Types of stress and their triggers

Currently, the stress is considered as mental fatigue caused by higher performance and demands than we can bear.

It usually causes various pathologies, both physical and mental. Since Psychology and Mind we want to address the different types of stress and the causal agents that cause it.

Types of stress, their characteristics and effects

Stress is a reaction that can cause serious health problems. Various chronic conditions have been shown to psychosomatic disorders and mental health (heart problems, anxiety, depression, etc.) are closely related to stress. Although the term stress seems very modern, the etymological origin of the word is very old.

Concept history

In the Middle Ages it was already used to describe endless negative experiences. But it is in the eighteenth century when the concept is spread between engineers and physicists with the aim of describing certain characteristics of solid bodies. This characteristic refers to the internal force present in a specific area on which a force acts. that can alter that solid state, a definition that a priori has nothing to do with the current concept of stress.

In the 1920s, the renowned Dr. Hans Seyle introduced the term into the science of health to refer to a global response of our body towards a situation that generates us anguish.

But stress does not always have to be something harmful, since there is positive stress which is the one that helps us face a task with all our strength (an adaptive stress, very present in animals, including humans). However, when that emotion exhausts us, apart from having notable psychic and physical consequences, does not help us cope with that stressful task.

The stages of stress

In 1956, Seyle theorized that the stress response consists of three distinct phases:

1. Reaction alarm: Starts right after the threat is detected. In this phase, some symptoms appear, such as low body temperature or an increase in heart rate.

2. Endurance: The organism adapts to the situation but continues the activation although to a lesser extent compared to the previous stage. If the stressful situation continues over time, the activation ends up succumbing because resources are consumed at a faster rate than they are generated.

3. Exhaustion: The body ends up exhausting resources and gradually loses the adaptive capacity of the previous phase.

Types of stress

Different types of stress are classified based on certain criteria. We are going to explain the types of stress based on their usefulness, their maintenance and duration.

1. Types of stress based on your sign

1.1. Positive stress

Contrary to what people believe, stress does not always hurt the person suffering from it. This type of stress arises when the person is under pressure, but unconsciously interprets that the effects of the situation can give him some benefit.

This stress makes the affected person motivated and with much more energyA good example would be a sports competition where participants must have a point of vitality to be victorious. This stress is associated with positive emotions, such as happiness.

1.2. Negative stress or distress

When we suffer distress we anticipate a negative situation believing that something is going to go wrong, which generates an anxiety that paralyzes us completely.

Negative stress unbalances us and neutralizes the resources that in normal situations we would have at our disposal, which ends up generating sadness, go to, etc.

2. Types of stress based on their duration

2.1. Acute stress

It is the stress that most people experience and It is because of the demands that we impose on ourselves or others. These demands are fed with respect to the recent past, or in anticipation of the near future. In small doses it can be positive but in higher doses it can end up exhausting us, with severe consequences on our mental and physical health.

Luckily, this type of stress does not last long so it does not leave consequences, apart from being easy to heal. The main signs of acute stress are:

1. Muscle pains: Headaches, back pain and contractures usually appear among other conditions.

2. Negative emotions: Depression, anxiety, afraid, frustration, etc.

3. Gastric problems: Stress can cause a big swing in stomach symptoms; constipation, heartburn, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.

4. Overexcitation of the nervous system- causes symptoms such as increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, nausea, excessive sweating, and migraine attacks.

2.2. Acute episodic stress

It is also one of the types of stress most treated in psychological consultations. It appears in people with unreal demands, both their own and from society.

They are people who are irritated and belligerent, apart from having permanent anguish because they cannot control all the variables that are required of them. Another symptom of people who suffer from acute episodic stress is that they are always worried about the future. Being hostile they are difficult to treat unless they see a specialist and receive treatment.

2.3. Chronic stress

It is the stress that appears in prisons, wars or in situations of extreme poverty, situations in which it is necessary to be continuously on alert. This kind of stress can also come from childhood trauma. By causing great hopelessness, it can modify the beliefs and scale of values ​​of the individual who suffers from it.

Without a doubt, it is the type of stress that is the most serious, with severe destructive results for the psychological health of the person who suffers it. People who suffer it daily have mental and physical wear and tear that can leave sequelae throughout life. The person cannot change the stressful situation, but neither can they run away, they simply cannot do anything.

The person who has this type of stress is often not aware of it, because he has been suffering for so long that he has become used to it. They may even like it since it is the only thing they have known and they do not know or cannot cope with the situation in another way, because Of this, it is normal that they reject the possibility of treatment because they feel so identified with stress that they believe that it is already part of they.

• There are studies that show the relationship between stress and illness of the digestive system, cancer, skin diseases and heart problems.
• With stress insecurity often appears and the feeling of helplessness (They always throw in the towel since they believe, or really cannot, do anything).
• Stress can lead to anxiety and depression.
• Suffer from anxiety increases the suicide risk.

Risk factors for stress

They are classified into psychological causes or environmental causes. Although, in reality, stress usually arises from both factors at the same time, combined to a greater or lesser degree.

Psychological or internal agents

• Internal and external locus of control: Locus of control refers to the firm opinion that the events that happen to us are controlled by what we do (it is the internal locus of control) or for external causes that the individual cannot modify (locus of control external). If a person suffers from external locus of control he will probably suffer stress because he believes that he can do absolutely nothing in a dangerous situation.
• Shyness: Some studies indicate that introverts are more sensitive to a stressful situation and suffer more pressure than highly sociable people by closing in on themselves and not coping with a situation determined.
• Self influence: When we believe that a situation is threatening we internalize that same pattern in our way of thinking. For this reason, in the same context, one person can react with serenity and another with stress.
• Predisposition to anxiety: They are people exposed to feeling restless in the face of uncertainty. Because of this, they are prone to stress.

Environmental or external agents

• Suspension of habit: When something suddenly ends, it is difficult to adapt to a new routine (which is what gives us certain stability in our lives) since the psyche deploys all the resources to adapt to the new context. For example, ending a vacation.
• The eventuality of the unexpected: The alteration of some aspect of our life always generates destabilizes us to a lesser or greater extent (even if the change is for the better) ergo causes us stress. For example, being hired in a new job.
• The contradiction of the conflict: It is a mental confusion that causes our internal balance to go to the fret, producing chaos in our mind. Reestablishing the order that existed before the chaos requires that the person use all the tools at his disposal, thus producing notable mental fatigue. For example, suffering from a serious illness.
• Helplessness in the face of the immovable: In this context, the person cannot do anything since the circumstances exceed the resources available to the person. For example, the death of a family member.

In conclusion…

The onset of stress can pose serious problems in the future if it is not dealt with properlyTherefore, it is necessary to seek treatment and learn practical tools to deal with it. See a clinical psychologist it can be key to learning how to manage negative emotions and sensations associated with stress.

Bibliographic references:

• Cano, A. (2002). The Nature of Stress. IV international congress of the Spanish Society for the study of Anxiety and Stress. Madrid: SEAS.
• Hüther, Gerald (2012). Biology of fear. Stress and feelings. Barcelona: Editorial Platform.
• Wulf SAur. (2012). Diseases associated with the workplace. Biomedical Therapy