Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsStress and Your HealthWhen to See a ProviderManagement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Stress and Your Health
When to See a Provider
Management
Psychological stressis how the body and brain react to any need or demand seen as a challenge or obstacle.
Psychological stress is not necessarily negative; some people see short-term stress as motivating, as with an exam or job interview.However, being under a lot of stress can sometimes cause physical symptoms and health problems, especially if you’re not managing your stress well.
This article discusses psychological stress, its signs, and how it can affect your health. It also offers suggestions for managing your stress.
Stress in MedicineWithin medicine, stress is the “body’s response to physical, mental, or emotional pressure.”
Stress in Medicine
Within medicine, stress is the “body’s response to physical, mental, or emotional pressure.”
Verywell / Nez Riaz
Types of Psychological Stress
There are different types of stress, which can all have effects on emotional and physical health. Situations and events that cause stress, called stressors, can occur once, briefly, or over a longer period.
Types of stress include:
Acute Stress
Chronic Stress
This is stress that lasts for a longer time, such as for weeks or months. Someone may become used to it and not recognize it as stress or believe it is a problem. Examples of chronic stress include:
In one study that also examined an association with social media use, the Pew Research Center used the Perceived Stress Scale to evaluate the stress levels of American adults. The average score was 10.2 out of 30, with 0 being no stress and 30 being the highest level.The researchers also found that women and men had different stress levels, with women being significantly more stressed overall. Older adults and those who are employed tend to have lower levels of stress.
In one study that also examined an association with social media use, the Pew Research Center used the Perceived Stress Scale to evaluate the stress levels of American adults. The average score was 10.2 out of 30, with 0 being no stress and 30 being the highest level.
The researchers also found that women and men had different stress levels, with women being significantly more stressed overall. Older adults and those who are employed tend to have lower levels of stress.
Psychological Stress Symptoms
When responding to pressure, the body releases stress hormones, likeepinephrineand norepinephrine. This causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, which is supposed to help you escape an immediate threat.As a result, stress affects multiple body systems, and it affects every person differently. Severity depends on the cause and person.
Cognitive or thinking-related effects of stress include:
Emotional symptoms can include:
Changes in behavior can also occur. These symptoms include:
How Does Psychological Stress Affect Your Health?
Chronic stress can increase the risk of multiple health conditions, including:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
A lot of stress can be managed with coping strategies and self-care. However, when it becomes unmanageable, it is important to seek help from a mental health professional or another healthcare provider. This is especially true if you are experiencing overwhelming stress or stress affecting your functioning in life or health.
Your healthcare provider may provide a referral to a mental health professional, like a therapist or psychiatrist. This could prevent long-term effects and help diagnose a possiblemoodoranxiety disorderthat needs treatment.
Stress vs. Anxiety: Triggers, Symptoms, and Tips for Coping
How to Manage Psychological Stress
It can be challenging to manage stress, especially if there are a lot of people in your life with high expectations of you. Advice to slow down may not be helpful, since people often have few opportunities to do this.
Finding ways to manage your stress can reduce its impact on you and stop it from getting worse. When your stress is well managed, you may avoid some of the health effects that go along with it.
There are many ways to cope with stress, and everybody has different preferences when it comes to managing it. Self-care methods people use, as well as good lifestyle changes, include the following:
Strategies for Stress Relief
Summary
Stress can cause mental health problems and contribute to physical problems. These include trouble focusing, problems with memory, irritability, and more serious chronic problems like heart disease and obesity. Finding ways to manage your stress can reduce the risk of developing long-term stress-related health problems.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.5 things you should know about stress.National Cancer Institute.Psychological stress and cancer.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Hampton K, Rainie L, Lu W, Shin I, Purcell K.Psychological stress and social media use. Pew Research Center. 2015.Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Stress.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out!
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.5 things you should know about stress.National Cancer Institute.Psychological stress and cancer.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Hampton K, Rainie L, Lu W, Shin I, Purcell K.Psychological stress and social media use. Pew Research Center. 2015.Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Stress.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out!
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Mental Health.5 things you should know about stress.National Cancer Institute.Psychological stress and cancer.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Hampton K, Rainie L, Lu W, Shin I, Purcell K.Psychological stress and social media use. Pew Research Center. 2015.Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Stress.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out!
National Institute of Mental Health.5 things you should know about stress.
National Cancer Institute.Psychological stress and cancer.
National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.
Hampton K, Rainie L, Lu W, Shin I, Purcell K.Psychological stress and social media use. Pew Research Center. 2015.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Stress.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.
National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out!
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