STRESS: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, TYPES, CONSEQUENCES, TREATMENTS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The stress is a type of psychological distress consisting of a feeling of being overwhelmed, pressure and tension. In small doses, it can be beneficial, for example in fields such as sports or academic performance. On the other hand, if it appears in very high amounts, it can cause all kinds of physical and mental problems.

Several studies on the long-term effects of stress show that it increases the probability of suffering heart attacks, strokes, ulcers, and psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, in recent decades the field of mental health has tried to understand this problem and find a way to solve it.

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The main cause of the feeling of stress is the belief that one does not have the necessary resources to face a certain situation. When a person believes that they have to reach standards that they do not feel capable of, this problem begins to aggravate. However, there are many other factors that influence whether or not it appears.

Unfortunately, it seems that the number of people suffering from stress is on the rise. In a 2014 survey in the United States, nearly 50% of respondents reported experiencing moderate or severe stress. In this article we will see the keys to this psychological problem, as well as what can be done to combat it.

Symptoms

Stress is a psychological problem that can manifest itself in many ways; some of them are even related exclusively to our body. In this section you will discover some of the most common symptoms that this state of mind causes when it is maintained over time.

It is necessary to bear in mind that many of these symptoms feed into each other. For example, lack of sleep can aggravate feelings of tiredness and fatigue or irritability. Because of this, it is usually necessary to carry out an intervention that focuses on different areas at the same time.

Irritable mood

Perhaps the most obvious symptom of stress is the difficulty of maintaining a good mood for an extended period of time. The person who suffers it tends to be angry, sad or upset most of the time; And any slight deviation from what you would like to see happen can provoke your anger.

Unfortunately, many times the person himself is unable to realize that this is happening. However, those around you can perfectly sense that something has changed.

Difficulty getting to sleep

Another of the most common symptoms among stressed people is insomnia. Due to the excessive psychological and physical stress they have, these individuals have great difficulty sleeping at once. Often they toss and turn for a long time, waking up several times at night.

Lack of energy

Many times, individuals who suffer from stress experience extreme fatigue throughout the day, which makes it difficult for them to carry out their daily tasks. Although in part this lack of energy may be explained by lack of sleep, it is often not the only factor behind it.

Most of the time, in addition, these people experience fatigue as something psychological rather than physical. For example, one often speaks of "mental fog": it is a great difficulty to focus thoughts on a single task, due to a general feeling of dullness.

Changes in appetite and weight

This symptom affects each person in a different way. For some, stress increases the urge to eat at all hours and the need to eat sugary or high-fat foods. For others, the effect is the opposite: they lose their appetite and have a hard time eating meals normally.

Because of this, some stressed individuals tend to gain a lot of weight out of control, while others lose it in the same way. In general, any sudden change in body composition could be a symptom of this problem.

Chronic and acute pain

The effects of this pathology are not only mental, but also physical. Many studies suggest that stress (especially chronic stress) can cause or promote headaches. In fact, some statistics show that up to 67% of migraines could be caused by this psychological problem.

Another of the most common pain in stressed people is back pain. Some researchers believe that the cause of this increase in physical discomfort has to do with cortisol, a neurotransmitter that is released into the blood in times of stress.

Digestive problems, difficulties in going to the bathroom, or colds and flu can also appear; and many other ailments are exacerbated in times of great stress. The most accepted cause for this is the weakening of the immune system, although it is very possible that there are other factors that intervene in many cases.

Appearance of other psychological pathologies

Finally, chronic stress is closely related to all kinds of mental problems, but especially to depression and anxiety disorders (such as generalized anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder). This is especially true if it lasts for more than two to three months.

When a person shows symptoms of depression or anxiety in a time of high pressure, these psychological problems could simply be a side effect of the stress that they are experiencing.

Causes

As mentioned above, the main cause of stress seems to be the belief that one does not have the necessary resources to face a certain situation.

When this happens, the person begins to experience the first symptoms; and if the problem is not resolved, these tend to get worse over time.

However, there are many other factors that can make a stress episode more or less likely. They are generally divided into three types: biological, psychological, and social.

Among the biologicals, the most important is genetic vulnerability to stress. Apparently, some people are more likely than others to develop this pathology, from the moment they are born. However, depending on their life experiences and their learning, they may or may not end up suffering from it.

Psychological factors include coping strategies (how the individual copes with difficulties), their thought patterns, and their emotional intelligence capabilities. Luckily, all of them can be changed with a little training.

Lastly, social factors have to do with the support received by the person from their closest environment; the most important is the relationship you have with your family and friends, and whether they help you in difficult situations or not.

Types of stress

-Types of stress depending on their duration

Acute stress

It is the most common type of stress. It is an immediate reaction of the body to a challenge, event or situation, which activates the body and prepares it to face the problem. Some of the situations that cause it are an argument, bad news or a tense meeting at work.

Acute stress doesn't have to be negative. The mechanism that causes it is the same that is activated, for example, on a roller coaster or when watching a scary movie.

Studies show that this type of reaction does not have any adverse effect on the body, and can even help the brain prepare to face difficult situations.

However, when it occurs due to very traumatic events, it can be a problem. For example, victims of an attempted murder or a traffic accident can develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that causes all kinds of problems in the lives of those affected.

The main symptoms of this type are:

• Appearance of negative emotions. From sadness and nervousness to depression and anxiety in the most serious cases.
• Muscle problems. Back pain, neck pain, contractures, and headaches can appear caused by this accumulated tension.
• Digestive problems. These symptoms can range from heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, nausea to ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Symptoms derived from temporary overexcitement: increased blood pressure, palpitations, sweating, dizziness, migraines, shortness of breath or chest pain.

Acute episodic stress

A step beyond acute stress occurs when these episodes occur frequently. Some people seem to be always in crisis; these are generally irritable, anxious, or calming individuals.

When episodes of acute stress occur very often, health complications can begin to appear. Although they are not as dangerous as the third type, chronic stress, they should generally start to be a cause for concern.

Episodic watery stress is often difficult to treat unless the negative symptoms you experience are so strong that you encourage treatment to avoid them. The most common symptoms are:

• Persistent headaches and migraines.
• Frequent chest pain and shortness of breath. Some heart problems have also been found associated.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress is characterized by a constant presence of feelings of worry and overwhelm, as well as by a greater number and intensity of the symptoms described above. It can be caused by a very complicated life situation, or by specific problems that the person is unable to cope with.

Some of the most common causes of chronic stress are work problems, divorces, the death of a loved one, or financial difficulties. However, it can also appear for less specific reasons, as occurs during life crises.

The symptoms of this type of stress may even require medical treatment because it has serious physical and mental consequences. Some of the main symptoms are:

• This stress is related to the appearance of some diseases such as cancer or heart problems. Skin diseases can also appear.
• Diseases in the digestive system can appear.
• At a psychological level, low self-esteem appears, the feeling of helplessness (they give up, because whatever they do, it is not in their hands to modify the situation). And it can lead to pathologies such as depression and anxiety.
• Some research has linked this stress to the risk of suicide.

-Types of stress depending on your sign

Positive stress

This type of stress, also called euters, is what appears when the person feels pressured, but interprets that the consequences of the situation can be positive.

This allows you to use stress to be more activated, more motivated and prepared to deal with the situation. This is the case, for example, of a sports competition. This type of stress is associated with positive emotions, such as joy, satisfaction or motivation.

Negative stress

This type, also called distress, is the one that is related to the anticipation of possible negative consequences. Far from being helpful or motivating as the previous case, it paralyzes us and prevents us from performing the task satisfactorily.

It destabilizes us and blocks the resources we have to deal with the situation and that we would use under normal circumstances. Distress is associated with negative emotions, such as sadness, anger and in some cases anxiety.

Consequences

Stress, especially chronic stress, can cause all kinds of health, psychological and personal problems. Among other things, it favors the appearance of diseases such as cancer or psoriasis, increases the probability of heart attacks, weakens the immune system and can cause premature aging.

On a mental level, the presence of high levels of stress for a long time correlates with disorders such as depression or generalized anxiety. Regarding the lifestyle, the difficulties it causes can prevent the person from fulfilling their goals or from developing adequately in their day-to-day life.

Because of this, it is necessary to treat stress problems as soon as possible, to prevent the consequences from becoming extremely negative and reaching a critical point.

Risk factor's

There are different factors that contribute to a person developing stress. It is important to keep in mind that what may be stressful for one person, for another is not. Therefore, it is necessary that several factors come together to cause it.

We can divide them into psychological factors and environmental factors.

-Psychological factors

The interpretation that a person makes of the situation and the resources they have to face it depends on a series of personal aspects, ways of acting and their own thought patterns.

Tendency to anxiety

This is the case of people who constantly feel anxious and worried about the negative consequences of life events.

They are predisposed to feel uneasy in any situation with uncertainty that they are going to face. Because of this way of facing events, they are more predisposed to suffer stress.

Way of thinking

When it comes to assessing or interpreting a situation as dangerous or stressful, it greatly influences the person's thinking patterns.

Therefore, faced with the same situation, one person experiences it as threatening and stressful and another does not.

External locus of control

The locus of control refers to the belief that life events are controlled by one's own actions and / or abilities (internal locus of control) or by external forces that the person cannot control (external locus of control).

The person who has the external locus of control is more prone to stress because he feels that in an uncertain or dangerous situation, whatever he does is not in his hands to control or modify it.

Introversion

Some studies indicate that introverts or shy people react more negatively and suffer more stress than extroverts. They live more situations as dangerous or threatening.

People who have low self-esteem perceive a greater burden when faced with stressful situations and value that they have fewer resources to face them.

Other individual characteristics

Some studies have indicated that other factors such as age affect the possibility of developing stress. For example, some life stages, such as retirement age, can be a source of stress and burden.

Other studies also indicate that belonging to the female sex can be considered a risk factor, because in addition to being incorporated into the world of work, they tend to carry the greatest burden in caring for the family and carrying out household chores.

-Environmental factors

There are a number of specific situations that can cause stress. Some researchers agree on four types of situations that can cause it.

The change

The modification of any of the aspects of life always causes an alteration of balance, and this regardless of whether it changes for better or for worse, causes stress. For example, change jobs, address or the birth of a child.

The interruption

When something ends abruptly it is difficult to adapt again, it requires deploying all the resources of the person to readjust to the situation. For example a couple breakdown or retirement.

The conflict

Lived as a vital disorder that shakes the foundations of balance. Reestablishing the order that existed before the conflict requires great emotional wear and tear and the implementation of the person's tools. For example, in the face of job loss.

Helplessness

In these situations, whatever the person does, it is not in their power to modify it. The individual feels helpless and without resources to cope with events. For example, when a loved one dies.

Treatments

There are many approaches that can be taken to combat chronic stress. These include lifestyle changes, medication, and psychological therapy.

Changes in lifestyle

The often most effective way to combat stress in the short term is to eliminate its causes. If, for example, the person is in a hostile work environment, leaving it will reduce their worry immediately.

However, eliminating the root cause of stress is not always easy. In these cases, there are other lifestyle changes that can help you cope better and lessen the intensity of your symptoms.

Some of the most helpful are physical exercise, following a healthy diet, and maintaining proper sleep patterns. They can also help improve social relationships, or practices such as meditation or yoga.

Medication

One of the most widely used approaches (especially in countries like the United States) to treat stress is the use of drugs designed to reduce anxiety.

These medications eliminate the most acute symptoms of stress episodes, allowing the person to deal with the situation that worries them more effectively.

However, psychotropic drugs often have the problem that they are highly addictive, and can cause serious problems if used uncontrollably. In addition, when taking medicine, the person may feel so good that they decide not to solve the underlying problem, which will only get worse.

In general, psychological drugs should be used only as an adjunct to other approaches, and not as the sole remedy for stress.

Psychological therapy

Lastly, many people who suffer from constant stress can benefit greatly from changing their thinking patterns and the way they manage it. Therapies such as cognitive - behavioral or acceptance and commitment have shown to be very effective in this regard.

Thus, when a very stressed person receives therapy, they are usually able to deal with their concerns more effectively, while reducing the most unpleasant symptoms.

In combination with a good lifestyle and in some cases medication, it is possible to eliminate stress in most cases.

References

1. "Understanding and dealing with stress" in: Mountain State Centers for Independent Living. Retrieved on: October 10, 2018 from Mountain State Centers for Independent Living: mtstcil.org.
2. "11 Signs and Symptoms of Too Much Stress" in: Healthline. Retrieved on: October 10, 2018 from Healthline: healthline.com.
3. "Why stress happens and how to manage it" in: Medical News Today. Retrieved on: October 10, 2018 from Medical News Today: medicalnewstoday.com.
4. "Types of stress" in: Healthline. Retrieved on: October 10, 2018 from Healthline: healthline.com.
5. "Psychological stress" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: October 10, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.