Causes and Symptoms of Stress

Posted by sanjay on Saturday 04 Apr 2009

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Stress occurs when a person’s body faces difficulty in handling a real or imaginable physical or emotional threat. Stress can be caused by external threats or internal factors such as poor nutrition, health problems or emotional issues. Stress is not always detrimental to a person.

Sometimes, a moderate level of stress can push a person to perform better and propel them towards achieving their goals. On the other hand, when stress levels become excessive, they can negatively affect the way a person lives their life. A person who is under stress will feel anxious and alarmed, their adrenaline will increase and they can become exhausted. This article discusses the causes and symptoms of stress.

What causes stress?
Stress can come about from external factors such as threats or changes in a person’s environment. It can also occur when internal factors hinder the person’s ability to function properly. Let’s look at some of the external factors such as threats first. A person will experience stress if their physical well-being is being threatened.

People that are approached with violence, get into an argument with someone else, are abused, or have been put under pressure by another to succeed can become stressed. Other external factors such as a change in a person’s environment can affect their stress levels. For example, if a person has become accustomed to attending a specific school or a job and they are uprooted from that comfortable environment, this can lead to stress.

The work environment is a huge stressor for many people. They may be working long hours, not have the proper training to perform their job, something or someone in the workplace may be intimidating them, or their job may be boring.

People tend to get stressed when they are unsure of a situation or are unable to control what is going on. Hence, some of the biggest stress factors are financial problems, family problems, divorce, and uncertainty.

There are also health related internal factors that can cause a person to become stressed. A person may be insecure or live in fear of some defined or undefined reason. Lack of sleep can also cause stress because the person’s body and mind are tired and are not strong enough to deal with situations. People also are placed under stress when they are faced with health problems.

What are symptoms of stress?
A person who is under stress will exhibit symptoms that will disrupt their ability to think and perform. They may feel irritable or angry and act out irrationally. Stress can cause depression, anxiety and fear. Because of stress, the person may go through many physical changes such as a loss of appetite or overeating to comfort them, they may lack concentration, their sex drive may decrease, and their skin can become broken out with acne or eczema.

A person under stress may also feel an increase in their heart rate and experience body pains in the back, neck and head. Women under stress may miss their monthly menstruation. When a person is under stress they may attempt to relieve their stress by smoking more, taking drugs or drinking alcohol in excess.