The effect of stress on the human body. The impact of stress on psychosomatic health of a person

You can boast of excellent health and the ability to resist any disease as much as you like, but not to experience stress even once in your life?! Such people simply do not exist! Negativity, conflict situations, reasons for nervous overstrain in the life of a modern person, alas, abound. A is a natural reaction of the body to such factors.

Everyone knows the negative impact of stress on human health, both mental and physiological. No wonder they say that all diseases arise from nerves, but what exactly can this manifest itself in?

Psycho-emotional state

A surge of negative emotions, regardless of the reasons that caused it, introduces an imbalance in the usual measured way of life. Stress affects a person's behavior in society, affects his mental abilities, and reduces efficiency. With isolated cases, the body can cope. In this case, stress is not so dangerous and does not lead to serious consequences. But if the nervous tension lasts for a long time, a person is constantly stressed, then this can cause various psycho-emotional disorders and nervous disorders.

Common effects of stress are:

• imbalance;
• causeless mood swings;
• neuroses;
• emotional instability;
• memory impairment, impaired attention;
• anger;
• increased fatigue.

In such a state, the quality of human life deteriorates significantly. Simply put, it becomes much more difficult for him to live, since any action is given with great difficulty and requires incredible mental strength. Often, against the background of stress, insomnia, irritability, intolerance, can occur.

The most disappointing post-stress state is severe prolonged depression, apathy towards everything around. The consequence of this may be a complete loss of interest in life, suicidal behavior, obsessive thoughts about suicide.

Stress and physical health

One way or another, stress causes a temporary disruption of the functions of the central nervous system and brain. And since all systems and organs in the human body are interconnected, this cannot affect his physical health. That is why stress is mentioned as one of the main causes of the occurrence or exacerbation of a huge number of somatic diseases. The most common consequences are:

• Weakened immunity, low body resistance to viral, bacterial, infectious diseases.
• muscle dystrophy.
• The likelihood of cellular degeneration of tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
• Increased risk of developing oncological diseases of various etiologies, etc.

Most often, due to stress, diseases of the cardiovascular system (ischemic disease, angina pectoris, etc.) and the gastrointestinal tract (,) develop. But strong nervous strains also affect the work of other systems in the most negative way. This happens due to the fact that during stress, hormones necessary for the normal functioning of the body are produced in excessive quantities. As a result, hormonal regulation gets out of control, which causes reactions that provoke the appearance of ailments, the occurrence of certain diseases, and the exacerbation of chronic diseases.

So, for example, an increased level of glucocorticoids causes a rapid breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids. The result of a deficiency of these substances is muscle dystrophy. In addition, a high concentration of glucocorticoids in the body makes it difficult for calcium to be absorbed by bone tissues, as a result of which their structure changes, becoming more porous and fragile. Stress- one of the most likely causes of the development of such a common disease today as.

Hormonal disorders caused by stress are reflected in the condition of the skin. An excess of some and a lack of other hormones hinder the growth of fibroblasts. Such structural changes cause thinning of the skin, resulting in its easy damage, reduced ability to heal wounds.

The negative consequences of the increased content of stress hormones in the body that exceed the permissible norms do not end there. Among the most dangerous are growth retardation, destruction of spinal cord and brain cells, reduced insulin synthesis, the development of tumor processes, and oncological diseases.

Based on the above, one conclusion follows: stress- an extremely dangerous condition, entailing serious consequences for both physical and psychological health! Therefore, you should try by all means to avoid stressful situations, emotional overstrain, depression.

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Stress and its effect on the human body has been studied quite well by doctors and psychologists, since this problem is becoming commonplace at the present time. Everyone can find themselves in a stressful situation, regardless of age, gender and social status. Stress is a defense mechanism against unusual physical and mental stress and strong emotions. Being in a non-standard situation that requires an important decision, excitement appears, the heartbeat quickens, weakness and dizziness occur. If the effect of stress on the human body has reached its peak, then complete moral and physical exhaustion sets in.

Causes of stress

Any factor can cause overvoltage, but experts divide them into two categories.
First, these are changes in the usual course of life:

• increased workload;
• discord in personal life (intimate life);
• misunderstanding on the part of relatives;
• acute shortage of money and others.

Secondly, these are internal problems that are generated by imagination:

• pessimistic attitude;
• low self-esteem;
• overestimation of requirements not only to oneself, but also to others;
• inner struggle of the individual.

It is wrong to consider that only negative emotions are stress factors. The impact of stress on human health is also from an overabundance of positive emotions, for example, a wedding or a rapid career growth.

Having determined the cause of the appearance of stress, it is necessary to eradicate it. If the irritation is caused by the words or actions of a familiar person, then it is worthwhile to clearly formulate your claims in advance and express them to the object of your discontent. If the last strength is taken away by professional activities, then it is better to find a new place for yourself. Do not be afraid to radically change your lifestyle, to exclude from it all the negative aspects for the sake of your own peace of mind.

Stages of stress

Any living being tries to adapt to environmental conditions. The Canadian scientist Selye proved in 1936 that with an extremely strong impact, the human body refuses to adapt. Thus, three stages of stress were identified, depending on the hormonal background of a person:

1. Anxiety. This is the preparatory stage, during which there is a powerful release of hormones. The body prepares for defense or flight.
2. Resistance. A person becomes aggressive, irritable, begins to fight the disease.
3. Exhaustion. During the struggle, all reserve energy reserves were used up. The body loses its ability to resist, and psychosomatic disorders begin, up to deep depression or death.

Stress directly affects the health of the human body. The work of internal organs and systems is suppressed, a feeling of depression appears.
The impact of stress on human health has various manifestations, the main of which are:

• headaches that do not have a characteristic localization;
• chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia;
• functional disorders of the cardiovascular system: bradycardia,
• arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction;
• impaired concentration, increased fatigue, decreased performance;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, ulcers, dyspepsia of neurotic origin;
• oncological problems are aggravated;
• decreased immunity, as a result of which the body may undergo a viral infection;
• violation of neuroendocrine regulation, irregular production of hormones, leads to the development of osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus or other metabolic diseases;
• degeneration of brain tissue, muscle rigidity or atony;
  alcohol or drug addiction may occur.

A person's mood directly depends on the hormonal background of a person. The anti-stress hormone is responsible for the correct psychological mood in the body. Cortisol helps to move towards the goal, gives strength and motivation for action. The level of the hormone in the blood varies depending on the emotional state of the person, his plans for the near future.
If the body is in a stressful state, then psychologically, it cannot adequately respond to the actions taking place around it. This manifests itself in excessive demands on oneself and on the people around. Calmness is lost, internal balance is disturbed, as a result of which apathy for life appears.

The consequences of a violation of the psycho-emotional background:

• depletion of mental strength leads to neurosis, depression and other mental illness;
• loss of interest in life, lack of any desires;
• violations of sleep and wakefulness;
• emotional instability: attacks of aggression, outbursts of anger, irritability;
• an inner sense of anxiety.

Monotonous monotonous work, constant emotional tone lead to the fact that performance begins to decline, constant fatigue is felt.
At work, signs of overwork are directly manifested:

• regular erroneous actions;
• desire to sleep: yawning, eyes closing;
• lack of appetite;
• migraine, noise in the head
• eye pain;
• hovering nature of thoughts, lack of concentration;
• unwillingness to continue working.

Fatigue tends to accumulate, if you do not help your body fight stress, then the level of performance can decrease irrevocably.

Recovery of the body after stress

A distinctive feature of a morally strong person is resistance to negative influences. Total self-control is the best defense against stressful situations. You can hide from troubles, but for a normal state of mind, you must be able to deal with problems.

A set of calming and relaxing activities will help you recover from stressful exposure:

The positive effect of stress on the human body

If the shake-up of the body occurred for a short time, then it can be beneficial:

Thus, stress and its effect on a person is different. Emotional tone has a positive effect on the mental sphere, but control and increased activity are followed by the depletion of vital resources. Nervous tension will pass on its own as soon as the cause of its occurrence disappears. It is very important to monitor your emotional and physiological state, if it is impossible to exclude an irritating factor, contact a specialist.

Nature arranged the human body expediently, with a huge margin of safety, adapting it for a long and healthy life. But, unfortunately, she could not foresee the coming growth of civilization and culture, which tore human existence from its natural roots, which for modern man turned many emotions from a means of survival in the wild into an instrument of self-destruction. Interesting comparisons are given in his book “Protection from Stress” by M.E. Sandomierski, pointing out that emotions such as anger or fear, for example, are biologically justified, are useful. They prepare the body to "squeeze" everything possible out of the muscles, entering into a fight or fleeing. This mechanism, which we have considered earlier, is inherited from distant ancestors and works in the same way both in animals and in humans. But if a Neanderthal, dressed in animal skins and armed with a stone ax, this mechanism helped to defeat the enemy in battle or escape from a ferocious predator, then to our contemporary, in a suit and tie, armed only with a telephone receiver and a pen, he creates only problems, because he enters contrary to the rules of modern society. Indeed, in most cases, it is impossible to show physical aggression against the interlocutor who caused a negative emotion. Yes, and fast legs will not help in solving today's problems. But at the same time, sitting at a table in the office, faced with unpleasant, emotionally significant information, a person internally tenses up: both the pressure rises and the pulse goes off scale to provide the muscles with energy. Muscles tense up in preparation for action, but no action occurs. Physiological shifts in the form of unspent, unclaimed preparation for an unaccomplished action remain.

If stress were limited to only uncomfortable sensations (increased muscle tension, sweating, shortness of breath and a state of anxiety), even this would negatively affect a person. Unfortunately, chronic stress leads to the development of serious diseases.

The cardiovascular system. As already noted, stress causes an increase in blood pressure. The effect of stress on the cardiovascular system is obvious. In addition, stress affects the heart directly. Increases, due to the influence of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and the above hormones, the number of contractions and cardiac output. When stress in the body increases the level of cholesterol, blood serum and other fatty acids. Cholesterol in the blood accumulates on the walls of blood vessels, disrupting blood flow in various parts of the body. When blood flow to the heart is impaired, the risk of developing coronary heart disease or death from myocardial infarction caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the heart is high.

Bill's wife died a year ago. He suffered her death for a long time and hard, believing that it was unfair, because she was such a kind person! Gradually, he was overcome by a sense of helplessness. Loneliness has become a part of life, and tears are the companions of his evenings. Bill passed away a year after the death of his wife. The official cause of death is a heart attack, but Bill's friends believe he died of a broken heart (from D. Greenberg's book).

The immune system. The most important component of the immune system is leukocytes (white blood cells). Leukocytes are divided into 3 groups: phagocytes and two types of lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells). All these groups of cells perform one task: they identify and destroy substances foreign to the body. Human health is threatened by any factor that lowers the number of leukocytes. Stress is one of those factors.

In their study, Robert Ornstein and David Sobel summarized data on the relationship between the emotional component and the decrease in the effectiveness of the immune system. Bereavement survivors have reduced immune system function; stressed rats develop more tumors than control rats; the West Point cadets who developed mono came mostly from families with "wunderkind" fathers; relapses of oral herpes simplex are associated with stress and a person's emotional response to the disease.

According to Arthur Stone, dental students who were in a bad mood were found to have lower levels of antibodies. Divorced women have 40% lower levels of killer cells (these are cells that fight viruses and tumors).

Dr. Candace Perth, a neuroscientist and head of brain biochemistry at the National Institute of Mental Health, has studied the chemicals that transmit signals from nerve cells to the brain and from the brain to parts of the body. He discovered that hundreds of such transmitters (neuropeptides) are produced directly by the brain. And some of these substances are produced in small amounts by macrophages (leukocytes that destroy viruses and bacteria). Since relaxation and some forms of visualization promote the production of neuropeptides (such as beta-endorphins), it is possible to specifically stimulate their production, thus strengthening the immune system. The expected result is a reduction in disease.

Cancer treatment takes into account the influence of consciousness on the body, as modern researchers tend to emphasize the role of stress in the development of cancer. Cancer patients are taught to imagine how T-lymphocytes attack cancer cells. The use of visualization skills and other relaxation techniques is based on the reasonable assumption that if under the influence of stress the number of lymphocytes decreases, then during relaxation their number increases. As a result, the immune system can control cancer cells to some extent. However, it should be recognized that this method of cancer treatment is not generally recognized and is used only experimentally.

Digestive system. As a result of stress, the secretion of saliva in the mouth decreases. That is why, when we worry, we feel that everything is dry in our mouth. Due to the fact that uncontrolled contractions of the muscles of the esophagus can begin as a result of stress, swallowing may be difficult.

During chronic stress, the release of norepinephrine causes spasm of the gastric capillaries, which prevents the secretion of mucus and destroys the protective mucous barrier on the walls of the stomach. Without this barrier, hydrochloric acid (which increases during stress) corrodes the tissue and can reach the blood vessels, resulting in a bleeding ulcer.

Due to the fact that the rhythm of contractions of the large and small intestines changes as a result of stress, diarrhea (if the peristalsis becomes too fast) or constipation (if the peristalsis slows down) can occur.

Modern medicine associates all disorders in the bile and pancreatic ducts, pancreatitis, any stomach problems with stress.

Musculature. Under stress, muscles tense up. Some people look like they are constantly on the defensive or aggressive, they are constantly on edge. This muscle tension is called "clamping". Indeed, how often a person feels (after a conflict, in a crisis situation, or simply by the end of a working day, week) depressed, “exhausted”, tired like a “squeezed lemon”. It is no coincidence that there are folk expressions for describing emotional states: “like a mountain from the shoulders”, “to shoulder a burden”, “put a collar around your neck”. This is not only heaviness in a figurative sense, but also a physical feeling of heaviness, residual muscle tension associated with unreacted emotions.

Many of us are not aware of muscle tension. But we grip the pen too tightly when writing, sit on the very edge of our chair while watching a movie, caught in traffic, grip the steering wheel tighter than necessary, and we clench our teeth when we get angry. And when we face a new stressor without getting rid of the existing muscle tension, our muscles tighten even more.

The examples listed refer to skeletal muscles. Stress is also reflected in the functioning of smooth muscles (see earlier the mechanism of increased blood pressure, peristalsis disorders). So, migraine headaches are the result of contraction and expansion of the carotid arteries on one side of the head. The contraction phase (prodrome) is often accompanied by increased light and noise sensitivity, irritability, flushing or pallor of the skin. When arteries dilate, certain chemicals excite nearby nerve endings, causing pain. Headaches caused by muscle tension as a result of stress can affect the forehead, jaw, and even the neck.

As with tension headaches, chronic stress causes muscle spasms and back pain.

Leather. In a stressful situation, sweating increases, and the temperature of the skin surface decreases. Since norepinephrine causes the walls of blood vessels on the surface of the skin of the hands and feet to contract, fingers and toes get colder than usual during stress. In addition, due to vasoconstriction, the skin turns pale. Thus, the skin of nervous, anxious, stressed people is cold, slightly moist and pale.

Sexual system. Prolonged release of glucocorticoids leads to a significant decrease in testosterone production, which reduces sexual desire and leads to impotence. Stress is considered one of the causes of menstrual irregularities in women, resulting in impaired reproductive function.

Stress can cause miscarriage in a pregnant woman. According to studies, 70% of women who have had miscarriages experienced at least one stressful situation in the 4-5 months before.

Now that you have an idea of ​​how the body reacts to stress, you can study your own response. Note in table 5 how often you have a certain physical syndrome, and then calculate the total points scored for the answers.

Table 5

stress and you

physical symptom		Rarely (more than once every 6 months)	Sometimes (more than once a month)	Often (more than once a week)	Constantly
lingering headaches
Migraines (vascular headaches)
Pain in the stomach
Increasing pressure
Cold hands
Shallow, rapid breathing
Strong heartbeat
Sweaty hands
Flatulence
Frequent urination
Feet sweating
oily skin
Fatigue/Exhaustion
Dry mouth
Hand tremor
Back pain
Neck pain
Chewing movements of the jaws
teeth grinding
Feeling of heaviness in the chest or around the heart
Dizziness
Menstrual disorders (for women)
Skin that is blotchy
Rapid heartbeat
Digestive disorders
Low pressure
Hyperventilation
Joint pain
Dry skin
Stomatitis / Disease of the jaws
Allergy
40-75 points - your chances of getting sick due to stress are minimal; 76-100 points - there is a small chance that you will get sick due to stress; 101-150 points - high probability of getting sick due to stress; more than 150 points - probably, stress has already affected your health.

The conclusions you made are important in order to form your own strategy of behavior. It is necessary not only to understand the fundamental need to fulfill one's aspirations, but also to know how to harmoniously combine it with inherited opportunities. After all, the amount of innate adaptive energy varies from person to person.

I would like to end this section with a reminder of the “total disposal” rule, or, as the American psychologist R. Alpert (aka philosopher Ram Dass) figuratively called it, the “grain to the mill” rule. Everything that happens to a person, he can use, comprehend, process, like a mill grinds grain. And the events that take place in a person’s life, even if unpleasant, and negative thoughts about them are just “grain for the mill”, which must be disposed of, “grind” in oneself in order to maintain health and move on. In the process of internal work on oneself, a person can and should develop stress resistance, or, in the words of K.G. Jung, "the willingness, whatever happens, to accept it QUIETLY."

findings

So, stress has its positive and negative sides. The main useful property of stress is, of course, its natural function of human adaptation to new conditions. In addition, the “useful” consequences of stress include an increase in the level of stress resistance, the development of personal qualities and personal growth, and the realization of the need for exertion.

Stress becomes harmful when it is too strong or when it lasts too long.

Among the negative consequences of stress, deterioration in the performance of tasks, impaired mental functions, exhaustion, delayed mental reactions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health disorders and psychological problems. Stress is considered the main culprit in the development of psychosomatic illnesses.

In society, any nervous breakdown is considered to be stress, and its extreme manifestations are considered hysteria. From the point of view of medicine, hysteria and neurasthenia are mental disorders and are subject to correction by psychiatric specialists. However, the impact of stress on a person is by no means limited to neurological disorders.

The term "stress" appeared in medicine from physics, where it denotes the tension of the system due to the force applied from the outside.

The human body as a single system is daily under pressure from external factors. Stressors can be environmental causes:

• Air pollution,
• Atmospheric pressure jumps;
• Magnetic storms;
• Sudden changes in air temperature.

Medical stressors are any diseases (from traumatic injuries to infectious ones), social stressors are conflict situations in a team, society. The impact of stress on a person is great - it negatively affects physical and psychological health.

Medical aspects of stress

In 1926, the founder of the doctrine of stress, Hans Selye, published his observations of patients suffering from various diseases. The results were astonishing: regardless of the disease, everyone had loss of appetite, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, loss of aspirations and desires.

Hans Selye called stress the same reactions of the body to any external influence.

The most powerful stressor, Hans Selye believed, is the lack of a goal. Also, in a state of physiological immobility, the human body is more susceptible to the development of diseases: stomach ulcers, heart attack, hypertension.

The impact of stress on a person changes the conditions of life. For example, with strong positive emotions, the vitality of the body increases dramatically, this is ensured by high blood pressure. A person, having fulfilled his dream, feels a loss of appetite and muscle weakness - when exposed to negative emotions, a similar decline in strength is perceived very painfully.

Stress, in fact, is an innate reaction of the body, enabling a person to adapt to life in new conditions. Therefore, in medicine it is called the adaptation syndrome.

The impact of stress on human health

The development of stress in every person occurs according to a single mechanism. In contact with a stress factor, the central nervous system announces an alarm. The further reaction of the body is not controlled by the will of the person, but is carried out by the vegetative, independent nervous system. The mobilization of vital organs and systems begins, guaranteeing survival in extreme circumstances. Due to the excitation of the sympathetic nervous system, breathing and heartbeat quicken, blood pressure increases. The physiological impact of stress on human health ensures the centralization of blood circulation: lungs-heart-brain. The hormones "flight and fight" are released: adrenaline and norepinephrine. People experience dry mouth and dilated pupils. Muscle tone rises to such an extent that it is often manifested by trembling of the legs or hands, twitching of the eyelids, corners of the mouth.

With the further development of the adaptation syndrome, the effect of stress on human health is expressed in the body's response to adaptation to new living conditions.

The effect of stress on the human body

In the active stage, hormones of the "second line of defense" appear - glucocorticoids. Their action is aimed at emergency survival due to the internal reserves of the body: all the glucose reserves of the liver are used, and their own proteins and fats break down.

If the reaction continues with the depletion of vital forces, the effect of stress on a person continues. The "alarm" mechanism is activated again, but there are no internal reserves anymore. This stage of stress is final.

All the forces of the body during stress are directed to the work of the central organs: the heart, lungs and brain, so the rest of the vital organs at this time suffer from a lack of oxygen. Under such conditions, gastric ulcers, hypertension, bronchial asthma, migraine-like pains, tumors of peripheral organs (cancer) can develop.

With a prolonged course, the effect of stress on the human body is manifested not only by the development of diseases, but also by the depletion of the nervous system. This medical condition is called neurasthenia. Neurasthenics have pain in all organs, but most of all, in the head. The person understands that his nervous forces are depleted and considers such a state to be chronic fatigue syndrome. From the point of view of pathological physiology, this is nothing more than a protracted adaptation reaction.

The effect of stress on the human condition

The general tone, that is, the mood of people depends on the hormonal background. Having set a certain goal, a person wakes up, feeling full of strength for any accomplishments. Psychological mood sets cortisol - the main anti-stress hormone. Its content in the blood in the morning varies greatly depending on the mood for the coming day. Under normal conditions, on the eve of a working day, the content of anti-stress hormone is much higher than on a day off.

When the impact of stress on a person's condition reaches a critical point, the morning does not bode well. Therefore, the whole day is considered "spoiled".

A person loses a sense of the correct assessment of what is happening. Surrounding events and influences are perceived inconsistently with their strength. Excessive demands on others, for example, on oneself, are often not justified. Often, the impact of stress on a person exacerbates the course of chronic diseases. They begin to escalate, as they say, "out of schedule." Not in autumn and spring, during periods of planned therapeutic measures, but in winter and summer.

The effect of stress on human behavior

In an unstable state, aspirations and goals are chosen by a person, without taking into account their own capabilities. Any desire to achieve something, in fact, a negative emotion, becomes positive when the desired result is achieved. If the goal remains unattainable, the emotion becomes a strong stressor.

In extreme conditions, the effect of stress on human behavior is especially noticeable, depending on the initial state of health and temperament, as a character trait. In the same conditions, people with different attitudes to the surrounding reality behave in completely different ways. According to Pavlov's classification, there are four types of higher nervous activity, weak (melancholic) and three strong, but with some features:

• Unbalanced, reacting to any impact with a violent reaction - choleric;
• Balanced, inert - phlegmatic;
• Mobile and balanced - sanguine.

The influence of stress on a person of different types of higher nervous activity is not the same. Strange as it may seem, but unbalanced people endure stress most easily. The effect of stress factors on such a person ends with the level of the primary response of the body. Whereas in people who are balanced, stress passes into the second phase of adaptation, and then leads to exhaustion.