How Stress And The Nervous System Are Linked
When we are confronted with a stressful experience, the amygdala part of the brain sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which activates the nervous system and adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping adrenaline into the bloodstream. As adrenaline circulates through the body, it brings about a number of physiological changes, such as that pounding heart and rapid breathing.4 Even blood pressure goes up. These changes can happen so quickly that many people dont even notice them.
When adrenaline subsides, the nervous system keeps your body revved up with cortisol. When the threat passes, cortisol levels are meant to fall, but for many people who deal with chronic stress, perceived threats are constant, leading the body to stay at high alert.
How Does Anxiety Affect The Body
All of these disorders include anxiety in some way. Standard anxiety related to events or situations is normal. However, these anxiety disorders are not. Theyre often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that often needs to be corrected by medication. For most of this discussion, were talking about general anxiety, not one of these conditions.
Your Libido Will Probably Wane When You Are Stressed Out
Not exactly in the mood? Let’s talk about stress, baby! “During times of stress, we need to survive, not procreate,” clinical psychologist Alicia H. Clark told Self. As the publication outlined, the fight-or-flight stress response “increases your body’s most important functions for survival … while diminishing non-essential functions, like sex.”
Long term, stress can lead to the overproduction of cortisol in our brains. This, too, can have a negative impact on your sex life. Women’s health expert, Dr. Jennifer Wider, explained to the magazine that, even if you can muster up the physical and mental energy to copulate, achieving orgasm can be more difficult because of acute or chronic stress.
Furthermore, having sex is generally not a mind-over-matter type of activity. “Your biggest sex organ is your brain,” sex therapist Rachel Needle told Self. “If you have a ‘busy mind’ and are distracted during sex, it’s going to be harder to focus on your arousal, the pleasurable sensations, or orgasm.” The good news for you and your partner? Clark explained that intimacy can have a stress-reducing effect so spending time with your other half, relaxing, and getting close could help unravel the sexless, stressful cycle.
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Sometimes Stress Isn’t So Bad
Stress gets a bad rap for good reason. It can cause physical problems like skin rashes and high blood pressure. It can lead to mental health problems too, like anxiety and depression. But we feel stress for a reason, and sometimes it is good for you.
The stress you feel before a big test or job interview can motivate you to succeed. It can even save your life stress from a dangerous situation can provoke a fight-or-flight reaction that raises your adrenaline and motivates you to act quickly. Sometimes stress gives you the quick pulse and alert mind you need to stay out of danger.
Whether stress helps or harms your body depends on many factors. One is whether your stress is acute or chronic. You know acute stress when you feel it–the way your heart races right after a car crash, or the sudden jolt of energy you get when you see a snake or spider. Acute stress goes away soon after the stressful cause is gone. But chronic stress is another story. The muscle pain that sets in after months of demanding work, the constant nausea you may feel during a financial crisis, and the uncontrolled weight gain you experience during a long, unhappy relationship can all be signs of chronic stress.
Psychology Update 3 Articles Highlighting The Psychology Behind The Mind
3 ARTICLES HIGHLIGHTING THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION:
Mind and Body form a two way street.
ARTICLE #1
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The Devastating Ways Depression and Anxiety Impact the Body: Mind and body form a two-way street.
DESCRIPTION
This article is a must for understanding how Psychology and Medicine interact for the well being of an individual. The article can be read along with the text chapters highlighting health, stress, coping, and psychological disorders .
Can Negative Thinking Make You Sick?
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This article should be read in conjunction with the text related to Psychology, Health, Stress, and an understanding of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Time, July 8, 2015, by Adam Hoffman
6 Illnesses With A Mind-Body Connection That Cant Be Ignored
DESCRIPTION
The article is important to understand in times of stress not only because it shows the mind-body connection but also the strategies for coping which may include psychotherapy, exercise, meditation, and methods of self-help.
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You May Experience Acne Breakouts Due To Stress
Does stressing out lead to breaking out? Lisa A. Garner, a dermatology professor, told WebMD, “When you already have acne and you get into a stressful situation, that seems to be when your acne really flares up.” Yes, as if you needed another thing to worry about, you can add pimples to your list. Two separate studies, cited by the health site, found that college students, for example, experienced a surge in acne right around academic testing time.
While the relation is clear, researchers are still trying to understand why this happens. One theory, noted by Dr. Garner, is that the cells that make sebum “have receptors for stress hormones.” Sebum along with bacteria and dead skin cells can then “clog the hair follicles, leading to a pimple or acne cyst.” Furthermore, when you are stressed out, you might be more prone to the nervous habit of picking your skin. And more picking/touching equals more acne so hands off!
What Is An Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety describes a group of disorders that cause worry, nervousness, and fear. These feelings of anxiety interfere with everyday life and are out of proportion to the triggering object or event.
In some cases, people are unable to identify a trigger and feel anxious for what seems like no reason.
While mild anxiety can be expected in some situations, such as before an important presentation or meeting, persistent anxiety can interfere with a persons well-being.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders represent the most common mental illness in the United States and affect 40 million adults in the country every year.
While these disorders respond well to treatment, but only 36.9 percent of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.
Types of anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder excessive anxiety for no apparent reason that lasts for 6 months or longer
- Social anxiety fear of judgment or humiliation in social situations
- fear of being away from home or family
- Phobia fear of a specific activity, object, or situation
- Hypochondriasis persistent fear of having serious health issues
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder recurring thoughts that cause specific behaviors
- Post-traumatic stress disorder severe anxiety after a traumatic event or events
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Stress And Your Muscles
Stress makes you tense up. That’s good if you’re facing down an angry predator. But if it persists, muscle tension causes several problems. Tension headaches and migraines can result, for instance. Tense muscles can provoke more serious anxiety disorders, too.
How you respond to stress could help determine how swiftly you recover from injury as well. If you become excessively fearful of reinjuring yourself, this can leave you in a state of chronic pain. Your muscles will seldom relax if you continue to feel fearful. This persistent tension can also lead to muscle atrophy, as it is difficult to move when you are intensely bound up by your own muscles. This is a problem that can get worse, as exercise is one of the most reliable means of relieving stress.
What Are The Consequences Of Long
A little stress every now and then is not something to be concerned about. Ongoing, chronic stress, however, can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including:
- Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
- Obesity and other eating disorders
- Menstrual problems
- Sexual dysfunction, such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men and loss of sexual desire in both men and women
- Skin and hair problems, such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and permanent hair loss
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable colon
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Your Period Might Become Irregular If You Are Perpetually Stressed
Even if you’ve been tracking your menstrual cycle religiously and planning your calendar with meticulous care, do not be shocked if your period still drops by at the most inconvenient possible time or neglects to come at all. If you have been under a lot of stress and dealing with anxiety, your cycle could be all messed up.
As explained by Everyday Health, stress affects the hypothalamus, which affects the pituitary gland. And the chain doesn’t end there the pituitary gland affects your adrenal glands and ovaries, which majorly controls your hormones. This could affect everything from ovulation to your estrogen level. And, of course, if your ovaries are not functioning at their peak capacity, your otherwise predictable period may pay the price. You may experience irregularity or even secondary amenorrhea, a temporary halt to menstruation. If your usually-punctual period becomes erratic, talk to your doctor. It could definitely be stress, but you’ll want to rule out other potential culprits, too.
You Matter And So Does Your Mental Health
I know that saying no and pausing takes a lot out of you, but youre responsible for caring for yourself. If your work environment does not promote better wellness and care for your well-being, it is your responsibility to change that. Whether that means leaving or setting firm boundaries. It’s time to take care of yourself. Your mental wellness at school and in the workplace matter. Working yourself to the bone is not sustainable and your health will come crashing down. If youre struggling to find balance, it’s time to get support. Anxiety treatment in Missouri, at Aspire Counseling, could be the solution to a life focused on wellness. If you believe in-person or online therapy is for you, reach out to our client care coordinator and begin focusing on you!
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How Does Stress Affect The Muscular System
Stress causes your muscles to contract, restricting blood flow. With chronic stress, your musculoskeletal system is in a more permanent state of constriction. Over time, constant muscle tension can cause injury and chronic pain, including back and neck pain, and may even lead to secondary disorders like migraines.
How Anxiety Disorders Affect People
For people dealing with anxiety disorders, symptoms can feel strange and confusing at first. For some, the physical sensations can be strong and upsetting. For others, feelings of doom or fear that can happen for no apparent reason can make them feel scared, unprotected, and on guard. Constant worries can make a person feel overwhelmed by every little thing. All this can affect someone’s concentration, confidence, sleep, appetite, and outlook.
People with anxiety disorders might avoid talking about their worries, thinking that others might not understand. They may fear being unfairly judged, or considered weak or scared. Although anxiety disorders are common, people who have them may feel misunderstood or alone.
Some people with anxiety disorders might blame themselves. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed, or mistakenly think that anxiety is a weakness or a personal failing. Anxiety can keep people from going places or doing things they enjoy.
The good news is, doctors today understand anxiety disorders better than ever before and, with treatment, a person can feel better.
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Stress And Your Health
Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.
How Can You Help Yourself
If you’re feeling stressed, there are some things you can try to feel less tense and overwhelmed.
1. Recognise when stress is a problem
Its important to connect the physical and emotional signs youre experiencing to the pressures you are faced with. Dont ignore physical warning signs such as tense muscles, tiredness, headaches or migraines.
Think about whats causing your stress. Sort them into issues with a practical solution, things that will get better with time and things you can’t do anything about. Take control by taking small steps towards the things you can improve.
Make a plan to address the things that you can. This might involve setting yourself realistic expectations and prioritising essential commitments. If you feel overwhelmed, ask for help and say no to things you cant take on.
2. Think about where you can make changes
Are you taking on too much? Could you hand over some things to someone else? Can you do things in a more leisurely way? You may need to prioritise things and reorganise your life so youre not trying to do everything at once.
3. Build supportive relationships
Find close friends or family who can offer help and practical advice can support you in managing stress. Joining a club or a course can help to expand your social network and encourage you to do something different. Activities like volunteering can change your perspective and have a beneficial impact on your mood.
4. Eat healthily
5. Be aware of your smoking and drinking
8. Be mindful
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Help Is Available For Stress
Stress is a part of life. What matters most is how you handle it. The best thing you can do to prevent stress overload and the health consequences that come with it is to know your stress symptoms.
If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed by stress, talk to your doctor. Many symptoms of stress can also be signs of other health problems. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and rule out other conditions. If stress is to blame, your doctor can recommend a therapist or counselor to help you better handle your stress.
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How To Stop The Physical Anxiety Symptoms
When you suffer from the physical symptoms of anxiety, your goal is often to stop them as quickly as possible. One of the issues that affects people during treatment is that they generally want to treat the symptom that bothers them the most, but not the anxiety itself.
For example, those with digestive stress because of anxiety often take Tums or other over-the-counter stomach aids. Those with headaches tend to take pain killers, and so on.
Often these treatments have no effect at all, and those that they do affect they will only relieve temporarily. Ideally, you need to make sure your anxiety is under control, and the physical symptoms will go away with it.
Start with the following:
From there, you really need to learn to deal with your specific anxiety issues, and for that, you need to learn what kind of anxiety you have as well as recognize how it’s affecting you.
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Stress Cognition And Learning
Cognition is another important feature of brain function. Cognition means reception and perception of perceived stimuli and its interpretation, which includes learning, decision making, attention, and judgment . Stress has many effects on cognition that depend on its intensity, duration, origin, and magnitude . Similar to memory, cognition is mainly formed in the hippocampus, amygdala, and temporal lobe . The net effect of stress on cognition is a reduction in cognition and thus, it is said that any behavioral steps undertaken to reduce stress leads to increase in cognition . In fact, stress activates some physiological systems, such as the autonomic nervous system, central neurotransmitter and neuropeptide system, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which have direct effects on neural circuits in the brain involved with data processing . Activation of stress results in the production and release of glucocorticosteroids. Because of the lipophilic properties of glucocorticosteroids, they can diffuse through the blood-brain barrier and exert long-term effects on processing and cognition .
You Could Become More Susceptible To Infection When You Are Under A Lot Of Stress
Citing several comprehensive studies, the American Psychological Association reported that stress has the power to weaken the immune system. Chronic stress, in particular, significantly suppresses the immune system and inhibits the body’s ability to respond to foreign invaders.
As explained by Psychology Today, chronic stress makes us more prone to disease as “the brain sends defense signals to the endocrine system,” which triggers the release of cortisol and other hormones that are meant to prepare us for a fight-or-flight situation, but simultaneously “depresses our immunity.” While most doctors would agree that stress has at least some sort of negative effect on a person’s overall health, some experts believe that 90 percent of illnesses can be attributed to stress cancer and heart disease included.
The perpetual release of stress-induced cortisol can cause a reduction in infection-fighting white blood cells and cancer-eradicating NK cells. It can also foster the growth of tumors and lead to tissue damage. It’s a chain reaction, and sufficient reason to reevaluate your stressors and embrace coping mechanisms.
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What Are Some Strategies For Stress Relief
You cant avoid stress, but you can stop it from becoming overwhelming by practicing some daily strategies:
- Exercise when you feel symptoms of stress coming on. Even a short walk can boost your mood.
- At the end of each day, take a moment to think about what youve accomplished not what you didnt get done.
- Set goals for your day, week and month. Narrowing your view will help you feel more in control of the moment and long-term tasks.
- Consider talking to a therapist or your healthcare provider about your worries.
