Chronic stress can lead to mental health problems, physical ailments, and health risks such as cardiovascular disease, infections, and immune disorders. It can be triggered by work, relationships, and financial worries. Treatment includes medication, therapy, exercise, sleep, and a healthier diet.
Chronic stress is continued exposure to acute stressors and can lead to serious mental health problems, such as depression, as well as physical ailments, including heart problems. When an individual suffers from this condition, they adapt inadequately to stress, causing high levels of hormones called glucocorticoids to remain in the blood and tissues. When these hormones linger, they take a toll on the body. Chronic stress can be triggered by a number of factors, including work, relationships and financial worries. With the condition, an individual may eventually become used to a feeling of hopelessness, but the disorder can often be treated with medication and therapy.
Mental symptoms associated with high stress levels often include trouble remembering things, poor judgment, constant worry, and lack of concentration. Emotionally, an individual experiencing heavy stress may feel overwhelmed and experience moodiness, irritability, and feelings of isolation. The physical symptoms of chronic stress can include headaches, back pain, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. Other physical indicators can include being constantly tired, weight changes, and even heart palpitations. Social and behavioral symptoms related to excessive stress can include isolation, overreacting to situations, pacing, and biting nails.
Chronic stress can arise due to a persistent or ongoing situation, such as a problematic relationship or illness. The condition is exacerbated by internal stressors, such as fears and expectations. Over time, constant worrying can have long-lasting effects and can even become fatal.
A person suffering from the condition is also prone to certain health risks. A person with chronic stress puts themselves at risk of cardiovascular disease, as stress makes the heart work faster. Stress also leads to constriction of the arteries and thickening of the blood, which promotes blood clots. In high levels of stress blood pressure can rise, which puts a person at greater risk of stroke.
Persistent stress also puts an individual at risk for infections and immune disorders. High levels of stress cause a person’s white blood cell count to rise, making them vulnerable to colds and flu, as well as conditions such as eczema and lupus. Also, a person experiencing constant stress is at risk of developing diabetes. High levels of stress make a person more resistant to insulin, which is needed to regulate blood sugar levels.
Chronic stress can be managed through exercise, getting at least seven hours of sleep a day, and eating a healthier diet. Therapy may also be beneficial for a person with the condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to change a person’s thoughts and behaviors that are causing perceived stress. Biofeedback therapy focuses on teaching people how to deal with physiological responses to stressful circumstances.
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