Stress can be described as a feeling of emotional or physical tension that is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand and may be caused by any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. It is defined by Verywell Mind “as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain.” People commonly think of stress as a negative concept, and while it can reach unhealthy levels, psychologists have established that it is unavoidable, and can often play a helpful role in our daily lives. In the early 1970s, the term eustress was coined to describe “a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.” Stress is a natural, adaptive, built-in response that prepares us for action, both physically and mentally.
Good Stress
Good stress ignites a response that temporarily increases energy, focus, and enhances performance, all of which help us overcome obstacles we may face. Examples of good stress may include:
- Going on a first date
- Approaching a deadline
- Starting a new job
- Anticipating an upcoming test or exam
- Marriage
- Preparing for an important speech
- The birth of a child
- Buying a new house
Good stress still triggers the body to release a flood of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, but its effects are short-term.
Bad Stress
Bad stress, also known as distress, has many definitions, but most characterize it as “an aversive, negative state in which coping and adaptation processes fail to return an organism to physiological and/ or psychological homeostasis.” It can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) and lead to anxiety, confusion, poor concentration, and decreased performance. According to Stanford Medicine, “Chronic stress has been associated with increased biological aging, suppression or abnormal regulation of immune function, impairment of brain structure and function, increased susceptibility to some types of infection and worsening of conditions like depression, heart disease and some types of cancer.” Examples of bad stress may include:
- Experiencing relationship strain
- Ending a relationship (either platonic or romantic)
- Death of a friend, loved one, or spouse
- Abuse or neglect
- Working a high-pressure job with never-ending demand
- Unaddressed mental or physical health conditions
- Divorce
- Financial hardship
- Illness or hospitalization
Bad stress can provoke undesirable alterations to your physical, psychological, and physiological functioning. Distress prohibits your endocrine, digestive, excretory, immune, circulatory, and reproductive systems from performing at their optimal levels.
Treatment In Calabasas
Calabasas is a city in California. It is a well-known suburb of Los Angeles, located west of the San Fernando Valley and north of the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the past decade, the city of Calabasas has grown in its reputation for luxury as well as for privacy which makes it a hidden gem for residential living for society’s elite, and one of the most desirable destinations in Los Angeles County. It is also home to a plethora of highly qualified mental health clinicians providing an array of therapeutic services and treatment options.
The information above is provided for the use of informational purposes only. The above content is not to be substituted for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as in no way is it intended as an attempt to practice medicine, give specific medical advice, including, without limitation, advice concerning the topic of mental health. As such, please do not use any material provided above to disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment.
