What is a stressful state? Is stress bad or good? It's all written in the genes

A detailed explanation of what stress is, what types it comes in, what its causes and symptoms are, and how to deal with it.

I have long wanted to write an article about what is stress.

Do you know why?

Because with this word, like a shield, lazy people, hysterical people, smart-ass people and other useless people often like to cover up their inability to work, solve problems, and fulfill their direct responsibilities.

I decided to dot the i’s once and for all and explain the history of origin, symptoms, causes, types of stress and ways to deal with it.

Ah, I'm stressed, although I have no idea what it is

It was no coincidence that I started talking about unpleasant people who like to hide behind stress.

I worked with one of these. This was the stupidest creature, placed in our acquaintance company, who could not complete a single task. Her name was Lucy.

And when the management task seemed especially difficult to her or the deadline was pressing, Lucy fell into a nervous state and shouted to everyone around: “I’m stressed. I can't do anything."

At one point, the boss realized that even many years of friendship with Uncle Lucy would not force him to keep this useless creature on his staff, and with a rebuke in the style of “do you even know what stress is, you lazy person,” he fired the young lady.

We all breathed a sigh of relief, because such valuable cooperation, when you have to do not only your job, but also Lucina's, was exhausting for all of us.

What is stress and what types does it come in?

The word “stress” itself is a tracing paper from the English stress, which translates as tension, load, pressure.

That is, stress is a reaction of the human body, which has been under the pressure of unfavorable factors and the influence of heavy loads for a long time.

Depending on the emotional component (positive or negative), the following are distinguished:

Eustresses are beneficial stresses that give a positive boost of energy to our body.

It's no secret that a small dose of adrenaline is useful for the human body, so that it cheers up, shakes itself out, and finally wakes up.

Distress is harmful stress that is caused by overexertion.

Single distress does not cause much harm to the body, but if you do not get out of this state for a long time, then stress can develop into something more dangerous, for example.

Stress is also classified depending on the factors that provoke its occurrence:

Psychological.

Most often it occurs when a person cannot establish interaction with society.

Emotional.

The reason for its occurrence is excessively strong emotions (both positive and negative) that a person cannot cope with.

Informational – the body’s reaction to some unexpected information, most often negative.
Management is the problem of all managers who have to make important decisions every day.

Who was the first to understand what stress is?

Of course, stress has always existed.

Surely even primitive people, who for a long time failed to catch a mammoth, suffered from nervous tension and stress, although they themselves did not understand the state of their body.

But this problem was seriously studied only in the first half of the twentieth century.

Nobel Prize laureate Hans Selye was the first to understand and describe what stress is in 1936. Before him, the term “stress” was used as a technical term and meant the resistance of some material to external pressure.

Selye decided that all this was applicable to the human body and began research, fortunately, not on humans, but on rats.

Animal advocates will probably call the Nobel laureate a sadist and a flayer, and in some ways they will be right, but science is often unmerciful to our smaller brothers.

Selye's experiments consisted of tormenting rats in various ways (loud sound, immobilization, current, water), and then performing an autopsy on the experimental rodent, which showed that the internal organs of the rat had changed, most often they had a stomach ulcer.

Thus, Selye concluded that the internal organs of rats are susceptible to pathologies not from the very effects of electric current, water or loud noise, but as a result of the reaction of the rodents’ body to them.

Alas, it was possible to understand what stress is thanks to the inhuman experiments of the scientist.

How do you know if you are stressed?

Stress has its own pronounced symptoms, so covering up your stupidity, laziness, and unwillingness to take responsibility with your body’s reaction to external pressure means deceiving yourself.

You can safely say that you are stressed if you:

You constantly feel tired and overwhelmed.
You notice that your ability to remember new information has deteriorated, and you even begin to forget what you knew before.
They began to have trouble sleeping.
You have lost your appetite or, on the contrary, you consume huge portions.
You can’t get rid of the feeling of anxiety and the obsessive thought that something bad will happen soon.
Speak at a fast pace, which was not typical for you before.
You have stopped responding to funny jokes and are in a depressed state.
You are never satisfied with the results of your work.
Complain of headaches or stomach cramps.
You can't concentrate.
You easily fall into a state of rage.
Even simple work began to take much longer than before.
You make stupid mistakes.
You show stubbornness where you shouldn’t.
You feel sorry for yourself and think that your life has failed.

Individually, each of these symptoms is not scary, but diagnosing yourself with at least 5 signs from the list should make you wonder: am I stressed?

Causes of stress

Of course, the human body’s reaction in the form of stress does not appear on its own.

Stress arises for completely objective reasons:

A large number of responsibilities that you cannot cope with.
Inability to rest and sleep for a long time.
The economic or political situation in the country is bad, so most news carries negative information.
A quarrel with someone close to you.
Negative changes in personal or professional life: betrayal by your significant other, dismissal, divorce, demotion, etc.
Deterioration of material condition.
Obsessive thoughts about past mistakes, unnecessary self-examination in the past, incorrect perception of negative experiences.
Long-term illness and poor health.
– constantly postponing things until a blockage appears that can no longer be cleared.
A series of minor failures.

How stress affects the human body and can it lead to death:

How to deal with stress?

Whatever the reason that leads to stress, you must find such a medicine to quickly normalize the condition of your body and never suffer from this dirty trick again.

The most effective ways are:

Healthy sleep and proper rest of the body.
Physical activity, meditation and breathing exercises.
Proper nutrition: more vitamins (greens, vegetables, fruits), nuts, fish, liver, cereals, honey, dairy products. Less sweets, flour, fatty, fried, smoked.
Planning time and making a to-do list to prevent them from piling up.
Learn to “step over” problems that you are unable to solve.
Love the proverb “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” or “There can be no more trials than I can bear.”

Solve problems before they become unsolvable.

For example, if the car’s engine makes a strange sound, then you need to immediately go to a car service center, and not wait until the car becomes damaged and you have to invest a lot of money in repairs.

Eliminating the causes of stress.

Tired - take a rest, too many responsibilities - give some of it to someone, quarreled with your husband - make peace, etc.

See the positive even in negative moments.

Filter the information you absorb.

You are not responsible for all the negativity of humanity.

Believe that everything will be fine for you, because you, like no one else, deserve happiness.

Now you know, what is stress and, I hope, you won’t use this word inappropriately and inappropriately.

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English pressure) - denotes a wide range of human conditions that arise in response to various extreme influences. Leads to changes in the course of mental processes, emotional shifts, disturbances in motor and speech behavior. There is a distinction between positive stress and negative stress. The discovery and description of the mechanism of stress belongs to the Canadian scientist Hans Selye (1907-1982).

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Stress

English – tension) is an emotional reaction that occurs in response to extreme (unexpected, destructive, painful, etc.) environmental influences. Stress manifests itself as a violation of the physiological, psychological and social harmony of the individual. Stress can be informational, emotional, or physiological. People with a high level of aspirations, overloaded with work and who do not know how to live in unity with nature are most exposed to stress. Signs of stress: inability to concentrate, mistakes, memory impairment, feeling tired, slow or accelerated pace of speech, wandering thoughts, physical pain, increased excitability, work without joy, loss of a sense of humor, etc. Stress plays a dual role in a person’s life. On the one hand, it destroys harmony, suppresses mood, causes fear and irritation, but, on the other hand, it “teaches a lesson,” i.e. forms patience and “combat readiness” and adaptation to new conditions. Stress can not only reduce, but also increase performance, especially in art, sports, and creativity. Stressful situations are inevitable in life; they allow a person to experience suffering, leading to spiritual growth, wisdom, and humility.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

There is no “good” or “bad” stress – we owe this misconception to the author of the concept of “stress,” Canadian doctor Hans Selye. Describing the tension through which the body copes with a dangerous situation, he too strictly contrasted stress, which provokes overexertion (distress), and stress, which gives a feeling of strength and self-confidence (eustress). Today, psychologists and physiologists draw a line between acute stress, which mobilizes the body's resources, and chronic stress, which depletes them.

Acute stress is experienced by those who must quickly respond to a change in their usual situation. Our lives sometimes depend on the speed and accuracy of this reaction. When the situation drags on, stress, becoming chronic, depletes our resources, causing physical and mental disorders. Most often, headaches, stomach ulcers, arterial hypertension, arthritis, asthma, colitis and even some forms of angina occur.

G. Selye “Stress without distress” (Book on demand, 2012).

We must fight him

Would life be better without stress? No, it would turn out to be insipid: no overcoming difficulties, no comprehension of new things, no reason to “sharpen” the mind or develop abilities. A cyclist jumps out in front of a car, your boss is approaching a work deadline, you are asked to agree to become a course leader: without this physical and mental stress, we would not be able to react to a problematic situation - say, go to see a doctor when something hurts. Trying to eliminate the vital energy of stress is futile. This makes no more sense than refusing to breathe on the grounds that there are free radicals in the air! It is much more effective to get out of the state of constant reaction and act thoughtfully.

R. Gerrig, F. Zimbardo “Psychology of Life” (Peter, 2004).

We can get ahead of him

The idea is tempting - everyone wants to “spread a straw” where they are about to fall. It is in our nature to expect the worst. And this ability to anticipate stress allowed humanity to survive, unlike animals that died out in entire evolutionary branches in the extremely changing conditions of the Earth. It is this ability that we today call intuition or the “sixth sense”, which is expressed more strongly in some, weaker in others, but which is inherent in us by nature.

However, trying to predict possible events that will become a source of stress is an activity that, on the one hand, generates stress itself, and on the other hand, gives the illusion that we can control literally everything. “Let's stop holding on to omnipotence,” advises psychologist Patrick Légeron, “and look at things philosophically.” Because when the unexpected does happen, we experience a feeling of helplessness that increases stress. So it is very important not to break with reality. This is the only way to remain objective, realistically assess reality and accept the fact that something must be given up.

It's all written in the genes

Genes influence our resistance to stress. Being genetically prone to stress does not necessarily mean we will suffer more from it. Research in epigenetics has shown that environmental conditions and our personal history influence whether our genes work. People with low levels of serotonin, that is, those who are genetically predisposed to stress, can adapt their lifestyle to their emotional vulnerability and avoid circumstances that depress them. On the contrary, those who have a lot of serotonin and are low in stress tend to take reckless risks and find themselves in all sorts of disturbing and frightening situations, which ultimately leads to premature wear and tear. It's important to know that the circumstances of our lives have a serious impact on our relationship with stress, although they are genetically determined.

Koenen et al. "Modification of the association between serotonin transporter genotype and risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults by county-level, social environment." American Journal of Epidemiology, 2009, vol. 169, no. 6; P. Sidorov, A. Parnyakov “Clinical Psychology” (Geotar-med, 2010).

Its cause is always psychological

“Differentiating between physical and psychological stress is one of the many prejudices,” explains psychotherapist Thierry Janssen. Stress always acts the same way, only the nature of the event that triggers it differs. It can be psychological (conflict at work) or physical (annoying noise). When we experience psychological stress, it is accompanied by bodily tension. Anyone who is faced with troubles has a twisting stomach, a squeezing heart, and tense shoulders. The noise first causes a physical reaction, and then, if the situation persists, nervous tension, exhaustion, and even depression. “The greater the feeling of helplessness, the more we tend to ‘psychologize’ stress,” continues Thierry Jansen, “as if we can fight back by finding an explanation for it.” It is a way of saying to myself: if I understand the psychological mechanism at work here, then I will find a solution.

What is stress really?

The word "stress" means "tension" and comes from the Latin stringere (to tighten, tighten, compress). This is not an emotion, but a “cascade” response of the body to danger - real or perceived. This reaction is innate and usually cannot be controlled consciously. Instantly, physical and mental tension arises, which provokes negative emotions, primarily fear and anxiety. At such moments, our sympathetic nervous system triggers chain reactions: the secretion of adrenaline increases, under its action the heart rate accelerates and the blood flow is directed to the muscles, the production of cortisol increases, and we instantly feel additional energy. All our physical and intellectual resources are mobilized in order to decide what to do in a given situation - run away or fight back. After a few minutes, if the danger has subsided, our body draws energy from its reserves and releases other hormones (endorphin, dopamine and serotonin), which helps us calm down.

We are used to perceiving it as something negative that breaks into our lives, breaks plans and spoils our mood. Actually this is not true. Speaking about what stress is, one cannot fail to note the following - it is not something external, but our own reaction to a situation that is somewhat different from the daily routine. In itself, this concept is neutral; only our reaction is emotionally charged.

It should be noted that in small doses, stress has a positive effect. Imagine, routine work, the middle of the day, a feeling of slight relaxation, and suddenly you notice a message that a commission is coming with an inspection. You will immediately become more focused and your productivity will increase; you will spend the remaining time working with maximum efficiency. But strong blows of fate, following one after another, can lead to catastrophic consequences for the psyche. Fortunately, stress can be controlled to a certain extent; today we will teach this art.

Definition of Stress

So what is stress? This is a way of physical reaction, response to an external stimulus. This mechanism is well considered by supporters of the behavioral approach in psychology. “Stimulus-response” is exactly how their main postulate is designated. They view the reaction to stress through the prism of instincts. An animal can have two reactions to stress, that is, the appearance of a real danger to its life. This is an action (flight or fight) or disguise: the animal freezes, falls to the ground, merging with it. The person has inherited the same reactions, only the surrounding situation has changed.

Today, if we experience stress, it is quite rare that it poses a direct threat to our lives. Nevertheless, the reaction triggers the same mechanisms as millions of years ago. Blood rushes to the face, the heart is pounding, blood pressure rises, breathing quickens. The hormones adrenaline and cortisone are responsible for this; they increase physical endurance and strength, preparing the body for fight or flight. Another option may be the exact opposite reaction: the person turns pale, the blood drains from the face, the skin becomes cold, and stupor sets in.

Why are these physiological changes not working for us today? Because the surrounding situation has changed. We cannot fight with the boss, nor can we run away from him along the office corridor. Therefore, left without an outlet, energy begins to harm us.

This is a rough definition of what stress is. But this is only one side of the coin, which considers stress as a one-time, short-term, mobilizing phenomenon. Imagine a situation where a person experiences peak situations every day for a month. Difficult relationships at work, family problems and the like. The psyche smoothes out the negative effects of stress for the time being, but then nervousness, insomnia, and depressed mood begin to appear more and more. Then comes the turn of depression. This phenomenon is called distress, and it is extremely destructive. It is necessary to notice in time that your psyche can no longer fight on its own. And seek help from professionals.

Different ways to react

Now we roughly understand what stress is. Go ahead. The reaction to stress is difficult to recognize, because a person often gets used to his condition and does not even notice the severity that constantly presses on him. This manifests itself in excessive irritability, but is attributed to fatigue, relatives who are “to blame themselves,” and hopelessness: “Well, what can I change, what is it, but it’s still work.” What you really need to do is learn to recognize when your stress levels are getting out of control. Conduct a simple experiment: find a corner in your city where there are practically no people, try to get out there for a couple of hours. This could be an abandoned part of a park or an embankment. If voices keep ringing in your head and problems are spinning around and you want to stay here forever without returning back, this clearly indicates that you are under severe stress.

This condition greatly affects you and has dire consequences. Stress affects mental performance, physical performance, and behavior in many ways. Therefore, stress prevention is an important point that needs to be given more attention.

How stress can camouflage itself

It is not always possible to immediately understand that a person is under stress. We have already talked today about its physiological roots, but the reaction that is inherent in us by nature is socially unacceptable today. And we begin to suppress our emotions, sublimate, rationalize and put forward other psychological defenses. It's really like putting a lid on a boiling pot. Because of this, we can observe three types of people who are stressed.

Stress Prevention

Below we will talk about ways to deal with severe stress, but for now you need to understand what to do to prevent its development. The first and most important thing is to learn to switch. This is the first step to take when learning stress management. We have a habit of bringing personal problems to work and professional stresses home. We ruin each other's evening by returning home late at night, which is not at all conducive to relaxation. Therefore, make it a rule: when you cross the threshold of your home, try to first give yourself 15 minutes. You can sit in your favorite position in silence, take a bath, brew aromatic tea and drink it slowly and savoring it. Breathing exercises are a good option. Close your eyes and count from one to five, inhale through your nose all the comfort and warmth of your home. You need to feel how warm energy fills you. Now, on a count of one to seven, slowly exhale the air, while directing all the negative energy through your legs to the floor. The stress slowly dissipates and you return home. This daily practice will be the first step towards a healthy life.

Burnout due to stress

Day after day, as we experience stress, we change more and more. This is called burnout. Read this list carefully; the more symptoms you notice, the more help you need.

Intellectual activity suffers. Psychological stress leads to memory problems, inability to concentrate, a person fixates only on the bad, he has anxious thoughts, and constant worry.
The emotional sphere changes greatly. This manifests itself in moodiness, irritability and short temper without reason or reason. There is a feeling of overload and loneliness.
Behavioral symptoms are also not far behind; often psychological stress is expressed in eating disorders (undereating or overeating). The second point is sleep disturbance. Here, too, not everything is clear: insomnia or, conversely, severe drowsiness may appear. A person isolates himself from others and neglects his responsibilities. Tries to relax with alcohol or drugs. Displays nervous behavior such as snapping fingers or biting nails.
Physical symptoms - these are often addressed to doctors, trying to find a solution. These include various pains, constipation, nausea, palpitations, chest pain, frequent colds and loss of sexual desire.

Since these symptoms may also be associated with physiological diseases, it is recommended to be examined by a doctor and then seek help from a psychotherapist. Of course, the more symptoms there are, the easier it is to assume that stress has been developing for quite some time. What to do if you find yourself in a stressful situation today? How to resolve it today, and not drag it along for many years and wait until other stresses are attached to it? In fact, there is a way.

First aid for acute stress

Did an unpleasant event happen, a punishment at work, did you have a quarrel at home? You need to take a time out and get over this event in order to continue living with a clean slate, without secretly “nursing” stress.

Try by any means to leave the area where the unpleasant event occurred. Go out to a place where there are no people, where there are no distractions.
If the situation allows, change the activity to the opposite of what you were doing at the time of stress.
Turn on calming music or talk to any stranger about a topic that does not relate to the stressful situation.
Try to slow down your rash reaction and carefully examine the room, noting every detail. The color of the furniture, curtains, mentally say to yourself everything you see.
Go out to a place where no one can disturb you and do breathing exercises. Take a deep breath through your nose, hold your breath for 2-3 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth.
A moment of relaxation will also help. Try to relax the corners of your mouth, relax your shoulders, feel how tense they were. Look in the mirror and focus on your facial expression. What does it express? What emotions hide deep down in your soul and are reflected in your eyes? Anger, hatred? Show them to your reflection and then smile. Stress management begins with accepting yourself and all the emotions you experience.

Your personal stress level

It is different for everyone. Someone will live year after year among stressful situations of varying intensity, skillfully maneuvering between them. For another person, the very first trouble will seem like a catastrophe that cannot be survived. The ability to tolerate stress is a trait that can be developed to a certain extent, although it depends on character, overall outlook on life, and the reliability of relationships with family and friends. The influence of stress is also determined by the individual qualities of a person.

Stress resistance: what is it and how to develop it

Today it is a fashionable word. A quality such as resistance to stress is often asked about during interviews, and applicants write about it in their resumes. This is the ability of an individual to adequately respond to a stressful situation, effectively complete their tasks and not suffer damage to their own psyche. In fact, emotional stress is a phenomenon for which you need to prepare and adapt. This is something that accompanies us constantly, regardless of whether it has a positive or negative connotation.

Knowledge and preparation are the main weapons. In addition to force majeure situations, there are also those that we can calculate in advance and play out various scenarios. Whether it's an interview, negotiations or a call to the boss. The more you know, the easier it will be to overcome the situation. The second powerful tool is the ability to manage your emotions. A person is very vulnerable when he does not know how to calm himself at a time when he is worried, afraid or angry. Emotional stress is quite easy to overcome with the help of breathing techniques, visualization (as soon as I start to worry, a picture of the calmest place on earth turns on in my head) and others; it is not possible to describe everything in a short article.

Causes of stress

There are a lot of them, and factors that cause stress can be joining a family life or divorce, finding a job or losing a job, moving to another city, pregnancy and motherhood (paternity), the death of close relatives and dozens, if not hundreds of other events. It is impossible to predict all of them, but you need to be prepared to cope with the consequences. We can only divide the reasons into external and internal. The first include serious changes in life, difficulties in relationships, financial problems, and high employment.

The second group of reasons is a lack of self-confidence, a constant desire for perfection, unrealistic expectations, and pessimism. If the first group is difficult to control, then the second is completely in your power. If you cannot cope on your own, then contact a psychologist, he will tell you in more detail how to relieve stress.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

This is the next step, when many small stresses have gathered into one big one. Now a person’s stress has increased significantly, he feels complete apathy, constant drowsiness, and even several days off in a row does not help. This requires an analysis of the causes of what is happening, a search for the sources of stress. Diary entries are well suited for this, in which a thorough analysis of all situations is carried out every day. Based on their analysis results, it is already possible to draw conclusions on how to relieve stress and what changes need to happen for this.

Life in the fight against stress

If you constantly experience nervous stress, and self-help methods (meditation, breathing exercises) no longer work, then it’s time to turn to psychotherapists. Cognitive psychotherapy gives especially good results; it is an effective tool in the fight against anxiety disorders, depression and severe stress. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you feel like you can't cope on your own.

What is stress? What is he? In the scientific literature, this condition is described as a mental and physical reaction of the body to annoying or frightening situations that arise from time to time in life. Stress is also called a defense mechanism given to us by nature. However, sad as it may be, in our lives it increasingly works not for our benefit, but against us, and can cause enormous harm to both a person’s psychological and physical health.

The Power of Stress

So, we already know that stress is a universal reaction of the body, which, if necessary, serves as a kind of switch on the necessary protective abilities of the human body. However, the stimulus must have great strength so that the body, in addition to the basic defense mechanisms, decides to activate several reactions, which are united under the common name “stress”. Today it has been proven that severe stress has not only a negative, but also a positive effect on the body, neutralizing the consequences caused by exposure to strong irritants. By the way, the stress reaction is inherent not only to humans, but also to other living beings. But since the social factor is important here, people are most susceptible to stress.

The effect of stress on humans

Doctors have proven that stress is one of the main causes of character. Regardless of age, gender, profession, all groups of the population are susceptible to stressful conditions. Moreover, its long-term exposure leads to such disorders as increased blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm and digestion, gastritis and colitis, headaches, decreased libido, etc.

Stress according to Hans Selye

A Canadian physiologist in 1936 was the first in the world to define the concept of stress. According to him, stress is the reaction of a living organism to internal or external strong irritation, and it must exceed the permissible limit of endurance. Thus, the body fights any threats through stress. This concept has been approved by many scientists and forms the basis for teaching about it. Threats in this concept have come to be called stressors, which are divided into two main types: physical and psychological. The first include pain, heat or cold, any damage accompanied by pain, etc. And the psychological ones include resentment, fear, anger, etc.

Stress and distress

According to many scientists, not all stress is evil. It can also have a positive effect on the body. Based on this, Hans Selye decided to divide this phenomenon into two types: stress and distress. The latter is harmful to us. It is as a result that sometimes irreversible changes occur in the body. For example, it has been proven that stress almost doubles the risk of a heart attack.

Stages of stress development

Naturally, the first and main contribution to the study of the stages of stress was also made by the Canadian scientist Hans Selye. In 1926, while still studying at medical school, he discovered that the symptoms of diseases of patients with different diagnoses were largely similar. This gave Selye the idea that organisms, when faced with the same powerful load, begin to react to it in the same way. For example, symptoms such as weight loss, weakness and apathy, loss of appetite, were observed in such serious diseases as cancer, various infectious diseases, blood loss, etc. Naturally, the scientist began to be tormented by the question of why It's connected. For 10 years he worked in this direction, a lot of research was carried out. The results turned out to be very interesting, but medicine did not want to recognize them. According to Selye, the body, no matter how capable of adaptation it may be, refuses to adapt when exposed to extremely strong influences. In addition, the scientist was able to find out that different stimuli lead to the same biochemical changes in organ systems. Despite the skeptical attitude of doctors, Selye did not stop there and soon managed to prove that hormones play the most important role in this matter. They are the ones that cause stress. The stages of this phenomenon, according to Selye, are divided into the following stages: anxiety, resistance and exhaustion.

Features of stress at each of the three stages

The first is the preparatory stage, which is called anxiety. At this stage, special ones are released (norepinephrine and adrenaline), which prepare the body either for defense or for flight. As a result, its resistance to infections and diseases sharply decreases. During this period, appetite is also disturbed (decreased or increased), disruptions in the digestion process are observed, etc. If the troubles are quickly resolved through some kind of physical activity, then these changes will soon pass without a trace. And in the case of a long-term stressful situation, the body becomes exhausted. Some extremely powerful stressors can even be fatal. By the way, this can be both physical and psycho-emotional stress. The stages of this phenomenon, if there is ground for it, replace each other quite quickly.

The second stage is the stage of resistance (resistance). This happens when adaptive capabilities are allowed to fight. At this stage, the person feels well, almost the same as in a healthy state. However, he may become aggressive and excitable.

The third stage of stress is exhaustion. It is closer in character to the first. After prolonged exposure to stress, the body is no longer able to mobilize its reserves. All symptoms at this stage are like a “cry for help.” Various symptoms are observed in the body. If this is not dealt with, then at this stage serious illnesses can develop, sometimes even fatal. If they are psychological in nature, that is, there is emotional stress, then decompensation can lead to deep depression or At this stage, the patient will in no way be able to help himself on his own, he will need the help of a specialist.

Main types of stress

Let us remember once again what stress is. This is a general (nonspecific) reaction of the body to physiological and physical influence. It most often manifests itself in changes in the functions of certain organ systems. The main types of stress are: physical (injuries, infections, etc.) and emotional (nervous disorders, worries, etc.). In modern life there is also professional stress. Its stages proceed in the same way as in the case of other species.

Types of professional stress

So, let's discuss what characterizes this state of stress. As you know, often people involved in any activity and performing their work are in constant tension, the cause of which is various extreme and emotionally negative factors. This is professional stress. There are several varieties of it, namely: informational, communicative and emotional.

In the first case, stress arises due to the fact that a person does not have time to cope with the task assigned to him or make the right decision due to lack of time. There are many reasons for this: uncertainty, lack of information, surprise, etc.

Professional communication stress is caused by specific problems associated with business communication. Its manifestations are increased irritability due to the inability to protect oneself from someone’s communicative aggression, the inability to express one’s dissatisfaction or protect oneself from manipulation. In addition, one of the important factors is the discrepancy between the style and pace of communication.

Well, emotional stress, as a rule, arises from fear of real or even perceived danger, from strong experiences of various kinds, as well as from feelings of humiliation, guilt, resentment or anger, leading to a severance of business relationships with colleagues and a conflict situation with management.

Positive and negative effects of stress

When we talk about this phenomenon, we mean something bad, negative. However, this is not entirely true. After all, stress is a protective mechanism, an attempt by the body to adapt, that is, to adapt to unusual and new conditions for it. Of course, in this case we are talking about emotional stress, and it turns out that it can be both “bad” and, conversely, “good”. In science, good stress is called eustress. If it is not strong, this condition helps to mobilize the body. Stress caused by good emotions is also positive. For example, a big win in the lotto, the victory of your favorite sports team, the joy of meeting a person you haven’t seen for ages, etc. Yes, joy is, although positive, still stress. The stages of its development are, of course, not the same as described above. However, even positive stress can have negative consequences for some people, for example, even such pleasant excitement is contraindicated for hypertensive patients. Such stress, as you understand, in most cases is short-term, short-lived. As for the negative, they call it a state caused by negative emotions. In science, it is designated by the word “distress.” It negatively affects not only the nervous system, but also the immune system. If the stressors are very strong, then the body will not be able to cope on its own, and specialist intervention will be needed.

How to protect yourself from stress: treatment and prevention

In our dynamically developing world, it is difficult to deal with the negative manifestations of stress. And it’s almost impossible to avoid them. Emotional stress is most often observed in minor people who like to feel sorry for themselves, slander, gossip, and see the bad in everything. To avoid this, a person must control his thoughts and set himself up for good. You can engage in some socially useful activity, have an interesting hobby, go to the gym or swimming pool, read interesting literature and visit museums, exhibitions, etc. However, situations arise in life when people are simply unable to independently cope with emotional stress and its negative impact on the body. What to do in this case? Of course, medications should come to the rescue here: potions and pills for nerves and stress. Many of them are made from various herbs. The substances they contain have a beneficial effect on the nervous and immune systems. Such plants include hawthorn, heather, valerian, oregano, passionflower, lemon balm, peony, hops, motherwort, etc. This means that tinctures of these medicinal herbs, as well as pills based on them, will help a person. When shopping and stress, look at their packaging. Some of these plants will probably be listed here. However, before taking them, it is better to consult your doctor. He will prescribe you comprehensive treatment using various means - both medicinal and psycho-emotional.

Stress medications

Drugs that can calm you down in a stressful situation are called tranquilizers in pharmacology. They relieve anxiety, allow a person to get rid of obsessive negative thoughts, relax and calm. These could be sleeping pills or muscle relaxants. Also in these cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - benzodiazepines - help. They are usually fast-acting. Within 30 minutes may bring relief. These drugs are ideal during many nervous conditions and panic attacks. Other medications that help in stressful situations and are used to treat stress are beta blockers, antidepressants, etc. Today, the best drugs are Novo-Passit, Persen, Tenaten, Nodepress and others.

Stress and our smaller brothers

Not only people, but also animals are subject to stress. Various medications have also been invented for pets that help them in situations of stress and relieve discomfort. “Stop Stress” tablets for cats will help your pets feel great and not experience anxiety and other unpleasant sensations. There are similar drugs for dogs.

Many four-legged animals are susceptible to various phobias, and “Stop-stress” tablets are the best remedy for this. Reviews from dog owners say that after a few days of use, the pets will behave like silk and will again begin to delight you with their affectionate behavior.