Stressed Out

Chapter 2

It is critical to recognize the effects that stress has on your body. Stress can affect you through your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As previously stated, people experience stress in different ways. Stress has an immediate effect on your body, in short term, it is not necessarily a bad thing, but chronic stress puts your health at risk. It targets the weakest part of your physiology or character, it makes already existing problems worse.

Common effects of stress on your mood:

Anxiety

Relentlessness

Lack of motivation or focus

Feeling overwhelmed

Irritability

Anger

Sadness or depression

Common effects of stress on your body:

Headache

Muscle tension or pain

Chest pain

Fatigue

Irritable stomach

Sleep problems

Common effects of stress to your behavior:

Overeating

Undereating

Angry outbursts

Drug or alcohol abuse

Tobacco use

Social withdrawal

Exercising less often

Stress affects many parts of your body, some include your central nervous system, digestive system, muscular system, and your immune system. 

Central Nervous System

Your central nervous system is in charge of your fight or flight mode response. It instantly tells the rest of your body what to do, marshalling all resources to the cause. In your brain, your hypothalamus begins the process, telling your adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. When the recognized fear is gone, the central nervous system fails to return to normal. If the stressor doesn't go away, it takes a toll on your body.

Digestive System

Your liver produces extra blood sugar, or glucose, to give you a boost of energy when you are under stress. Unused blood sugar is reabsorbed by the body. If you are under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge, you may be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can upset your digestive system. Stress also affects which nutrients your intestines absorb. It also influences how quickly food moves through your body, and can provoke you to eat more or less than you normally do. The disruption of your body's natural digestive processes can cause nausea, pain, vomiting, heartburn, constipation, and acid reflux or diarrhea. Ulcers are not caused by stress, but stress may cause existing ulcers to act up.

Muscular System

Under stress, your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury. You have probably felt your muscles tighten up and release again once you relax. If your body is constantly under stress, your muscles do not get the chance to relax. Tightened muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over a period of time, you may stop exercising and turn to pain medication, beginning an unhealthy habit.

Immune System

Stress stimulates the immune system. In short, term that is a good thing. This stimulation helps you heal wounds and fight off infections. But over a period of time, cortisol compromises the immune system, inhibiting histamine secretion and inflammatory response to foreign invaders. Cortisol is also known as hydrocortisone, it is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. People under chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the common cold and influenza. Stress also increases risks of other diseases and infections. It can increase the amount of time it takes to recover from illnesses and injuries.

Prolonged stress undoubtedly makes people ill. It is known to contribute to heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, type 2 diabetes, muscles and joint pain, miscarriage, allergies, alopecia also known as hair loss, and premature tooth loss. Many healthcare professionals also consider chronic stress a significant risk factor for illness such as cancer and heart attacks.

One reason that stress is so dangerous is that our body's physical reactions to prolonged stress may accumulate slowly and go unnoticed in our attempts to adapt to ongoing stress. However, even if it seems like we are building a tolerance to stress, our nervous system is still dealing with an overload which can gravely affect overall health in the long run. One of the most common physical reactions to stress is the tensing of muscles, which can ultimately trigger musculoskeletal conditions.

In addition to the various physical effects of stress to your body, it also contribute to an abundance of mental and emotional disorders. Some of which are depression, anxiety, phobias, and panic attacks. Stress can make it difficult to focus, make decisions, think things through, remember things, and get things done or achieve goals. It can also cause irritability, making you easily frustrated and impatient with others, and even contributes to anger, feelings of insecurity, and relationship conflicts.

While the many physical effects of stress can be overwhelming, it is important not to ignore these psychological effects as they also play a large part in overall health and vitality.