The 3 types of stress (and their characteristics)

Stress is something that affects many of us on a daily basis. It is a psychophysiological state that has repercussions in our daily life, at a social, academic, professional and health level.

But there is no single type of stress. Specifically, there are three main types of stress. In this article we will know the 3 types of stress: its characteristics, causes and symptoms. First, but, we will explain what stress is.

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What is stress?

Many talk about stress, but do we know what it really is? It is a response of the body to the demands or demands of the environment, which the person cannot adequately cope with due to insufficient resources.

At the symptomatic level it can be expressed in different ways: anxiety, discomfort, tiredness, fatigue, physical exhaustion and mental, migraines, tension, depressive symptoms, difficulty sleeping, irritability, overexcitement, nervousness, etc.

Stress is a risk factor for people's physical and mental health; That is why it is very important to prevent it and treat it properly in the event that it appears. There are different types of stress, as we will see later.

Symptoms

The symptoms of stress, as we have seen, are diverse. Specifically, the symptoms caused by stress are grouped into four types:

• Behavioral: avoidance, insomnia, difficulty finishing work, crying, tremors ...
• Emotional: irritability, restlessness, worry, depression, difficulties to relax ...
• Psychophysiological: muscle tension, tension headache, vomiting, constipation, teeth grinding ...
• Cognitive: anxious and catastrophic thoughts, difficulty concentrating ...
• Social: tendency to seek other people or to avoid them, changes in the quality of relationships ...

The 3 types of stress (and how they can affect you)

In reality, stress is not a unitary concept, but rather there are different types of stress, depending on their characteristics, their temporality, origin (etiology), etc.

We are going to see the 3 types of stress that exist; of each one, we will explain its general characteristics, as well as the causes that originate it and the symptoms that cause:

1. Acute stress: characteristics

The first of the types of stress is acute stress, which is triggered as a reaction to a demand from the environment that is punctual (occasional). This demand can also be a pressure from the environment or people around. It is the most common type of stress.

Thus, it can appear in the life of any person; The positive part is that it is a relatively easy stress to deal with, unlike the other two.

1.1. Causes

The causes of acute stress can be very diverse: for example a new job, a change of city, suffer a punctual abuse, the demands at work, the demands in the studies, change of school, etc.

All these causes share the same characteristic, and that is that the person does not have the resources psychological, behavioral and / or cognitive sufficient to cope with the demands or demands of the environment.

1.2. Symptoms

Typical symptoms of acute stress include general tiredness, cold hands and feet, over-excitement, feelings of depression, and even anxiety. On the other hand, generalized tension may appear.

2. Acute episodic stress: characteristics

The second of the types of stress that we are going to explain is acute episodic stress. In this case, it is an acute stress like the previous one, but also recurrent; that is, it is repeated over time.

Thus, the person who suffers from it may feel trapped in a kind of stressful “spiral” from which they have the feeling that they will never be able to escape. This spiral implies such a level of demands and responsibilities for the individual that they end up generating high levels of stress.

The demands, in reality, are rather self-imposed by the person, in a heightened state of self-demand.

2.1. Causes

As in the previous case, in acute episodic stress the causes can be very diverse. Some examples of these are: suffer recurrent but occasional bullying (bullying), suffer harassment at work (mobbing), receive threats, suffer situations of abuse, etc.

In the same way that occurs in acute stress, all causes of episodic acute stress share the characteristic that the individual feels overwhelmed, and cannot respond adequately to the demands of the environment (due to insufficient resources).

2.2. Symptoms

On a symptomatic level, people with acute episodic stress show the following symptoms (or some of them): irritability, nervousness, anxiety, malaise and tiredness. They are people who can blame others for their own problems, for the state in which they are.

In addition, there is a marked pessimism and great negativity; thus, these people see everything black and even feel that they will never "escape" from this situation.

Other symptoms of this type of stress that may appear are: migraines, (tension) pain, pressure in the chest, vulnerability to heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.

3. Chronic stress: characteristics

The third of the types of stress is chronic stress, which is usually the most serious. It is a more prolonged stress in time; it can last for months, and even years. Its intensity level can vary, but its defining characteristic is that it lasts over time. Thus, the individual who suffers from chronic stress suffers great physical and emotional wear, which ends up being constant.

The person who suffers from it also feels trapped, as in the previous case, but this time for much longer (since the previous type of stress was episodic).

In this way, the individual does not know what to do to solve their problems and to stop this great source of stress; For this reason, on many occasions, he ends up looking for solutions (he becomes immersed in a kind of learned helplessness).

3.1. Causes

But what life situations can trigger a state of chronic stress? For example, a situation of poverty, living in the bosom of a dysfunctional and unstructured family, losing one's job and remaining unemployed for a long time, etc.

Sometimes the origin of this type of stress is a traumatic event experienced during childhood (sexual abuse, psychological abuse ...), which ends up influencing the individual's personality.

3.2. Symptoms

Symptoms of chronic stress include: depressive symptoms, fatigue (on a physical and / or emotional level), risk of developing other diseases (for example heart disease, skin disease, diseases of the digestive system, etc.) as well as the risk of developing addictions (abuse of alcohol or other drugs), insomnia, anxiety symptoms, etc.

On the other hand, feelings of insecurity or a feeling of helplessness may also appear learned (having the feeling that "nothing depends on us" and stop looking for solutions to problems).

Chronic stress, if maintained for a long time and of sufficient intensity, can end up causing a myocardial infarction or other diseases (for example, a ictus).

Ideas of suicide, when the situation can no longer be borne and "overwhelms" the individual. Thus, the most serious symptom of chronic stress is death, which can come through suicide, violence, a heart attack, cancer, etc.

Bibliographic references

• Friend, I. (2012). Psychological manual of health. Madrid: Pyramid.

• Belloch, A., Sandín, B. and Ramos, F. (2010). Manual of Psychopathology. Volume II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill. (Topics 1 and 12).

• Buceta, J.M., Bueno, A.M. (nineteen ninety five). Psychology and Health: Control of stress and associated disorders. Madrid: Dykinson.

• Miller, L., Smith, A. and Rothstein, L. (1994). The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life. Pocket Books,