The dangers of stress can adversely affect your mental and physical well being. Stress can be caused by any number of things in life, both internal and external. The things that causing your stress are aptly and collectively known as stressors, and they are not always a danger in and of themselves. As a matter of fact, short-term stress is good for you. For example, the stress you get before your wedding day, or before a big interview, or a big test. In the aforementioned situation, these short bursts of stress can actually help you perform better as it increases your focus, heightens your senses, and improves your working memory. But when stress becomes chronic is when it gets dangerous. When the effects of stress begin to take a toll on your physical or mental health this is probably a sign that your stress level is too high.
What are the effects of stress on the body? Initially, when we feel threatened, our nervous system releases hormones. These hormones then trigger various reactions throughout the body, including increased heart and respiratory rates, muscle contraction, as well as a rise in blood pressure. This initial hormonal reaction also sharpens your senses and increases our mental acuity. These initial effects of stress are normal and can help your prepare mentally or physically for a challenging situation. But imagine if these things were happening constantly. This is where the dangers of stress come in.
The effects and dangers come in a variety of forms and can affect the mind and body. The long term effects of stress can have a serious impact on your health if the stress is not dealt with. Stress can damage nearly every system in the body, leading to major or chronic health problems.
Studies have linked the dangers of stress to dozens of health and mental problems. Mentally, a person may experience anything from memory loss, to exhibiting poor judgment, to pessimism to anxiety. Emotions are also affected by the dangers of stress. One may feel depressed, lonely, irritable or overwhelmed. The physical effects of stress are especially harmful if left untreated. These include digestive problems, chest pains, a weakened immune system and general pain or discomfort. You may also be experiencing the dangers of stress if your behavior changes. Eating and sleeping patterns may alter, as well as social behaviors and habits. One of the gravest dangers of stress is that it leads some to turn to alcohol or drugs to handle their stressful circumstances. Those who turn to these substances to “manage” their stress are actually causing more stress to their bodies and minds.
Research has also documented the negative effects of stress on the immune system. Stress may also predispose you to illness. Another common effect of stress on the body is temporary high blood pressure. This effect of stress occurs because stress related hormones cause an increased heart rate. Research hasn’t yet concluded if stress can cause long term high blood pressure (hypertension), but keeping stress levels low can also keep blood pressure temporarily low. However, research has yet to substantiate whether techniques to manage stress can permanently lower blood pressure.
Sometimes we may grow so accustomed to the effects of stress that we experience day to day, that we don’t even note the dangers of stress to our bodies or minds. While it’s true that stress is a part of life, and can even be helpful in alerting us to challenges or protecting us mentally or physically from harm, major stress can be very dangerous if unaddressed.
What Can You Do to Combat Stress
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