Stress is a person’s physical and emotional response to change. While most people tend to think of stress as bad, it can be either positive or negative. Sources of positive stress include having a new baby or starting an exciting new job. Sources of negative stress include divorce, unemployment or legal battles. It may take only a short time to adjust to the change (acute stress) or it may take a much longer time (chronic stress).

Acute stress is an immediate reaction to a change that is judged as threatening (stressor). Sources of acute stress include a car suddenly cutting someone off in traffic, or hearing a loud, unexpected noise. Not only does the threat tend to create feelings such as fear or nervousness in the person, but the threat also can set off the body’s alarm system, triggering a “fight or flight” response. This response prepares the body to either fight or flee from a perceived threat to it, after which the body returns to normal.

If all stressors were acute, then stress would not be such a critical issue in modern society. People would simply respond to an immediate threat, and then their body’s systems would return to normal. Unfortunately, there are many changes in modern society to which it is more difficult to respond, such as daily job stress, unrelenting financial pressures and dysfunctional long-term relationships. The longer that people go without either changing or adapting to these changes, the longer they will experience stress. The type of stress that people experience for a long period of time is called chronic stress.

Because chronic stress results from changes that are not addressed, this lack of action leaves the body in a state of heightened awareness or tension. Sooner or later the energy drain on the system will cause the body to fall behind in the self-repair and maintenance necessary for good health. The unrelenting wear and tear of changes brought about by stress hormones can lead to conditions such as ulcers, heartburn, diarrhea, tension headaches, and muscles spasms or aching in the jaw, neck, back and shoulders. Chronic stress has also been associated with the following:

• Cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke
• Suppressed immune system resulting in more upper respiratory infections and other infectious diseases
• Slowed wound-healing
• Herpes outbreaks
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) attacks
• Decreased sex drive
• Asthma attacks
• Angina attacks
• Colitis attacks
• Symptom flare-ups of multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Blood pressure elevations
• Increased chronic pain
• Arthritis flare-ups
• Poor control of diabetes

Stress may also hinder the recovery of heart patients following a first heart attack, as well as lead to future heart problems.

Furthermore, chronic stress takes an emotional toll because the feelings of fear or nervousness remain constant without relief. Consequently, chronic stress can be both physically and emotionally harmful. Because of the many physical dangers of stress, stress management has been proposed as a vital component in the treatment of conditions ranging from heart disease to diabetes. Some studies have even shown its usefulness in the treatment of cancer.