Home » Mind & Soul » Bipolar Disorder » Mental Stress

Mental Stress

© Colleen Sullivan

Stress, according to Dr. Hans Selye, a pioneer in the study of physiological response to challenge, is the "non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it." The body reacts to all stressors, positive or negative, in the same manner.

The word stress has various connotations. It may be described as an external force that causes a person to become tense or upset. Or as an internal state of arousal or as a physical response of the body to various demands.

Each one of us has experienced stress. Some feel that stress comes from negative events only. This is not true. Some of life's happiest moments, births, weddings, reunions, graduations etc are enormously stressful.

Ideally, a person should achieve a level of stress great enough to motivate him to satisfy his needs, but not so high that it interferes with the ability to achieve his highest potential.

The Stress Reaction

You are driving down the road, thinking pleasant thoughts and perhaps listening to the radio. You are watching the road but are calm as you perceive no danger. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, another vehicle swerves into your path! Your mind sharpens, your heart starts to pound, all of your senses are alert as you slam your foot on the brakes. You manage to avoid impact, and pull over to the side of the road, slump in your seat, and relax until your body returns to normal. You have experienced stress.

You have a responsible job. You have a regular daily overload of work. In addition, you are required to present special projects on the first and fifteenth of every month. Your boss is a hard taskmaster and does not accept delays or excuses, making it very clear that there others who would happily take your job. As each project deadline looms you feel threatened. You are experiencing intermittent stress, which, if it goes on long enough, may become chronic.

Your child has a severe illness. Every day brings new challenges, as you try to cope with worry and care for him. Your spouse is an uncontrolled alcoholic and is unable to be supportive. He was fired from his latest job and money is tight. You are suffering from severe and chronic stress. Each day seems to add more.

Stressors

ACCUTE

Accute stressors appear quickly. As long as your mind sees it as a stressful event your body will react with an outpouring of adrenalin and a fight/flight reaction. Once the fear has ended, stress is eliminated and the body returns to normal.