Psychological stress
Psychological stressPsychological stress
Psychological stress is a result of many factors and should be dealt with very carefully. Stress can be
defined as a set of interactions between the person and the environment that result in an unpleasant emotional
state, such as anxiety, tension, guilt, or shame (swin pg 1). Another way of putting it, is that there are somethings
that put certain demands on us. The effects of stress should not be limited to unpleasant emotional states. Many
studies have concluded that the effects on our physical health from stress can be extremely detrimental. These
adverse physical effects include heart disease and formations of cancer. There are also some societal issues that
psychological stress can hamper.
There are numerous elements that trigger the effects of psychological stress. Frustration is
one of these elements that will trigger stress. Frustration is one of the most prevalent sources of stress in my life
at this moment. A lot of different events will cause frustration. Frustration occurs from something blocking our
attainment of certain goals or needs (Corey 207). All of the little things that frustrate us include waiting in lines or
traffic, sense of failure or inadequacies, bad relationships, deaths, and loneliness. Self-defeating thoughts are a
way in which we almost deliberately block attainment of our needs. If in our heads, we have this preconceived
notion that we are incapable of obtaining something that we want or that others could not possibly love us, we
create a self-fulfilling prophecy. I used the word "deliberately" in describing self-doubt because we have the
ability to change these misinformed thoughts.
Major life changes whether it be positive or negative can lead to very stressful situations. In
our society, many people fall into a rut of everyday life and fear change to their daily routines. When any kind of
change occurs it is very traumatic. There are many changes in ones career that can cause stress. Starting a new
career or getting a new job is a major change that will produce stress. The feeling of being accepted in the
organization and learning the companies ways of doing things are stressful. Other changes in one�s life resulting
in stress include a change in a personal relationship or financial changes. You might think that hitting the lottery
and being a multi-millionaire would relieve any possible stress in one�s life. That fact is that it is a major change
and you are going to have many different issues that you never had before. There are issues of what to do with
the money and how to invest it.
Pressures that are brought about in our society are imposed by ourselves and by others. If
one has too high of expectations for oneself it is inevitable that they will burn themselves out. These expectations
are derived out of our gender roles as men. Men are thought of in our society to be the provider of money and
security to their families. It is one way we measure or "manlyhood". Unrealistic pressures such as this, and
pressures from school, work and social life will lead to high levels of stress.
Conflict happens when two or more incompatible motivations or behavioral impulses
compete for expression. There are three classifications of conflict; approach/approach, avoidance/avoidance,
approach/avoidance. Approach/approach conflicts occur when we have two attractive options from which we
have to chose. This can happen when we have two group of friends going out for New Year�s Eve, both with
exciting plans. It is tough to decide which group of friends you want to hang out with. Avoidance/avoidance is
the opposite of approach/approach. When you have to decide between two unattractive choices or goals, stress
sets in. This has occurred to me this past month or so in deciding what I am going to take for my accounting
elective. All of my options are very unappealing. Decisions may arise where both objects that you are to chose
from have both attractive and unattractive components. This type of conflict can be categorized as
approach/avoidance conflict. An example of this type could be in finding a house. If you have found the house of
your dreams for an amazingly low price but it is very far away from your place of employment, you have
approach/avoidance conflict (Corey pg. 207-208).
Other sources of stress include ambiguity in a certain situation. If you are unsure of what to
do or how to act in a situation it can cause stress. If you get into a fight with someone it can cause stress.
Contradictions to your value systems can produce some unwanted stress.
I have never before in my life been under so much stress that it has caused serious questions
of hopelessness. Throughout my entire life, I have been very good with coping with stressful situations, but
something happened on October 12 that will change my life forever. A couple of policeman came to my door
with a complaint. Apparently, a friend of mine and I had been accused of a crime that we did not commit. The
threat that we could possibly get expelled from school or even worse get put in jail for a very long time comes
with a very high level of stress. The investigation has been going on ever since they first came to our door. They
have decided to postpone the investigation over the winter break which has caused a great deal of anxiety and
ambiguity for me. If I had committed this crime than I would have no problem facing the consequences. The fact
is, that I did not commit the crime and this has left me very angry and upset. This situation has caused a lot of
pain and money for my parents that I caused. Having to tell them and seeing how upset they are have left me
extremely stressful and full of unnecessary anxieties.
About a month or so after this incident in October, I received a call from a friend of mine. He
had just found out that my roommate from sophomore year and very good friend was found in his grandmothers
barn dead. Two days later, a friend of the family lost his battle to lung cancer. Some other frustrations that I am
having include school. I have only five options left for classes next semester. I am having trouble getting in to
some of the classes that I want. I have yet to start looking for a job for many reasons. I feel pressure from my
parents and peers to start the process of finding a job. Many of my friends have already received offers and I
have yet to begun writing my resume. Those are just some of the major issues, but there are many other
everyday demands in my life that cause unwanted stress.
The effects of these stresses have left me emotionally bewildered. I am chronically
depressed and a short time after the incident I had a panic attack. My heart started racing frantically and I could
not stop shaking. My best friend was on the couch across from me watching a movie. I was so afraid of what was
happening that I couldn�t speak. I have been emotionally scarred for life.
This incident has left me with serious issues of trusting others. This lack
of trust has hurt my ability to form interpersonal relationships. When we go out into Boston I have a lot trouble
talking to other people. Normally, I am the one out of my friends that like to go out and meet new and interesting
people. Ever since that incident, I have not been able to figure out what is wrong with my social skills. I have
become very shy around people that I do and don�t know. I have lost contact with a lot of my friends because of
this.
It has also been found that prolonged stress can cause many disorders from minor to life
threatening. Some of the minor reactions from the body to stress are headaches, asthma, digestive disorders and
sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation was a major problem for me right after this all occur but it is no longer a
problem. One of the effects it has had on me is weight loss. Before the incident I was eating very healthy foods
and lifting weights at the gym. I have lost almost fifteen pounds and have trouble eating well.
Doctor Abbot in I Never Knew I Had a Choice states that about 75 percent of ailments that he
treats are related to stress (Corey pg. 209). It has been found that stress activates the body�s hormone system.
This in turn has an effect on our immune system�s capabilities to fight of infectious diseases including cancer.
There have been cases were people who have experienced the loss of a loved one shortly after develop cancer
(cancernet). Stress and its impact on breast cancer has received a lot of attention as of late. Studies have shown
that an alarming number of women with breast cancer had experienced some sort of traumatic life experience or
loss several years before their diagnosis (cancernet).
It is no coincidence that heart disease is one of the highest causes of death among
Americans. We live in the most stressful and demanding country in the world. We are constantly in fierce
competition with others. Stress manifests physiological changes in the body. The evidence that stress causes
coronary disease has yet to be conclusive but most professionals believe there is a direct correlation. There are
many different hypothesis including Blascovich and Katkin. The examine many studies to the effects of stress on
the heart in their book, Cardiovascular Reactivity to Psychological Stress and Disease (www.apa.com).
The best way to cope with the many stresses that we have throughout a day is to have
different attitudes towards life. I must slow down and question many of the beliefs that this country has instilled in
us. Many people believe that work and money are the most important things to obtain through life. People have
got understand the importance of leisure time and rest. Developing a sense of humor goes a long way in dealing
with stress. Proper time management is something that I, in particular, must employ to remain less stressful. I
must also continue my old eating habits. Food can give us the energy needed to deal with stress. Exercise is a
very important part of reducing stress. There is actual physical evidence that exercise helps people recover from
stress. According to Professor Kubitz of Kansas State University, stress releases hormones that cause the heart to
beat faster. If we exercise, our heart will become stronger and will be better able to deal with stress (geocities).
Works Cited
I Never Knew I Had a Choice, 6th ed. Gerald and Marianne Corey. Brooks/Cole
Publishing 1997.
www.apa.org
www.cancernet.com
www.geocities.com
www.swin.edu