Deadlines, family issues, school, work, and health issues: One guarantee about life is that it is stressful! But what exactly is stress in psychological terms? Are there different types of stress? Are some types of stress actually good for you?
- We will look at the psychological definition of stress.
- What is acute stress?
- What is chronic stress?
- What is post-traumatic stress?
- We'll look at how best to manage stress.
Psychological Definition of Stress
You probably hear people mention it all the time, but what exactly is stress?
Stress is how we experience, perceive, and respond to challenging events. Stressors are any events, people, or things that stress us.
Something is stressful based on the way that we think about it. This is called cognitive appraisal, or our cognitive perception of the stressor.
You have a major test in history class. While history is not your best subject, your best friend excels in it! The test is stressing you, but your best friend is not concerned. The way that the test is perceived makes all the difference in whether it is stressful or not.
There are so many examples of stressors because stress is highly subjective. There are some universal stressors that cause stress to pretty much everyone at any time.
Catastrophes: Dangerous events on a large scale like earthquakes, wars, and pandemics.
Significant life events: The birth of a child, graduation, or the death of a loved one. Significant life events can be happy or sad events, but they tend to be inherently stressful either way.
Daily life: Work, school, and being alive. Life is stressful!
Definition of Acute Stress
Shortly after a traumatic event or experience, a person may face symptoms and signs of acute stress. So how do we know if it's regular stress, or if it's acute stress disorder?
Acute stress disorder takes place directly after a traumatic event and involves intense or dysfunctional reactions that last only a few weeks.
While the symptoms of acute stress disorder are much like the other types that we will discuss (anxiety, difficulty focusing, etc.), the unique part of acute stress is the symptom of dissociation. Feeling numb or separated from yourself is a common symptom of acute stress disorder. Dissociation is also present in other disorders, but the dissociation of acute stress goes away pretty quickly.
You are walking home late from work. You are usually aware of your surroundings, but today you are very tired from a stressful day. Without warning, someone runs towards you! They push you to the ground and snatch your bag from your shoulder. They run away, taking all your important items with them. Over the next few weeks, you struggle to return to work, get through your daily routine, and manage your extreme anxiety. You keep replaying the incident in your mind and dream about it. You are generally unable to focus at any point in the day.
Definition of Chronic Stress
When stress becomes a constant in our lives, it can turn into chronic stress. Unfortunately, we can become so accustomed to feeling chronically stressed that we don't even realize it's a problem.
Chronic stress is experienced persistently for long periods of time, often lasting for months or years.
Even though there are mental aspects to stress, many stress symptoms also affect our physical health. Symptoms of chronic stress include trouble focusing, sleep problems, body aches, and reduced desire to socialize. When chronic stress goes on for a long time, it can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. Chronic stress can be caused by a very stressful job, relationship, or home environment.
Chronic stress is a real concern, but it is not a disorder. When chronic stress follows extremely traumatic events, an individual may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This stress disorder requires experiencing or witnessing a very serious event such as war, abuse, or assault.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress disorder brought on by witnessing or experiencing a serious event (natural disaster, abuse, war, etc.) and involves reliving the event mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Those who are diagnosed with PTSD often have severe symptoms of anxiety, upsetting dreams, and other emotional problems. Of course, these symptoms can create even more stress in the person's life. PTSD can intensify over time if it is not treated with the help of a professional.
Definition of Stress Management
Stress creates a physical and emotional strain on the body and the mind, and the impacts can be very negative. There are physical conditions like digestive issues, headaches, and sleep problems that can be caused by stress. Stress can also impact your mental state and contribute to depression, anxiety, or mental confusion. How can you manage stress, since it is an unfortunate part of life? What does stress management mean, and what are some possible ways to do that?
Stress management is about using techniques and strategies to deal with stressful situations, or to help you cope with and reduce stress.
For serious forms of stress such as PTSD and acute stress, professional psychological help is encouraged and most often a necessity. For everyday stress, there are many types of stress management techniques available, and some of them can become fun and meaningful hobbies!
Stress management techniques include:
Counseling
Meditation
Journaling
Exercise
Creative hobbies such as painting
Meaningful social connections
Maintaining work-life balance
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