Stress can be best described as the body's response to any demand. Stress can be triggered by many things including but not limited to life changes and transitions. These changes can either be positive or negative. Changes can be recurring, short-term, long-term and may include situations such as commuting to and from school or work every day, adjusting to a blended family, or even moving to a new home. Stress inducing events can be mild and relatively harmless, such as participating in competitions, watching a scary movie, or meeting deadlines. Major stressful events can result from events such as marriage or divorce, serious illness, or the birth of a baby. Many other stressful events can be extreme, such as the exposure to a violent incident which can lead to traumatic stress reactions later in life.
Although contrary to belief, not all stress is bad especially when it comes to stress response. Stress response is a biological and psychological response that all humans and animals have that can fortunately be life-saving in many life situations. The neurotransmitters and hormones released during these stressful times, prepares an animal or human to fight a looming threat or to run to safety. When faced with a dangerous situation, your pulse speeds up, you breathe faster, your muscles tense up, your brain uses more oxygen which in turn increases more activity. These functions aim to survival as a result. Stress response in the short-term can even boost your immune system as well.
On the other hand, chronic stress uses those same neurotransmitters that are life-saving in small short bursts and can suppress functions that aren't needed for immediate survival. Your immune system is lowered and other systems such as your digestion stops working as it normally would. Once the threat has passed, other body systems act to restore normal functioning in the body. Problems occur if the stress response goes on for a long period of time, particularly when the source of stress is chronic or if the response continues after the danger has eventually subsided.
There are at least three different types of stress, all of which carry physical and mental health risks:
