;
• Depression;
• Burnout syndrome;
• Anxiety;
• Weakened immune system;
• Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases.

Stressful situations are inevitable, but if we find a way to cope with them, many of their negative consequences can be avoided or at least their impact can be reduced.

Ways to get out of stress

You can get out of stress on your own, it is only important to find a suitable way. The most important thing is to bring bright colors into your life, improve your mood, and learn to think positively. Even in a negative situation, you can see the benefits if you want.

Healthy lifestyle

It is necessary to build the correct day and night routine. Meals should be complete and on time. Moderate physical activity, sports and healthy family relationships will only help overcome stress. Don't overwork yourself at work and at home.

Vitamins

Overcoming stress is possible for everyone. It is important that the body receives all the necessary vitamins and microelements. You can buy pharmaceutical complexes, and also eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins. In a healthy body, protective functions work perfectly. The psyche and internal systems are not so susceptible to stress.

Rest

Rational rest helps relieve stress and restore. You can’t work too hard, because psychological fatigue is added to physical fatigue. And this is already fraught with stress. During rest, you should not think about work, but while at work, you should not think about home. The ability to switch will help avoid stress.

Full sleep

Nothing restores the body better than healthy, full sleep. During sleep, the body produces hormones responsible for growth and restoration of functions. Therefore, you should try to go to bed before 23-00 in order to get enough sleep and wake up cheerful and in a good mood.

Hobbies

When a person does what he loves, he experiences joy and satisfaction. Any hobby may take time, but it has a beneficial effect on a person’s mental state. This helps to get rid of problems and forget all the bad things for a while. A rested brain will quickly tell you how to cope with negativity.

Physical exercise

Regular physical activity will help release excess adrenaline and help the body relax. Exercising in the fresh air will help normalize breathing and enrich internal organs with oxygen. A morning jog in nature will have a positive effect on your mood, and happiness hormones will begin to be produced.

Aromatherapy, dancing, music

The healing power of aromatic oils has been known since ancient times. They can be added to the bath, applied to the body, or used as an air freshener. When essential oils enter the body, they cause a surge of good mood and euphoria, and calm the nervous system. Dancing and pleasant, soothing music, such as classical, have the same effect on a person.

Health problems resulting from stress

Emotional stress can literally hit almost all organs and systems. Let's take a closer look at how stress affects our body.

• The effect of stress on the muscular system. When we are under extreme stress, our muscles tense as a physical response to the stress. This automatic response is the body's way of protecting itself from pain and injury. Only when the initial stress passes does our musculoskeletal system begin to relax and release accumulated tension.

This increasing tension can also lead to headaches and more severe migraine attacks. Most headaches, minor to moderate, are often caused by tension in the muscles of the head, neck and shoulders.

Over time, these stress-related pains can cause a vicious cycle. Some people stop exercising because of these discomforts and take painkillers. However, due to inactivity, muscle atrophy can aggravate chronic musculoskeletal conditions. After all, the human body is designed to move and be active, which is why many doctors recommend exercise to reduce muscle tension and stress-related stress on the musculoskeletal system.

• The effect of stress on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

The long-term effects of stress typically lead to a wide range of cardiovascular problems. Under the influence of stress hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol), blood vessels constrict to send more oxygen and energy to the muscles. But it also increases blood pressure. As a result, frequent or chronic stress causes the heart to work too hard and at too long intervals. The constant fight-or-flight response takes a toll on the body, leading to an increased risk of stroke and heart attacks.

In addition, ongoing acute stress can promote inflammation in the coronary arteries and blood vessels.

Estrogen helps women's blood vessels function better during times of increased stress, thereby protecting them from heart damage. However, postmenopausal estrogen levels decrease greatly, and the female body becomes more susceptible to the effects of stress.

Stress hormones also affect the respiratory system. During the physiological response to stress, breathing increases to distribute oxygen-rich blood throughout the body as quickly as possible. But if you have breathing problems such as asthma or emphysema, stress can make your condition worse.

• The effect of stress on the central nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for the body's "fight-flight" response to danger. In the brain, the hypothalamus triggers the response by signaling the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones speed up your heart rate to send more blood to the muscles, heart, vital organs, and other parts of the body that need it most during times of danger.

Once the situation is “under control,” the hypothalamus should theoretically signal all of these systems to return to normal. But if this does not happen, or if the source of stress does not disappear, these physiological reactions continue.

Chronic stress is also associated with behavioral disorders, including eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, and social isolation.

• The effect of stress on the digestive system. When you are stressed, the liver increases its production of blood sugar (glucose) to give the body an energy boost. But when it comes to chronic stress, the body cannot adapt to frequent spikes in blood sugar. It is for this reason that chronic stress contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes.

An increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and stress hormones can also disrupt the digestive system. And due to increased acidity in the stomach, the risk of acid reflux and heartburn increases. Please note that stress itself does not cause ulcers, which are most often caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. However, stress increases the risk of developing an ulcer and can worsen an existing one.

Increased nervous tension can also lead to diarrhea or constipation. Finally, people who are stressed may also suffer from nausea, vomiting and stomach upset.

• The influence of stress on sexuality and the reproductive system. It exhausts both the body and the mind. Those who are constantly stressed often experience a significant loss of libido. True, in humans, short-term stress increases testosterone production, but this effect is not sustainable. And with prolonged stress in men, testosterone levels can decrease. Therefore, it can interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction.

Chronic stress also increases the risk of infection of the male reproductive organs, especially the prostate and testicles. In women, stress can disrupt the menstrual cycle, leading to irregular, heavier, and more painful periods. Chronic stress can also increase the physiological symptoms of menopause.

• The effect of stress on the immune system.

It stimulates and strengthens the immune system, which is very useful in the face of immediate danger. In particular, strengthening your immune system can help you avoid infections and heal wounds faster. But over time, stress hormones can, on the contrary, weaken the immune system and, therefore, reduce the body’s immune response to “invasion” from the outside.

Thus, people under chronic stress are more likely to contract viral diseases such as flu, colds and other infections. Stress can also slow down the healing of various injuries and affect our emotional health.

Prevention of stress conditions

To prevent acute stress from causing harm to the body, its occurrence and development should be prevented. Preventative measures for stress may include the following:

• Systematic physical exercises. To develop the respiratory system, it is recommended to attend dancing, swimming, and running in the morning.
• Balanced diet. It is necessary to balance the diet, introduce foods rich in vitamins and microelements into the menu.
• Follow the correct daily routine, close to the natural biorhythms of a person. Try to go to bed no later than midnight.
• Meditation. This will help the body restore lost strength and energy. You should devote an hour a day to meditation. Pleasant music will help you recover.

Medicines should only be prescribed by a doctor; self-medication is not recommended.

How stress can cause depression

It is completely normal to experience daily mood swings, ups and downs. But under chronic stress, the human mind is prone to depression. This occurs when a byproduct of stress hormones makes us feel tired or exhausted.

This feeling of low energy may linger and negatively impact your desire and ability to carry out daily activities. This condition is known as "major depression."

Symptoms of major depression:

• Insomnia and other sleep problems.
• Prolonged fatigue, feeling of loss of strength.
• Increased irritability and agitation.
• Significant changes in appetite.
• Feeling worthless.
• Feelings of guilt and self-hatred.
• Feelings of hopelessness, which can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Those who suffer from major depression may develop other mental disorders. If you are chronically stressed and have self-destructive thoughts, seek help. This could be either a doctor or someone you trust and respect.

What makes stress worse?

Stress can cause, and in some cases worsen, certain health problems. For example, these:

• Depression and anxiety.
• Pain of any kind in any part of the body.
• Sleep problems.
• Autoimmune diseases.
• Digestive problems.
• Skin diseases, especially eczema.
• Cardiovascular disease.
• Weight gain or loss.
• Reproductive problems.

In addition, emotional stress can also affect our behavior.

Causes

The main reason is the situations that provoke it, they are called stress factors. Considering that the life of a modern person is dynamic and unpredictable, there are a great many reasons. Constant troubles, misunderstandings with loved ones, pressing stress at work, breakdowns of household appliances or cars, and just everyday worries. All this provokes irritation and anxiety.

Sometimes the lack of change, routine and “Groundhog Day” can be the main reason. Each person has their own individual mental characteristics, which for one is an annoying nuisance, for another a cause of stress.

Causes

Main reasons

• conflicts with family and friends;
• unemployment and debt;
• overwork, lack of vacation;
• chronic diseases and excess weight
• dissatisfaction with oneself and one's appearance

Stress develops at three levels: biochemical, psychological and physiological.

When a person finds himself in a stressful situation, his blood glucose level rises, blood pressure rises, the heartbeat becomes more frequent, the deposition of fatty tissue in the subcutaneous tissue increases, sodium is retained, and with it water in the tissues, and potassium, which is necessary for the functioning of the heart and nerves, is eliminated faster than necessary.

How stress affects behavior and personality

Stress hormones present in the body can damage brain cells. In particular, in the hippocampus, but also in the frontal lobe. The hippocampus is the area responsible for storing memory, while the frontal lobe is responsible for vigilance (attention) and the use of judgment to solve various problems.

It is obvious that those who are repeatedly exposed to stress will subsequently have difficulties:

• Problems with learning new things;
• Retaining recently acquired knowledge;
• Poor self-discipline;
• Low concentration;
• Difficulty in making decisions.

Stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Many people who are stressed suffer from some form of anxiety disorder.

What determines the body's resistance to stress?

Although stress is harmful to everyone, stress levels vary from person to person. This depends on several factors:

• "Support Group". A strong connection with family or friends can play an important role in managing stress. A person who can rely on others is less stressed than a lonely person.

• Feeling of control. If you are a confident person and believe that you are in control of your life, you are less likely to become a victim of chronic stress compared to a person who “goes with the flow” and blames circumstances for all his failures.

• Worldview. Your outlook on life can protect you from chronic stress. If you are an optimist and a hopeful person who is ready to take on life's challenges, you can easily prevent the harmful effects of stress on your emotional well-being and on your body.

• Ability to cope with emotions. If you have the ability to recognize, accept, and deal with your emotions well, you are much less likely to become bogged down in chronic stress. At the same time, neglecting emotions is not a way out of stress, as many people think. You must give yourself enough time to deal with your emotions and overcome the harmful effects of stress on your body.

Basic mechanisms of somatic diseases

There are two approaches to considering the mechanisms of occurrence of psychosomatic diseases:

1. Alexander (founder of psychosomatics): stressful situations give rise to negative emotions (fear, anxiety, anger); this leads to a biological shift in the body. In animals, a biological shift is realized in behavior in the form of flight or fight and has adaptive significance. A person lives by different laws and is forced to restrain his emotions; Emotions are blocked, leading to increased physiological reactions that destroy the human body. Thus, the causes of psychosomatic diseases are blocked negative emotions.
2. Rotenberg and Arshavsky (domestic approach based on criticism of Alexander’s works): negative emotions do not always lead to diseases. There are cases when the disease worsens despite prosperity. According to the observations of doctors, the following facts are known: concentration camp prisoners “forgot” about their illnesses during the peace period; “siege hypertension” - during the siege in Leningrad, the incidence rate sharply decreased; Martin Eden phenomenon - mental and physical disorders when achieving a long-awaited goal. Consequently, it is not the suppression of emotions that leads to diseases, but the type of behavior in a stressful situation: with active-defensive behavior, physiological changes in the body are quickly normalized, with passive-defensive behavior - resignation to the situation - somatic diseases arise. Thus, the cause of psychosomatic diseases is a passive-defensive type of behavior in a stressful situation. This is where the concept of search activity comes from. Search activity is a special activity aimed at changing a difficult situation or attitude towards it, i.e. at a behavioral or psychological level. Search activity is associated with an active-defensive type of behavior and reduces a person’s susceptibility to diseases in a stressful situation.

How to cope with stress

According to the American Psychological Association, there are different types of stress, and there is no single method for dealing with them. Therefore, everyone must find their own path.

Still, there are a few general recommendations that may work:

• Temporarily step away from the cause of your stress.

Once you identify the situation that is causing you stress, put it aside as much as possible. It's not about avoiding a problem that you have to solve, but about giving yourself a break from excessive mental stress.

• Play sports. Exercise regulates physiological processes, helping to cope with stress and anxiety. A 10-year study of 288 families found that those who exercise experienced less anxiety. In addition, they tolerate the first stages of stress more easily than those who do not engage in any physical activity.

During exercise, the body releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers produced by our body.

In addition, hormonal activity decreases, so the body produces less cortisol.

Exercise makes it easier to fall asleep, so your body and mind get more rest.

Daily exercise such as walking, dancing or cycling, for example, will help you cope better with stress.

• Practice yoga. Few exercises are as effective as yoga when it comes to stress management. In addition to the exercise benefits described above, studies have shown that yoga acts as an antidepressant and sedative, as well as relaxing the mind.

In addition, yoga promotes concentration, which helps you mentally separate yourself from the cause of stress.

• Meditate. Meditation also helps to relax the body and mind. Focusing on your breathing or your environment will cause you to momentarily take your mind off the issue that is causing you stress. Taking a step back will give you a new perspective.

• Try natural antidepressants. Infusions of natural herbs such as valerian, green tea or lemon balm have been proven to reduce stress.

• Do fun and interesting activities with family or friends.

Laughter is known to help relieve stress. Also, listen to music, visit new places with friends or family, and engage in hobbies such as painting or making crafts. Doing different interesting things will keep you out of trouble.

If none of this works, seek professional help.

Light and dark side

We are accustomed to the fact that stress always has negative consequences, called distress, but there is also a positive side to this phenomenon - eustress:

1. Distress
   is characterized by an imbalance in the physiological and psychological parameters of the body. It can be short-term and quickly reach the “boiling point”, or it can become chronic and entail failures of all vital systems.
2. Eustress
   can be defined by a surge of joyful emotions and a person’s positive attitude. This happens when he knows about an approaching problem situation, does not know how to solve it, but hopes for a successful outcome. For example, an interview for a well-paid position or entrance exams to an educational institution. Such stress is necessary to solve everyday problems that arise, because it mobilizes all forces for a positive outcome. For example, despite the hated ringing of the alarm clock in the morning, it makes you cheer up and wake up. Eustress, although weak in strength, is beneficial to human health and positions itself as an “awakening reaction.”

Subtypes of distress

The most common subtype of distress is physiological stress. It occurs when external factors influence the human body. If you get burned or hungry, overheated in the sun and pinch your finger, then you cannot do without stressful shocks. At the physiological level, stress is divided into several groups:

• biological
  is associated with the occurrence of various diseases;
• chemical
  stress caused by exposure to chemicals, as well as oxygen starvation or excess oxygen);
• physical
  is provoked by excessive physical exertion, professional athletes are susceptible to it;
• mechanical
  occurs in the postoperative period, when complex injuries occur that violate the integrity of tissues or organs.

The next subtype is psychological stress, which is characterized by two types of conflict:

1. Dissatisfaction with oneself associated with a discrepancy between expectations and reality
   . This conflict most often occurs among people who cannot come to terms with age-related changes in appearance and the body as a whole.
2. Stressful state due to social conflicts within a social unit
   . For example, intra-family conflicts, quarrels with friends or colleagues.

Emotional stress occurs when a person is exposed to an emotional stimulus. Conflicts become such irritants when a person cannot satisfy biological or sociocultural needs for a long time.

For example, a strong resentment towards a loved one, deception, as well as information overload, which usually occurs when preparing for exams or submitting annual reports. Over the course of many years of research, it has become clear that stress is individual for each person and leads to different consequences.

Interestingly, people with increased stress tolerance quickly cope with extreme situations. Those whose indicator is underestimated may encounter neuroses, high blood pressure, and disruption of the vital systems of the body. What will suffer the most depends on individual characteristics and the presence of chronic diseases, because the load mainly falls on the weakest link.

Brief conclusions

• Stress is a physiological response to life's circumstances, but if it persists for longer than necessary, it can be detrimental to your health.
• There are three phases of stress: mobilization, resistance, exhaustion.
• Stress affects the muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, digestive and reproductive systems.
• Stress can lead to depression and can worsen existing health problems and cause new ones.
• It also influences human behavior.
• Resistance to stress depends on certain factors.
• You can minimize the effects of stress with simple recommendations.