Stress is a very widespread phenomenon today. The causes that lead to the appearance of its symptoms are many, however, the lifestyle and culture of Western societies contribute significantly to the emergence of this condition.
There are different types of stress: acute stress, chronic stress, post-traumatic stress, etc. If you want to know more about the different types of stress, you can visit our article: “Types of stress and their triggers”.
It is important to differentiate between acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress occurs at specific moments and temporarily, in response to experiencing one or several highly stressful events, and as a result the person suffers from anxiety. Although stress can be positive in small doses, in high doses it can affect both our mental and physical health: muscle pain, headaches, exhaustion, gastric problems, tachycardia, etc.
Stress, however, can also be chronic, which is a more harmful way to experience this condition. When stress lasts over timephysical, emotional or mental exhaustion occurs that has consequences on the self-esteem and health of the affected person, even causing severe depression. Whether because the person lives in a hostile environment in times of war, is unable to pay a mortgage debt, suffers from burnout at work or is unable to cope with divorce, the result is devastating and has a strong impact on your emotional and general well-being.
Causes
Chronic stress has a particular characteristic that differentiates it from other types of stress. And the event or stressor manifests itself again and again, that is, it the stressor is not temporary and remains unchanged over time.
For example, a university student may experience a stressful situation when exams approach and realize that they have let time pass this course. For a month she tries to study everything she should have studied during the year, but she does not have enough time or resources to pass the subject. Once the exam season is over, that stressful event will disappear, and the student will be able to better plan and manage their time for the next course. The student has experienced a situation of acute stress.
An example of chronic stress
The same does not occur in chronic stress, because the stressful event occurs again and again, repeatedly over time. You may feel burned out at work because your superior’s leadership style is causing you a distressing situation day in and day out.because your boss does not take your potential into account, constantly criticizes you and, by not giving you clear and concrete orders, is causing ambiguity and role conflict.
It may also happen that an individual finds himself involved in a mortgage debt that forces him to pay an amount that he cannot afford. The months go by and he is increasingly in debt, which is causing him anxiety, desperation, insomnia, severe depression and, furthermore, he sees no way out. Both cases are examples of chronic stress.
As you can see, the causes can be varied, however, the frequency of presentation of the stressor is what causes the harmful consequences for mental health. Now, it must be clear that, sometimes, It is not the stressful event itself that causes stress, but how we interpret this event and how we cope with it.. Our beliefs and our resources matter greatly. Therefore, what may be stressful for one person is not stressful for another.
Symptoms of chronic stress
The person with chronic stress, unlike the person who suffers from acute stress, is often not aware of what is happening to them, as they have become accustomed to this situation despite not having overcome it. This can cause a very harmful effect, what is known as learned helplessness (click here to learn more). Learned helplessness makes seeking help and treatment seriously difficult.
So It is important to pay attention to your symptoms, both physical and psychological. to get out of this situation. Generally, chronic stress manifests itself in different ways:
These symptoms and many others They not only affect the person, but also those closest to them.making it difficult, on many occasions, to have healthy interpersonal relationships with your family or your partner.
Burnout or chronic stress at work
One of the most common types of chronic stress is burnout or burnout syndrome.which occurs in the work environment and which, in recent years, has worsened in many professional sectors due to the crisis and personnel cuts.
The causes of burnout can be diverse, and They originate either in the expectations of employees or their ability to cope with the problemas well as different factors that depend purely and exclusively on the practices of the company or organization. For example: leadership styles, failure in selection processes or role overload.
Studies in this line of research indicate that burnout manifests itself in the following way:
Chronic stress treatment
Since the first research on stress, carried out by Hans Selye, in the 1950s, many experts have contributed more and more knowledge about what it is, how it works and what is the best way to treat this condition. One of the theories that has been most used is the demand-control-social support model of Karasek and Johnson. (1986), which works especially well for work stress.
From this model it is understood that The source of stress is found in the mismatch between existing demands and the control that the person has. to meet these demands. In other words, what determines the appearance of stress is the interaction between the person and the stressful situation. Therefore, the problem can be attacked in two ways: changing or avoiding the stressful event or, conversely, changing the way the person perceives and faces this situation.
The best way to overcome chronic stress, obviously, is to eradicate the causative factor, although this is not always possible. It may be an alternative to leave your job or get divorced when the problem is in your job or your relationship with your partner, but what happens to a long-term unemployed person or a member of a family without financial resources who is unable to pay his or her debt? ?
These cases require professional psychological help, because this situation can lead to serious problems in the future if this phenomenon is not adequately combated. In other words, it is necessary to seek treatment and learn practical tools to deal with this negative situation. The need to see a clinical psychologist can be key to learning to manage negative emotions and sensations associated with stress.
In the best of cases, a radical change in lifestyle will be enough, such as taking care of your diet, practicing regular physical exercise, dedicating time to leisure and finding moments for relaxation. You can delve into these tips and many more in our article: “10 essential tips to reduce stress.”
