Different Types of Stress
There are three main categories of stress: acute stress, acute episodic stress, and chronic stress.
Acute stress is our bodies’ immediate “flight-or-fight” reaction to a challenge or threat. This happens after an unexpected or sudden traumatic event. Some examples of this are job interviews, getting a speeding ticket, and giving a speech. Some symptoms may include irritability, headaches, anxiety, and sadness, but the symptoms don’t usually last very long. This type of stress can range from as short as one day to as long as one month. However, if feelings last longer than a month then it may be classified as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which may lead to longer and more severe issues upon the individual.
Acute episodic stress is often found in people that have Type A personalities. When individuals experience everyday stress and live in a constant state of tension, that is formed by acute stress, this leads to episodic acute stress. This can be caused by taking on too many tasks such as projects or responsibilities and the individual may be left feeling overburdened. Furthermore, this will lead to feelings of anger and tension. Often, this type of stress creeps up from time-to-time and is not as frequent compared to acute stress. This type of stress can make the individual hostile and possible strained relationships may arise amongst yourself and others. Patterns of this stress may be able to subside if the individual makes changes in their lifestyle, such as exercising more. Exercising may help by decreasing negative feelings or moods.
Chronic stress is the response to our long-term emotional pressure from repeated exposure to certain situations which can cause issues in relation to our mind and body. Chronic stress can have a permanent effect on our bodies and cause medical conditions ranging from type II diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The effects of chronic stress can be longer and more problematic compared to acute stress. Some examples of chronic stress are financial stress, occupational stress, and academic pressure.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly Sides of Stress
Depending on the amount & intensity present, stress can either be beneficial or harmful. As we move closer towards a deadline, stress may enhance our productivity dramatically by acting as a strong motivating factor. However, too much stress may impair our efficiency completely by appearing as too ridiculous to manage. More importantly, an overwhelming amount of stress sustained over a prolonged amount of time may lead to harmful side effects toward an individual's health & is correlated to the severity of chronic illnesses.
Physical and Mental Wellness Amongst College Students
Throughout the college population - stress, anxiety, depression, & physical illness remain interrelated among each other. An individual's physical & mental wellness are codependent on one another. Although the causality of physical illnesses may differ, what's important is how we deal with our adversities & that we take care of our bodies.
The severity of an illness is related to the amount of stress someone may be experiencing as well as their lifestyle habits e.g. tobacco use, alcohol use, amount of exercise, & quality of sleep. The relationship between stress & illness seems to be a perpetual cycle because stress may lower one's immunity but having an illness may contribute to an increase in an individual's stress level.
Who is Most Affected and Why?
(In order from most reported affected to least reported affected)
Stress: Sophomores, Freshmen, Seniors, Juniors
Anxiety: Sophomores, Seniors, Freshmen, Juniors
Depression: Sophomores, Juniors, Freshmen, Seniors
Illness: Freshmen, Seniors, Sophomores, Juniors
Possible explanations of why sophomores had the highest reported stress, anxiety, & depression rates:
- It could be due to the absence of social support network that was provided to them when they were freshman (introductory events, advising, counselors, etc.)
- They haven’t established self-help/coping skills that the juniors & seniors use to deal with the stress from college
- As their college careers develop & classes become more challenging, they must become more self-sufficient due to the lack of resources available for managing stress, anxiety, & depression
(There were no differences found between genders regarding reported stress, anxiety, or depression rates although there was a difference between genders for illness)
Implications of Stress on Our Health
All level of stress can ultimately result in negative effects on health and a wide range of serious health problems.
Why Do We Stress?
Our bodies recognize stress as a state of threatened homeostasis. This adaptive process involves affective, physiological, biochemical and cognitive-behavioral responses in an attempt to regain homeostasis.
When homeostasis is interrupted, all systems in the body such as the neuroendocrine, nervous, immune, cardiovascular and metabolic systems are negatively affected. Health issues begin to rise after long exposure to stress.
Stress On Physical Health:
- Increase in sedentary behavior, resulting in the decline of physical function
- Higher chance of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease; a higher percentage of developing coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction
- Unhealthy eating patterns such as loss of appetite or binge eating, consuming large quantities of food in a certain amount of time
- Dysregulation of hormonal axes
- Results in a weaker immune system, frequent illnesses are common when under high levels of stress
- The nervous system is affected; adrenal glands release adrenaline in response to stress that leads to high blood pressure, an increase in heart rate and blood sugar levels
Stress On Mental Health:
- Increased feelings of anger, irritability, worry and inability to concentrate.
- Higher rates of depression, negative affectivity and anxiety.
- More likely to engage in coping mechanisms such as smoking, increased alcohol intake and substance abuse.
- An increase in unhealthy behaviors; poor dieting (higher sugar and caffeine consumption) and lack of exercise (longer screen time)
- In the long-run, cognitive dysfunction, dementia and excessive fatigue become more prominent with age.
- Distress is more likely to occur due to high cost of healthcare.