A Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness

A Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness

Stress is an example of a behaviour and experience explained in

physiological and psychological terms.

Recently awareness has been heightened concerning the harmful effects

of stress and how it can be successfully managed and prevented. Lay

definitions of stress seem to focus on a 'force' or some kind of

mental pressure which is exerted upon an individual which is aversive.

Stress is often associated with anxiety, strain, tension, distress and

fatigue. The effects of stress include biochemical physiological and

psychological changes, many of which are associated with ill health

effects (Gatchel 1989). Thus medical and psychological research

findings in this area are crucial in aiding our understanding of the

issue, in order to minimise these effects on health.

Stress is usually defined as an interaction between an individual and

their environment and the way they interpret what is going on around

them and how they are going to cope with it. This allows for

individual differences in the way we perceive stressors e.g. divorce,

and the way we feel we are able to cope with things. If we cannot cope

with the situation we are faced with, then we experience psychological

and physiological responses to the stressor.

In the short term, stress can be quite stimulating and motivating. In

the long term stress can result in illness and even death.

Seyle claimed two systems were involved in the way the body responds

to stressors, the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and the ANS-adrenal

medulla

On top of each kidney we have the adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla,

together called the a...

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...e dived into two group type A - ambitious,

competitive, easily angered and perfectionists. Type B - relaxed,

easy-going, not driven to achieve perfection and not easily angered.

They found within nine years of commencing the study 70% of the 257

who died were type A individuals (they took smoking and drinking into

consideration). Therefore personality type and stress are closely

related and together are related to the risk of CHD

There is however, an unclear relationship between CHD and Type A

personalities because they are more likely to have other known risk

factors.

Stress itself cannot cause CHD or any other illness. It is somehow

linked to cardiovascular disorders and appears to play a role in

hypertension - when a person experiences several weeks of high blood

pressure and it's a major risk factor of CHD.