Stress

How can stress affect people in the modern society?

Scientifically, stress is the body’s response to any physical, mental or emotional alterations that requires an adjustment. Neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky stated that during the event of a “fight or flight” situation, stress causes the release of certain hormones that trigger the body responses to efficiently prioritize on survival instincts by temporarily shutting off other less-important systems such as digestion and reproduction. However, what was once the savior in life-threatening settings for humans has begun to turn its back since the dawn of more modernized civilizations. The contemporary lifestyle is currently surrounded by petty concerns - difficult to escape by its nature - that have a significant participation in escalating the average stress levels among humans. Although problems involving studies, work, finances or relationship are not literally life-threatening, the inner stress switch all humans have are subconsciously turned on when dealing with them. Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation reported that 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. On a related note, the bigger question we need to ponder upon is, how does the stress factor affects the modern society? According to numerous researches, it has been proven that stress affects people by deteriorating their bodily health and cognitive abilities.

Stress can afflict the modern society physiologically by weakening their health as it leads to the temporal shutdown of an immune system and a surge of increase in weight gain. The immune system, a body’s first line of defence against hostile antigens, is known to be receptive towards stress hormone levels and acts accordingly to it. Mcleod S. (2010) revealed that prolonged suppression of the immune system by the stress hormone corticosteroid will result in humans being more susceptible to infections. The National Geographic documentary, Stress: Portrait of a Killer mentioned that stomach ulcers were not merely caused by bacterial infection but also caused by a stress-driven impairment of the immune system. On the other hand, principal investigator Carol A. Shively, a professor of pathology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (2011) also noted that “stress influences fat deposits in the abdominal cavity while exacerbating the build-up of plaque in blood vessels”. These visceral fat deposits increase the risks in heart diseases - worldwide leading cause of death - by congesting the blood vessels with plague. One example of this would be hypertension, a coronary heart disease whose victims suffer from increased strain on their circulatory system due to clogged blood vessels. Chronic congestion may even lead to a fatal heart attack when blood vessels leading to the heart are fully blocked.

The impairment of cognitive abilities is also related to stress because it oppresses memory capabilities and learning developments in humans. According to Mental Help (2008), the constant presence of stress hormones such as cortisol in the brain may modify the network and performance in some aspects of the nervous system. Hippocampus is the part of a brain which contains functioning neurons that determine the competency of memory and learning. While stress hormones are generally favourable in brain activities, an overdose will bring 
about reduced receptors in the hippocampus which prevents the formation of new memory and hinders the retrieval of an existing memory. According to Elzinga, B. and Roelofs, K. (2005), patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were found to have a 10% reduction in the hippocampus. Apart from that, it has also been inferred that Alzheimer’s and dementia are caused by long-term exposure to stress. Discovery Health (2012) researches suggest the stress hormones also promotes the growth of proteins that cause Alzheimer's, resulting in further memory loss. Hence, people who are exposed to continuous stress may experience confusion, have a hard time concentrating, go through lengths in learning new information, and have problems with making decisions. Excessive stress overload experienced at workplaces could be potentially harmful for the society in the long run, as it brings about a decreased productivity among workers. Based on the studies of Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration declared stress "a hazard of the workplace because it costs the American industry more than $300 billion annually."

As a conclusion, it is evidently clear that findings show a clear relation between stress and humans's psychological and physiological states. With more technology coming into play in our lives, more information and small matters to handle as we move towards the future, it is highly likely that stress will definitely be a part of our daily struggles. Then, what should one do to prepare themselves to face this ever-growing challenge? When not managed properly and adequately, research findings show it may have grave consequences and life-changing impacts, especially if you develop a chronic disease that has its main roots in stress factors. According to Bill Phillips, stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle. As a part of a solution for this giant dilemma, a proper management of our emotional reaction towards stress factors and continual practice of stress reduction is the key to a healthier, enjoyable life.

References

Nauert PhD, R. (2009). Social Stress and Heart Disease. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 29, 2012, retrieved from
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/08/06/social-stress-and-heart-disease/7578.html

Shively, C. A., Register, T. C., and Clarkson, T. B. (2009)  Social Stress, Visceral Obesity, and Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis in Female Primates. Obesity. Retrieved from  http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v17/n8/abs/oby200974a.html

McLeod, S. A. (2010). Simply Psychology; Stress and the Immune System. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html

Kiffer, J. F. (2010) Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

Kuhlmann, S., Piel, M., Wolf, O.T. (2005). Impaired Memory Retrieval after Psychosocial Stress in Healthy Young Men. Journal of Neuroscience.

Mills PhD, H., Reiss PhD, N., Dombeck PhD, M. (2008). Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress. Mental Help. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=15649&cn=117

How Stuff Works. (2012). Effect of Stress on the Brain. Discovery Health. Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/stress-management/effect-of-stress-on-the-brain.htm


Angier, N. (2009). Brain is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html