Stress: The Silent Killer
Stress is not a bad thing, but rather a vital reaction our bodies have to perceived threats. The stress response is meant to help keep us alert, alive, and protected- but only for a short time until the danger is over. The problem with stress nowadays is that it has become a chronic condition for most people. The fast-paced and hectic culture we live in promotes stress and poses constant threats to our mental and physical wellbeing. Chronic stress can be induced by a multitude of factors including work, school, busy schedules, social media, family demands, and the challenges a person will face in his or her lifetime. Chronic stress is especially dangerous because you may not notice its detrimental consequences right away, but when they do arise, the consequences can be deadly.
The Stress Response:
The stress response is the way that people deal with stress-provoking situations. The two responses that people display are either fight or flight. The fight response includes facing the stressor in a defensive way, and the flight response includes distancing oneself from the source of stress. This stress response was first recognized in the 1920s by Dr. Walter Cannon, a professor at the Harvard Medical School. When engaged in “fight or flight” mode, a host of stress hormones are released to help us deal with the problem at hand. The most notable hormones are cortisol, nicknamed “the stress hormone,” and adrenaline. These hormones serve an important function in small doses but have hazardous effects on health if they are constantly being released. Unfortunately, most people today have chronic stress which means their bodies are being flooded with stress hormones, which invokes an array of diseases.
Physical Effects:
Excessive anxiety and stress release very high levels of cortisol, which negatively affects the immune system, the ability to sleep, how the heart functions, and body fat levels in large surges. High-stress levels are incredibly dangerous and can even cause sudden and seemingly random heart attacks to occur in otherwise healthy people. Stress is also associated with a greater risk of depression, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, type-2 diabetes, and overall death. In fact, it has been found that the risk of premature death is three times greater in people with chronic stress.
Coping with stress is vital to being healthier and increasing lifespan. A study published in 2008 followed 1,600 men for 12 years to see how long those with persistent negative emotions like stress and anxiety lived compared to more relaxed counterparts. In the end, the study found “only 50 percent of men with high or increasing neuroticism were alive compared to 75 percent to 85 percent of the other group.” This increase in mortality is not only due to increased disease risk, but also an increase in unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse that accompany chronic stress and anxiety. This means that it is important to be mindful of stress and to learn how to manage it in a healthy manner.
Conclusion:
The frenzied society that we live in promotes a stress culture. Most people suffer from chronic stress and are constantly engaged in a “flight or fight” mode to deal with it. Chronic stress has been linked to either directly causing or exacerbating many horrible mental and physical diseases as well as higher mortality rates. Most terrifying is the fact that most people do not know the negative effects of stress until they are dealing with its consequences. If our society does not learn how to take a step back and manage stress levels, we may stress ourselves to death.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this blog and any content within therootcausewellness.com website is intended to educate, empower, and inspire readers to make positive choices for their own overall health and wellbeing. I am not a doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist and the information contained in this website is my personal opinion based on my education, real-life experience, and research unless otherwise stated. Therefore, It is in no way intended to substitute for professional medical advice from a doctor or licensed health professional. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or medical condition. It is always recommended that you consult with a doctor or licensed medical professional before making any dietary, lifestyle, exercise, medication, or supplement changes. Kathleen Freydl, Certified Health Coach and Owner of the Root Cause Wellness, accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the use or misuse of the information contained in therootcausewellness.com website.