Myths and truths about stress

“Good” and “Bad”

There is no “good” or “bad” stress – we owe this misconception to the author of the concept of “stress”, the Canadian doctor Hans Selye. Describing the stress by which the body copes with a dangerous situation, he too harshly contrasted stress, which provokes overstrain (distress), and stress, which gives a feeling of strength and self-confidence (eustress). Today, psychologists and physiologists distinguish between acute stress, which mobilizes the body’s resources, and chronic stress, which depletes them.

Acute stress is experienced by those who must quickly respond to a change in the usual situation. Our life sometimes depends on the speed and accuracy of this reaction. When the situation drags on, stress, becoming chronic, depletes our resources, causing physical and mental disorders. The most common are headaches, stomach ulcers, arterial hypertension, arthritis, asthma, colitis, and even some forms of angina pectoris.

G. Selye “Stress without Distress” (Book on Demand, 2012).

He must be fought

Would life be better without stress? No, it would be insipid: no overcoming difficulties, no learning new things, no reason to “hone” the mind or develop abilities. A cyclist jumps out in front of the car, the boss pushes the deadline for the submission of work, you are asked to agree to become the head of the course: without this physical and mental stress, we would not be able to respond to a problem situation – say, to go to the doctor when something hurts. Trying to eliminate the vital energy of stress is useless. It makes no more sense than not breathing on the grounds that there are free radicals in the air! It is much more effective to get out of the state of constant reaction and act thoughtfully.

R. Gerrig, F. Zimbardo “Psychology of Life” (Peter, 2004).

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We can get ahead of him

The idea is seductive – everyone wants to “lay a straw” where they have to fall. Expecting the worst is in our nature. And this ability to anticipate stress allowed humanity to survive, unlike animals that died out in whole evolutionary branches in the extremely changing conditions of the Earth. It is this ability that we today call intuition or the “sixth sense”, which is more pronounced for some, weaker for others, but which is inherent in us by nature.

However, trying to predict possible events that will become a source of stress is an activity that, on the one hand, generates stress itself, and on the other hand, gives the illusion that we can literally control everything. “Let’s stop holding on to omnipotence,” advises psychologist Patrick Légeron, “and let’s look at things philosophically.” Because when the unexpected does happen, we experience a sense of helplessness that increases stress. So it is very important not to break with reality. This is the only way to remain objective, realistically assess reality and accept the fact that something must be abandoned.

Science, 1997, vol. 275, February 28.

It’s all written in the genes

Genes influence our resistance to stress. Being genetically prone to stress does not necessarily mean that we will suffer more from it. Research in epigenetics has shown that environmental conditions and our personal history affect whether our genes will “work”. People with low levels of serotonin, that is, those genetically predisposed to stress, can adapt their lifestyle to their emotional vulnerability and avoid circumstances that depress them. On the contrary, those who have a lot of serotonin and are less prone to stress tend to take rash risks and get into all sorts of disturbing and frightening situations, which, in the end, bring them to premature wear. It’s important to know that the circumstances of our lives have a major impact on our relationship with stress, even though they are genetically predetermined.

Koenen et al. “Modification of the association between serotonin transporter genotype and risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults by county-level, social environment”. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2009, vol. 169, No. 6; P. Sidorov, A. Parnyakov “Clinical Psychology” (Geotar-med, 2010).

Its cause is always psychological

“To distinguish between physical and psychological stress is one of the many prejudices,” explains psychotherapist Thierry Janssen (Thierry Janssen). Stress always acts in the same way, only the nature of the event that triggers it differs. It can be psychological (conflict at work) or physical (annoying noise). When we experience psychological stress, it is accompanied by bodily tension. For someone who is in trouble, his stomach “twists”, his heart contracts, his shoulders tense. Noise first causes a physical reaction, and then, if the situation persists, nervous tension, exhaustion, and even depression. “The greater the sense of helplessness, the more we tend to ‘psychologize’ stress,” continues Thierry Jansen, “as if we could fight it back by finding an explanation for it.” This is a way of saying to myself: if I understand the psychological mechanism that is at work here, then I will find a solution.

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What is stress really

The word “stress” means “tension” and comes from the Latin stringere (stretch, strain, squeeze). This is not an emotion, but a “cascade” response of the body to danger – real or perceived. This reaction is innate and usually cannot be controlled consciously. Instantly, bodily and mental tension arises, which provokes negative emotions, primarily fear and anxiety. At such moments, our sympathetic nervous system starts a chain reaction: the secretion of adrenaline increases, under its action the heart rate accelerates and the blood flow is directed to the muscles, the production of cortisol increases, and we instantly feel additional energy. All our physical and intellectual resources are mobilized in order to decide what to do in this situation – to run or fight back. After a few minutes, if the danger has receded, our body takes energy from its reserves and releases other hormones (endorphin, dopamine and serotonin) that help us calm down.

When we are under stress for a long time, the body is forced to live in constant tension for a long time. As a result, the cardiovascular system wears out, the immune defense decreases and the normal hormonal regulation of the body is disturbed.

B. Fredrikson et al. «The undoing effect of positive emotions». Motivation and Emotion, 2000, vol. 24, № 4;

R. Gerrig, F. Zimbardo “Psychology and Life” (Peter, 2004).