Stressors and Stress Reaction/Stress Symptoms

You may think of stress as of a mainly personal and subjective experience, which is inevitably caused by an outside event or by circumstances. However, “stress” has also a measurable objective and physiological component.

For now, let’s define stress as the combination of stressor(s) and the stress reaction. (Later on, we will see that there is one more critical component.)

Stressors:
A stressor is what triggers the stress reaction. This can be a catastrophe in nature, an automobile accident, an unfavorable evaluation from your supervisor, or a misplaced key.

Examples for work – related stressors: Repetitive work, overload, time pressure

Examples for personal stressors: pain, hunger, injury (personal bodily stressors); low self-esteem, tendency for procrastination, negative thinking patterns, high expectations, low frustration tolerance (personal psychological stressors)

Notice that a stressor can be something not only in your external environment but also in your “internal environment” like a personal habit or personality trait. Therefore, some of us feel stressed out even during the most peaceful vacation or with no obvious external stressors at all.

As we will see later, if a stressor – external or internal – triggers the stress reaction, depends on many external and internal factors.

Stress Reaction and Stress Symptoms:
The term stress reaction refers both to the physiological and psychological changes that occur when a stressor is present, and to the symptoms we consequently develop. Let us have a look first on the physiological changes that occur each time when you experience stress.

1. Change in Body Chemistry: The Fight or Flight Response
There are two branches of the autonomous nervous system (ANS): the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. (The ANS – as the name indicates - regulates the autonomous functions of the body that work involuntarily like the internal organs. )

The sympathetic nervous system is generally responsible for increasing the activities of various organs, thus utilizing resources to increase energy expenditure.

On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system reduces the activities of the organs, thus decreasing energy expenditures and replenishing bodily resources.

The sympathetic nervous system dominates your physiology each time you are under stress. Its dominance results in the following physiological changes:

These changes have one purpose:
To prepare your body to either fight or to run away. The increased heart and breathing rate ensure that your cells get the increased amount of oxygen and sugar they need for your survival. The emission of stress hormones helps your heart to maintain its increased rate, and it triggers the release of sugar from your liver. Muscles necessary for fighting or running away tighten. Blood is directed away from organs not essential for fight or flight like the digestive tract. You might perspire more to cool down the body’s increased metabolism, and your senses are heightened.

In modern life, however, many of us are constantly exposed to a variety of stressors. This exposure oftentimes does not lead to a burst of physical activity thus releasing tension and stress hormones. You probably cannot run away when you are stuck in a traffic jam, or from your two children fighting with each other, when you come home. Likewise, you probably don’t start a fist fight with your demanding supervisor. Fighting or/and running away are mostly not socially acceptable ways of dealing with stressors.

In addition, many of those stressors do not diminish in a short period. The traffic situation will not improve any time soon, likewise your job situation, or your situation as a single parent. If your main stressor is an internal one, like a negative thinking pattern, you might not even be aware of it, thus making it difficult to deal with it.

You might develop the following physiological symptoms:
Irregular heartbeat, hyperventilation, high blood pressure, tension headaches, tight jaw, pain in neck and shoulders, back pain, upset stomach, constipation, colitis, decreased libido, increased sensitivity to noise, scents and touch, profuse sweating, and decreased capability of the immune system to fight off colds and flues.

If the stressor persists, not only our physiology changes but also our behavior, our emotional state, and our cognitive abilities suffer as well. We then may show the following stress symptoms:

2. Change of behavior:

Hasty speech, interrupting other people; becoming a source of friction for others, tendency to numb yourself with tranquilizer, painkiller, or alcohol, overeating or loss of appetite, difficulties falling asleep or sleeping through the night

3. Change of feelings:

Restlessness, nervousness, hostility, irritability, anger, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, helplessness, self criticism, moodiness, sadness

4. Change of thinking:
Stress Reaction: Change of Thinking

Concentration problems, blackouts, blockages, thoughts running in a circle, forgetfulness, indecisiveness

Long-term stress generally leads to:

A weakened immune system and increased health problems
Emotional imbalances
Social problems
A spiritual crisis

All of these lead to more stress. A vicious cycle starts.

If our first definition of stress as a combination of stressors and stress reaction would be complete,
we could do little about it.
A stressor would almost automatically prompt
the stress reaction.
Fortunately, there is a third component:
Our perception of a given stressor.