Paper Example on Stress

Introduction

Everyone must at one time or another experienced stress. Stress could sometimes positive when it becomes a motivating factor but most of the times it has negative effects. Stress can be managed but if it is not managed, it lasts for long times and it is regarded as chronic stress which comes with diseases illnesses. Stress is the natural reaction of the body to demands. For instance, when one is on the first date, it is possible to find a person with sweaty hands and anxiousness. This is one type of stress due to new demands. There is no single person who can say that can say that he/she is less prone to stress. The impacts of stress depend on whether stress is managed or not. The paper of this paper is to define stress, impacts of stress on physical and mental conditions, interventions for reducing impacts of diseases and illnesses caused by stress and discuss whether there is certain personality prone to stress.

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What is Stress?

As mentioned earlier, stress is a natural means by how the body reacts to demands or threat. When one is faced with danger whether minor or major (imaginable or real) the defense mechanisms of the body automatically gears up in a process known as "fight", "flight" or "stress response". This kind of response is aimed at protecting the body (Barrows, 2018). When the stress response works in the right manner or properly, it is supposed to help the body to be alert, focused or energetic. In cases of emergency, stress can help someone escape danger by giving the person energy and extra strength to defend himself. For instance, the stress response can spur one to immediately slam on the brakes to avoid causing an accident. Similarly, stress is the one that keeps someone up to different challenges. For example, stress is the one that makes one study for exams rather than watching television, keeps one on toes during a presentation and concentrating during important games such as scramble.

Impacts of Stress on Physical and Mental Health

The nervous system of a human being is not able to distinguish between physical and emotional threats. This is why when one is super stressed due to simple things such as an argument with friends, the body can react in a strong way as if it is facing a do or die situation. The more the emergency system is activated in the body the more it becomes easy to be triggered by stress and becomes harder for it to shut off. As the body gets stressed most of the times, it is heightened to the state of stress most of the times. This leads to serious health problems that are both physical and mental. Prolonged stress disrupts the body functioning affecting the immune system, digestive system as well as the productive system (Barrows, 2018). There are also increased risks of heart attack, speeding up of aging and risks of stroke.

Mentally, the byproducts of stress hormones act as chemicals that make the body calm. When the byproducts are too many in chronic stress they bring about depression and low energy. Such large chemicals in the body can cause one to have changes in moods regarded as the bipolar disorder which is one type of the mental disorders. Besides the stress hormones decreases the functioning of brain cells which makes such people become confused, troubles of concentrating, issues of decision making or even poor listening skills. Furthermore, chronic stress affects the personality of a person making the person become easily irritable, hostile, aggressive and social withdrawal and isolation. On the other hand, stress can have effects on the physical stress of a person. Since the body is controlled in mind, any change in mind will also trigger changes in the body. People with chronic stress are susceptible to hives and eczema. Stress is also associated with health problems such as diarrhea, loss of sex drive, loss of sleep, aches, pains, loss of appetite, and stomachaches (Barrows, 2018). Hence, chronic stress can lead to loss of weight or increase in weight.

Most Vulnerable Persons

Stress can be experienced by anyone regardless of the age and types of activities carried. There is no standard for measuring the levels of stress in someone. The degree of stress depends on the roles and responsibility of a person, physical health, interpersonal relationship as well as the various levels of expectation. Nevertheless, it can be generalized that people with proper social support are less likely to be stressed. On the other hand, people who have poor physical health, poorly nourished and have inadequate sleep are at a higher risk of stress. There is also stressor that affects certain groups. Teens, children, newly married couples, seniors, single parents and working parents face common type of stressor due to life transitions (Conrad, 2018). However, all people are at a risk of risk.

Interventions of Reducing Impacts of Stress

There are various methods of managing stress to reduce severe impacts. One of the common methods that are used is physical exercise. Exercise may be conducted by jogging, playing a favorite game or running. Another method of intervention is used if medication. Medicines such as Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, and Valium can be used the time to time in a day to reduce the impact of stress. The drugs should, however, be prescribed. Lastly, one should practice regular breaks while working and making schedules to avoid overworking or putting too much stress on oneself (Conrad, 2018).

Conclusion

In conclusion, stress is the body reaction to changes and demands. It can be positive but negative when it becomes chronic. Chronic stress can lead to mental health issues such dipolar disorder and physical health such as weight loss. Since stress can affect anybody, it needs management such as regular exercises and making schedules of work.

References

Barrows, B. (2018). How Stress Works. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 30 April 2018, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/how-stress-works1.htm

Conrad, M. (2018). Stress Symptoms and Stress Management. MedicineNet. Retrieved 30 April 2018, from https://www.medicinenet.com/stress/article.htm#stress_facts