Prolonged stress, also called chronic stress, is a long-term physiological response that, if left untreated, can have major health effects. Prolonged stress can have an effect on both physical and mental health. When humans are stressed, the fight-or-flight reaction promotes the production of hormones that assist the body in preparing for action. For example, as your heart rate and respiration rate increase, you become more physically and intellectually attentive. This enables you to act quickly in situations that need it. On the other hand, being in this heightened state of arousal becomes troublesome when there is no immediate risk, and you remain in this condition for an extended amount of time.
Symptoms of Prolonged Stress
Long-term, chronic stress can have a variety of consequences on a person’s health and psyche. The severity of such symptoms can vary. In addition, many of these symptoms may worsen over time as the stress takes its toll.
Long-term stress symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Eating too much or too little
- Fatigue
- Frequent illnesses and infections
- Feeling out of control
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- Irritability
- Mood changes
Causes
A variety of circumstances can result in extended stress. A single major, long-term issue may cause it, but people may suffer several of these simultaneously. Among the possible causes are:
- Long-term health issues: Long-term health issues can be a significant source of prolonged stress.
- Difficult connections: Difficult relationships with family members, lovers, coworkers, or others can cause long-term stress.
- Financial issues: Debt, unexpected spending, or changes in a person’s financial condition can all cause major stress.
- Work-related stress: A high-pressure job, a demanding work environment, or even job insecurity can all be sources of long-term stress.
- Traumatic stresses include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, combat exposure, or exposure to other extreme violence.
Case In Point
The COVID-19 pandemic is an great example of a traumatic occurrence that has resulted in severe long-term stress for people of all walks of life.
People have encountered stressful drawbacks and mental health consequences such as job loss, decreased income, stay at home orders, loneliness, and virtual schooling. Also, conflicts with others over how to respond to the event or whether or not to get vaccinated, in addition to worrying about getting sick or having a loved one contract the virus.
According to an American Psychological Association report, COVID-19-related stressors include interrupted routines, fears about the disease, the government’s response, self-isolation, and worries about meeting necessities.
The Effects of Prolonged Stress
So, what are the long-term repercussions of stress on the mind and body? According to research, the long-term effects of stress can be severe, even fatal. Prolonged stress has an impact on the entire body. This means it can have an impact on multiple regions and systems, either directly or indirectly.
Mental Wellness
Prolonged stress can harm a person’s mental health. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, sleep problems, and personality disorders are all related to chronic, persistent stress. Long-term stress can also have an impact on memory, self-esteem, focus, and other areas of learning and cognition. Long-term stress can also cause changes in brain anatomy, including volume reductions in specific parts of the brain. These structural brain abnormalities have the potential to cause behavioral, emotional, and cognitive problems, increasing a person’s susceptibility to mental illness.
Circulatory System
Acute stress kicks the cardiovascular system into high gear, causing the heart rate and blood pressure to increase in order to pump oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Normally, the body recovers to its resting state after a period of stress, but persistent stress subjects the cardiovascular system to higher levels of stress hormones, which can have long-term consequences. Chronic, long-term stress can put a person at risk for illnesses, including high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.
The Digestive System
Stress can also lead to stomach and digestion issues. In the short term, you may feel like you have “butterflies” in your stomach, but if that stress persists, it can cause stomach discomfort and bloating problems. Researchers believe that the bacteria in a person’s stomach might influence mood; therefore, disturbances in gut flora may also impair mental health and other body systems. In addition, stress-induced changes in the brain-gut interface can contribute to a variety of diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBD), peptic ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
System Musculoskeletal
You’ve probably observed that when you’re agitated, your muscles tense up. This muscle tension lasts a long time under persistent stress. As a result, people may get headaches or migraines, which are frequently caused by the muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders becoming stiff.
System of Respiration
Prolonged stress can also disrupt the breathing functions of the body. For example, stress can make breathing more difficult, resulting in fast breathing and shortness of breath. People with respiratory ailments, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may discover that ongoing stress aggravates their symptoms.
How to Handle Prolonged Stress
If you believe you have chronic stress, there are steps you may take to get relief. However, it is critical to establish appropriate stress management methods to preserve healthy physical and mental health. Even if you can’t always control the causes of your persistent stress, you can influence how you react and cope. Some such solutions are described below.
Remove the Stress
One of the most effective strategies to relieve long-term stress is to address the source of the problem. Of course, this isn’t always feasible. In other circumstances, it may entail making a significant adjustment in your life. For example, if a relationship is causing you stress, you may want to reconsider if you want to continue the relationship. If your job is causing your stress, you may want to consider changing jobs or transferring into a different role at your current one.
Of course, it’s vital to note that major transitions can also be a cause of long-term stress. This is why it is critical to weigh your alternatives and analyze the potential benefits and drawbacks of making a change.
Making a change now may increase tension and anxiety temporarily, but it may result in less stress and greater satisfaction in the long run.
Reframe Your Ideas
People’s perceptions of the sources of their stress might sometimes exacerbate the problem. For example, all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and magnification are all cognitive distortions that can make stressful situations appear worse than they are or even overpowering.
Cognitive reframing, commonly employed in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), alters your perception of certain stresses to better control your emotions and stress response. This method, for example, may focus on assisting you in changing cataclysmic thoughts that focus on worst-case scenarios into more realistic ones.
Create Boundaries (For Yourself and Others)
It is critical to prioritize your tasks while eliminating non-essential causes of stress. This could include declining some commitments, creating limits, or transferring some responsibilities to others. Boundaries can be a crucial aspect of stress management, so learning to recognize when you need to set some limitations is essential. For example, if you feel like people are always asking too much of you or your saying yes to something when you really want to say no. However, it’s not always simple to learn to say no.
On the other hand, finding ways to restrict your duties can be highly beneficial in dealing with chronic stress. Delegating some responsibilities while eliminating some non-essential chores may also be advantageous.
Look after Yourself
It is especially crucial to exercise appropriate self-care while you are under constant stress. Allow yourself time to relax, eat a decent diet, exercise regularly, and discover measures to protect your sleep. Exercise, for example, provides numerous health advantages, including reduced perceived stress and anxiety. However, evidence indicates that stress makes it more difficult for people to stick to their regular physical activity regimen.
If stress makes staying motivated to exercise difficult, look for strategies to incorporate exercise into your routine gradually. Set small targets, such as 10 to 20 minutes of physical exercise per day, and progressively work your way up. You may discover that engaging in physical activity helps you manage stress over time.
Create a Support System
While relationships can be a source of prolonged stress at times, having supportive people in your life to lean on can also be a vital buffer against acute and chronic stress. Social support is essential for both physical and mental health. Support helps people become more resilient and protects them from developing mental diseases caused by stress and trauma. One study, for example, discovered that social support could minimize the impact of stress on depressive symptoms.
Finding help does not necessitate an extensive network. According to the American Psychological Association, having a small group of friends and family members can provide the emotional support you need to manage your stress effectively.
Consult a Therapist
Speaking with a mental health expert is also an excellent method to gain control of your stress and decrease its negative impact on your health. Your therapist can assist you in identifying the sources of stress in your life and developing a plan to address them. This could include working on new coping methods or discovering new ways to deal with challenging people.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
Discuss your concerns with your doctor if persistent stress is impacting your physical and mental health. A doctor can assist rule out any other medical or mental health disorders causing your symptoms and offer therapies that can help, such as psychotherapy or drugs. For example, your doctor may prescribe drugs to alleviate some immediate stress symptoms. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, antacids, and sleeping pills are examples of such pharmaceuticals. They may also suggest psychotherapy or lifestyle changes to help you cope with stress in the long run. While you may not be able to avoid many types of long-term stress, learning how to manage it effectively can help safeguard your physical and mental health.
