Some Facts About Stress - Defining Stress and Anxiety Syndrome

One accepted definition of stress describes it as, "Reactions of the body to forces of a deleterious nature, infections, and various abnormal states that tend to disturb its normal physiologic equilibrium (homeostasis)." In plain English, stress is a reaction to an outside force that throws your body out of whack. The outside force can be physical, as in the excessive stress that causes a bone to break; or it can be psychological, as in the excessive mental stress that causes anxiety syndrome.

Interestingly, physical stressors can cause psychological symptoms, as in the depression that one may feel as a result of a prolonged physical illness; and psychological stressors can cause physical symptoms, as in the nauseous feeling you may get as a result of bad news. One of the curious facts about stress is that its definition is not as simple to pin down as you might have expected.

Prolonged and excessive psychological stress can lead to anxiety syndrome, which can be characterized as a feeling of apprehension, or fear. Sometimes the specific causes of anxiety can be pointed to, as in a particular event that causes you anxiety, but often times anxiety syndrome results from the cumulative affect of a multitude of miscellaneous stressors, none of which are particularly damaging on their own, but when combined lead to a great deal of mental anguish. Another one of the more interesting facts about stress is how not being able to point to a specific cause of anxiety can in itself create anxiety, which sets up a vicious cycle that perpetuates itself regardless of the presence of outside stressors.

Some of the physical symptoms associated with stress and anxiety syndrome include: depression, hair loss, chest pain, difficulty breathing, overeating and weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and a host of illnesses related to stress and the immune system. The effects of excessive stress on health are far reaching and in some instances require professional medical intervention and medication. That said, one of the happier facts about stress and anxiety is that self help for anxiety and depression is a possibility for all but the most severe cases.

To avoid their negative consequences it is imperative that you learn how to prevent stress and anxiety in the first place, and that you learn how to manage the stressors that you are not able to avoid completely. There are a host of stress management tips and techniques that you can use to mitigate the negative effects of stress on your life. While no one tip or technique can manage every symptom, do some internet research to gather more facts about stress and its effects, and to learn about the many effective stress management techniques that are available.

The first step to relief comes in asking the question, "What is stress?" [http://facts-about-stress.info/facts-about-stress-and-anxiety.html] Find answers at [http://facts-about-stress.info/facts-about-stress-and-anxiety.html], where you’ll discover proven tips and techniques for managing stress, and how effective treatment can reduce anxiety symptoms and causes [http://facts-about-stress.info/facts-about-stress-and-anxiety.html].

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