Stress Can Have a Devastating Effect on Both Health and Happiness

The American Medical Association credits stress as being the root of over 60% of all of the human diseases and illness. It is estimated that over 95 million people take medication each week for stress. And,  studies have shown that stress is more likely to cause heart disease or cancer than even smoking cigarettes or eating a diet high in cholesterol!

In response to stress the body performs numerous functions including releasing a host of hormones into the bloodstream. These hormones include adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine and cortisol. And, all of these hormones in large, constant doses affect vital organs seriously damaging your health.

They also lower your immune systems ability to protect the body by fighting off illness or infections. This slowing of the immune system is believed to be the cause for many of the physical symptoms that are stress related. Your body is literally no longer able to fight back!

Most cases of insomnia can be directly related to stress. In severe instances you may not be able to sleep at all. In minor instances, you’ll be waking up all through the night and find it hard or impossible to go back to sleep. Proper rest is essential to your health and good health is essential to a strong immune system.

One of the most serious health problems related to stress is heart attacks. Hormones released during stress constrict blood vessels, greatly increase heart rate and cause the blood to clot faster. Stress is also directly related to high blood pressure, all of these combined together put you at a much greater risk for heart attack.

There are many other physical afflictions directly related to stress, you’re at a higher risk of flare-ups of arthritis and even asthma. You may experience nausea, stomach bloating and cramping and migraines. And, now research is even linking stress to diabetes and infertility!

Stress doesn’t stop at just attacking the physical well being of the body, it also attacks the emotional well being. It’s been linked to mood swings, depression, agitation and even aggressive behavior. It can leave you feeling totally helpless, alone, overwhelmed and in a constant state of worry.

For many people stress leads to addictions of alcohol, drugs or smoking. It’s linked to eating disorders, some people will over eat for comfort, while others will rarely eat. And, most suicide victims are pushed over the edge by stress.

While it’s impossible to avoid stress completely, you can learn how to deal with. Learning ways to control stress instead of letting it control you is the only way to lead a longer, healthier and much happier life!

Some Stress Can Actually Be Good

Most people see any type of stress as bad, nothing could be further from the truth. When your bodies stress reaction kicks in and then resets or turns off as it should, stress can be very helpful and even lifesaving! It can give you the extra push to need to get something accomplished.

There is both good and bad stress, good stress can help you save someone in a life threatening situation or it can just help you meet a deadline at work. Good stress can give you added energy and motivate you to perform better or quicker!

Three Different Types of Stress

Aside from stress being both good and bad, there are three major categories of stress types, acute stress, chronic stress and episodic stress. Although, these categories have many sub-categories for other types of stress such as mental, physical and emotional stress.

Acute Stress

If you’ve ever experienced a near miss auto accident, or a surprise birthday party, then you’ve experienced acute stress! Acute stress is short lived and can be described as a feeling of terror, shock, surprise or excitement. It can be a good feeling if you’ve just won something or a bad feeling if you almost wrecked your car.

Episodic Stress

Some people don’t even realize that they suffer from episodic stress. It occurs when stress factors are overwhelming and seem to never end. A busy lifestyle that always has you on the go, constantly rushing to get here or there or meet deadlines at work, are just some of the events that lead to episodic stress. It’s when your life is in an uproar constantly.

Chronic Stress

If you have any type of stress besides chronic stress, then it’s good stress. Chronic stress is the worst of all, it’s the potentially fatal type of stress! The stressors are constant like caring for a loved one that’s dying, being in an abusive relationship, or in a state of poverty and despair.

Chronic stress generally results in strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure problems. It can also lead to mental depression that can result in suicide, or nervous breakdowns that need long term treatment.

Chronic stress can cause sudden fits of anger, you feel constant despair and hopelessness and are completely out of control with your emotions.

If you suspect that you have chronic stress you should see an expert. This type of stress isn’t something that you should try to treat yourself. Medication should be a last resort in coping with stress, but chronic stress sufferers are generally better off on medication than taking the chance of a fatal heart attack!

Written by Connie Corder, Copyright 2013 HonestInformation.com