What is stress is the concept of stress and types of stress. Distinctive signs of stress. Effective methods for removing the emotional stress and states of psychological stress

Stress is such a reaction when after processing the consciousness of any internal or external circumstance there is a special state of the nervous system, which leads to a change in work internal organs. Such a factor can be individual in each: internal - personal disease that reduces the quality of life, the external is the death of a loved one, a change of work or relocation. Stress arises only under conditions when the impact of this circumstance exceeds the personal threshold of stress resistance.

Stress may be acute and developed in the form of a single impact, the consequences of which can pass spontaneously in some cases. This phenomenon is programmed by nature in order to fight hazards and avoid them. Most often in the modern world there is a chronic form of stress, in which psychotrambulating circumstances begin to look at each other. It is this process that becomes the cause of many chronic diseases.

What is dangerous stress

Scientists say that more than 150 thousand people in 142 countries of the world today have problems with their own health that arose as a result of stress. The most frequent is heart disease (myocardial infarction, hypertonic disease, angina). According to RAS, after decay Soviet Union For 13 years, the number of patients with cardiovascular diseases increased from 617 to 900 people for every 100,000 population. At the same time, the number of smokers and people who regularly take alcohol, people with a pronounced obesity or increased level cholesterol - those reasons that are key in the development of heart and vascular pathologies, remained within the same indicators. As a result, scientists thought about the impact on the health of the psycho-emotional state.

In second place there are consequences of life in constant condition mental illness, on the third - obesity. Chronic stress does not bypassed the urinary and urogen and digestive systemHowever, the changes that occur in them are not so fatal. Among other things, a person who is constantly in a state of psycho-emotional tension strongly reduces the performance and strength of its own immune system, becoming a light target for many pathologies.

How stress develops

For the first time, the processes that occur after a person collide with psychotrauming events were described by the Cannon psychologist in 1932. The broad publicism of this issue and the term "stress" began to be applied only since 1936, after the release of the famous physiologist Hans Selre, who called stress "Syndrome, which develops as a result of the impact of various damaging agents".

Selve found that when exposed to the mental feet of agents, which exceed the adaptation resources of the body (stress resistance threshold), the following reactions may develop:

Increases the bark of adrenal glands. It is this part of the body that is responsible for the production of "hormone of stress", the main glucocorticoid hormone is cortisol.

A decrease in the number of lipid granules in the adrenal glands (in the brain layer), the main task of these structures is the allocation of norepinephrine and adrenaline into the blood.

Reducing the volume of lymphatic tissue responsible for immunity provokes the opposite development of lymph nodes, spleen, thymus (central organ of the immune system).

Damage to the mucous membranes of duodenum and stomach, including the development of ulcers (they are called still stress-ulcers).

Under the influence of norepinerenaline hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, not only stress-ulcer on mucous intestines and stomach occurs, but also:

improving blood glucose levels, which leads to a decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin (as a result of stress, you can get diabetes mellitus of the second type);

sodium is delayed, and with it and water in the tissues, while potassium, which is necessary for the normal performance of the nerves and hearts, is increasing faster than the usual;

the decay of the tissue proteins that form glucose;

increased deposition of lipid tissue in subcutaneous tissue;

heartbeat becomes frequent, and its rhythm is disturbed;

the blood pressure increases.

As a result of a decrease in the volume of lymphatic tissue, there is a decrease and general immunity. This can lead to a decrease in resistance to infections, and any virus can cause the development of severe pathology or its complication by bacterial pathogens.

The stress resistance threshold is individual for each person and depends on:

the stability of the human psyche to the effects of adverse factors;

human life experience;

type of nervous system (is one of two strong or vice versa of two weak), it determines the reaction rate when making decisions and severity and the nature of emotions.

Thus, melancholic and choleric are more susceptible to stress, while a balanced sanguine is less, and phlegmatic and is less (they require a great power of stressful factors).

Classification

Stress is a common name for all the above-described reactions of the body, when the influence of the psyche activates the operation of the adrenal glands. He may be:

Negative, which leads to Disteres. It will be described in detail further, since it is he can destroy health.

Positive - Estrass. It is provoked by sudden joy, for example, when meeting with an old friend or upon receipt of an unexpected gift, it can also cause a thirst for competition or inspiration. This type of stress does not have negative influence on human health.

By the nature of the impact, Distress can be:

Psychological or nervous psychic. Special viewIt is customary to divide into two types:

psycho-emotional stress that develops against the background of severe hatred, resentment or anger;

information stress arising from the overaffect of information. Most often develops in people who, by the nature of the activity, should deal with the processing of a large number of information.

Physical, which is divided into:

light (when a person is forced for a long time in the illuminated space, when entering the conditions of the polar day, lying in the hospital, at work);

pain (as a result of injury and pain);

food (with hunger or vice versa - forced nutrition of those products that are disgusting for humans);

temperature (for example, when exposed to cold or heat).

Distress may arise as a result of extreme conditions (landslides, floods, hurricanes, hostilities) or extremely strong psychological events (passing the exam, breaking relationship, the death of a relative).

There is even a classification of stressors (stressing factors). In their quality can act:

Life event - long-term event: the death of a loved one, divorce, travel, moving.

Chronic emotional overvoltage. It develops as a result of unresolved conflicts with colleagues or family members.

Small life difficultieswhich is accumulated over time by analogy with a snowball and can destroy the normal relationship in the family.

These stressors are the true cause of the development of the distress.

The flow of stress

Hans Selre highlighted three stages at one time when the organism is replied to any stress. The rate of occurrence depends on the strength of the stressor and the state of the Central CNS of a particular person:

Stage anxiety. A person ceases to control his own actions and thoughts, which creates prerequisites for the weakening of the body. The behavior of the patient changes and becomes the opposite of the one that is usually characteristic of a person.

Stage of resistance. The body's resistance increases in such a way that the person can take specific solution and cope with the situation that appeared.

Stage of exhaustion. It develops with long stress when the body is no longer able to maintain due resistance. It is at this stage that damage to the internal organs begin to develop.

There is also a more advanced description of the stages, which was done after the work of the village. Thus, 4 stages are distinguished:

Mobilization: improving the activity and attention of a person, the forces are still spent economically. If the process at this stage fades, it only temper the body, and does not destroy it.

Active (ram) negative emotion. Rage arises, aggression, anger. To achieve the goal of the body, the body is beginning to be spent uneconomically, which leads to the depletion of the body.

Asthenic (passive) negative emotion. Arises as a result of excessive spending of body forces in the previous stage. A person becomes dreary and does not believe in its own strength, as well as the possibility of permitting the situation. High likelihood of depression.

Full demoralization. Happens when the stressor acts on the human body all the time. A person begins to humble the fact that he lost and becomes indifferent, does not want to solve neither the task-stressor, nor any other. About such people often say "broken".

What can cause stress

What provokes stress healthy man, was mentioned above. It is moving, and injuries, and a divorce, and the death of a loved one, and even monetary problems, a constant lack of time for putting work on time, illness - loved ones or personal. Women are subject to stress at the birth of a child, even in the case when a woman is confident that for 9 months she will have time to prepare for this (especially vulnerable to the stresses of the women in labor, who had complications during having tolerance, moved a break with a beloved person or suffered from constant conflicts).

Factors that increase the chance of stress - lack of sleep, chronic diseases, ill-quality attitude of friends and environment. People who are faithful to convictions and this word are more vulnerable to stress.

The reasons for stress in children may not be so obvious:

the absence of a person who could listen to problems;

imposing hobby parents;

communication problems;

increased loads B. school Program or after the transition from kindergarten in the first class;

change of residence;

communication problems with peers;

problems with an appeal in kindergarten;

supercooling;

sharp change of weather conditions;

randomizing the intimate appeal of other people's people or parents;

changing time zone;

sharp changes in the routine of the day;

loss of a pet;

initial sexual experience;

frequent stay in the hospital without parents;

unfavorable furnishings in the family;

sending to pioneer aglerge or sanatorium without parents.

How to determine that a person has stress

It is customary to distinguish stress acute and chronic. They are manifested in different ways.

There is also a diagnosis - acute reaction to stress. So called a disorder that arises from a mentally healthy person in response to a strong physical or psychological stressor, in which there was a serious threat to life near man or the victim himself. It is noted after:

participation in hostilities, which were particularly bloody;

how a person got hostage in the terrorist act;

car accidents;

rape, especially with brutal cases;

death of children;

fire in the house;

natural disaster (floods, tsunami, hurricanes).

Similar strong stress is a short-term disorder, it can last from several hours to 1-2 days. After it requires urgent health care on the part of a competent psychotherapist or psychiatrist, otherwise stress can cause suicidal attempts or go into chronic form With all the ensuing consequences.

The risk of developing a response to strong stress is higher in people:

which are depleted after hard work or after illness;

in the presence of brain disease;

who do not see help from the side;

older than 50 years;

when people die around;

when what happened is a complete surprise.

The symptoms that begin a few minutes after the events occurred are said about the presence of an acute reaction to stress.

Such a cloud of consciousness, in which a person disoriented in the events occurring, but can pay attention to small details. As a result, a person is able to make senseless and strange deeds, which for others can become a sign of the inadequacy of a particular person.

A person is able to express delusional ideas and talk about non-existent events, talking in the absence of an interlocutor. Such behavior continues a short time and can break through abruptly.

A person with the presence of an acute response does not understand or does not quite understand the speech facing it, cannot fulfill the request or does it wrong.

Extreme inhibition of movements and speech. It can be expressed to such an extent that a person simply freezes in one pose and answers questions with inadvertent sound. It is less likely to reverse reaction: a verbal flow that cannot be stopped and expressed motor anxiety. There may also be a panic desire to make harm or panic escape.

Reaction from side vegetative system: diarrhea, vomiting, redness or pale skin, expansion of pupils. May occur so much a sharp drop arterial pressurethat a person just dies.

There are quite often such symptoms of stress: despair, aggressiveness, inability to respond with full understanding of speech, confusion.

If a person with an unhealthy psyche appeals to such a situation, the acute response of the body on stress may not be as described above.

These symptoms are present more than 2-3 days and are not an acute reaction to stress. It is necessary to urgently turn to a neuropathologist, a narcologist, a psychiatrist or infectious background for the search true reason such a state.

After a transferred acute reaction, the memory of such behavior is quite often completely or partially disappeared. At the same time, a person remains over in tense for some time, suffers from violations of behavior and sleep. 2-3 weeks can be exhausted, from which the desire disappears to do something, and even there is no will to life. A person can go to work and perform it on the "automatic".

Acute stress

There is stress in the life of a person in life, they say such symptoms that arise a cut or some time after a collision with stressor:

sweating;

heart palpitations;

feeling of discomfort and constraint in the chest;

nausea with one-time vomit;

an emotional explosion, which combines with the feeling of uncontrolled fear or anxiety, or with excitation, close to aggression;

numbness and feeling of cotton limbs;

stressful urinary incontinence;

abdominal pain;

feeling of heat or chills;

student breathing, which is accompanied by a feeling of a shortage of air.

With a strong stress, which still did not reach the critical mark (when there is a threat to life, which is usually the cause of the acute reaction to stress), personality, in addition to the signs listed above, may be observed:

headache;

skin rash according to the analogue of the urbin, which arises in response to the admission to the allergen body;

convulsions without losing consciousness;

a pronounced sense of despair, hopelessness;

painful urge to intestinal emptying, after which there is a liquid chair.

Chronic stress

A condition that is characteristic of modern people with a rapid pace of life. Clinical picture Chronic stress is not expressed as vividly as in an acute reaction to stress, so quite often its manifestations are written off to fatigue and do not attach the situation due value, until serious diseases arise. In case recent people Hurry to the doctor and begins a course of treatment, which does not bring due results, since the main reason, life in constant stress remains a unreared factor.

The fact that a person has chronic stress, say signs that are conventionally divided into several groups:

Associated with changes in patient physiology

In stress, a person may experience physical suffering, which make him seek the reason for visiting doctors of various directions and forced to accept many medicines. However, the presence of the symptoms listed below when they arise in a person who constantly experiencing stress does not mean that it does not suffer from angina or peptic illness. Therefore, they will be listed, and already relative to their presence and interpretation, you need to speak every specific case with specialists and make decisions regarding treatment.

Among physiological symptoms Chronic stress allocate:

cutting in the stomach;

difficulty swallowing;

hand cooling;

dry mouth;

tinnitus;

stuttering;

frequent urination;

sore pain;

bruxism;

backache;

headache;

decline in appetite;

frequent infectious diseases respiratory tractwho are accompanied by a runny nose and cough;

redness of the face, heat stuff;

twisting joints;

periodic muscle spasms: moving and incomprehensible muscular pains, hand muscle spasms;

reducing libido, erectile dysfunction;

rash in the form of red spots or bubbles, which occurs in an empty place;

obsessive movements and ticks;

strong trembling of the upper extremities;

increased sweating;

blood pressure jumps;

during the next episode, the body temperature may increase.

Symptoms that are associated with emotions

The presence of a chronic character in a person is evidenced by changes in its character, when before this balanced person is beginning to manifest themselves:

hostility to others;

impulsive actions;

explosions anger;

plasticity;

anxiety;

irritability;

capriciousness;

improvement of self-esteem;

worsening memory;

changing sleep length and significant deterioration in its quality (frequent nightmares);

the emergence of suicidal inclinations and thoughts about committing suicide;

improving the sensitivity to the flashing, bright light, loud sounds;

feeling of inexpressible longing, hopelessness, loneliness;

tendency to command cries;

reducing anxiety threshold;

concentration only on unpleasant events;

pestitude;

feeling of the unreality of what is happening around;

pessimism;

constant criticism of loved ones;

guilt;

disappearance of incentives, goals, life interests;

fallenness;

suspicion.

Socio-behavioral symptoms

The fact that the person has chronic stress is present, the changes in its communication and behavior will also be prompted:

man becomes conflict;

workingolism I. permanent loads At work and even at home are an independent attempt to get away from the situation;

constant time shortage;

the diligence is isolated;

a tendency to use medicines, drugs, alcohol;

nervous laughter;

loss of previous interests: to the hobby, work;

loss of interest in their own appearance;

inattention;

behind the wheel, a person often behaves inadequately, speaks rudely in relation to other participants in the movement;

in the usual work is allowed a lot of minor errors.

Intellectual signs

These include:

difficulties in making decisions;

speech viscosity;

obsessive thoughts, often negative;

repeating previously said;

difficulty analyzing new information;

memory deterioration: Quickly forgets and badly remembers, there may be failed failures in memory.

Features of the flow of stress in women

Women are more vulnerable to stress. In addition, in an attempt to become an ideal mother and wife, women are trying to hide their own experiences and begin to save them in themselves. This can cause the manifestation of certain symptoms, most of which were presented above and which are no different from the "male" clinic. As a result, from this may grow endocrine, cardiac or gynecological diseases, as well as obesity.

Signs of stress in women who will allow to guess its availability:

deterioration of coordination;

pain in the stomach;

panic attacks;

spasms, which are accompanied by pain first in one, and then in another abdomen;

the emergence of incomprehensible ulneys or red elements;

back pain;

twitching the eyelids on one of the eyes, which lasts a few minutes;

sudden mood swings that were previously not characteristic of a woman;

failures in the menstrual cycle;

pain in the joints;

headache (usually in one half of the head);

change of attitude to close and to yourself (emotional coldness, guilt);

irritability;

thoughts about suicide;

reducing the instinct of self-preservation;

reduction in the level of health;

cliche, whistling, noise in the ears;

hair loss (maybe immediately or after 3-6 months after stress);

according to American Journal of ObStetrics and Gynecology, the symptom of stress that occurs under the influence of cortisol may be vaginal thrush with frequent relapses;

addiction to some kind of food (usually dairy products and sweets) or alcohol.

It is especially worth paying attention to such symptoms need after childbirth. They will indicate that the very beginning of the postpartum depression or even more dangerous postpartum psychosis.

Features of the course of stress in children

Signs of stress in a child are also weakly noticeable, especially if the kid has not yet reached conscious age.

If a child under the age of 2 years is that he suffered stress, they may testify to food, irritability and a federation. Such symptoms are developing with any non-inflammatory or inflammatory pathology, so the latter should be excluded first.

Children aged 2 to 5 years old declare the transfer of stress by returning old habits: incontinence of feces or urine, rejection of self-feeding, sucking the dummy, finger. The child can start crying when the circumstances change (for example, from what they will be at night to the toilet), as well as when new people appear in the house. Also possible development of stuttering.

About the stress in children 2-5 years old is evidenced by the decline in activity, or on the contrary hyperactivity, a unprecedented short-term increase in body temperature, a frequent mood change, vomiting, the emergence of a set of fears (dogs, solitude, darkness, people of a certain profession). The kid in stressful state is badly falling asleep.

In children 5-9 years old, stresses are manifested by the following symptoms:

unfortunate alarms and fears;

aggression;

behavior like children early age (The appearance of Sysyukanya, likes the baby, the child begins to harm);

nightmares;

reduction of academic performance;

fatigue;

if the baby begins to lie, it is quite possible that this is also a manifestation of stress;

causing behavior over several days;

nervous ticks or bad habits combing the skin, picking into the nose, pull out hair, nibble nail plates or objects (handles, gum, ruler);

a child can partially forget about the stressing events;

nail bundle;

snakes in the corners of the mouth;

pain in the chest area;

headaches;

nausea and sometimes vomiting;

reduction or increase of appetite;

attempts to escape from the house, or the desire to constantly be within the home, avoiding other children, the refusal to visiting the school.

What manifestations indicate transferred stress

The main symptoms after stress are the manifestations of the body's depletion. Namely:

negative thoughts;

difficulties in concentration;

indecision;

worsening memory and attention;

indifference to their own appearance;

reducing libido;

decline in appetite;

drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night, but constant drowsiness is possible;

fatigue that arises faster than before, and may not pass even after a long stay;

malicious nausea;

the emergence of heat intolerance;

sweating, headaches, blood pressure jumps, pulse cheating;

man becomes irritable, hot-tempered.

However, if the strength of the stimulus was rather high, then in the absence of an acute response to stress a few weeks or months, the development of the post-traumatic disorder of stress genesis is quite possible. He manifests itself:

inadequate (usually - this is a complete absence or a very weak) reaction to occurring events;

anxiety;

aggressiveness;

disturbance to others;

alienation from others;

a person begins to live in his own problem - in the afternoon he constantly thinks about her, and nightmares are experiencing at night;

if a person associates a traumatic situation with any specific events, then with them re-appearance It becomes extremely aggressive and experiencing panic attacks;

panic attacks are possible and declining and declining when communicating with other people, respectively, at such moments the patient is very willing to contact even with unfamiliar people;

a person may have pain in the head, heart, abdomen. Therefore, quite often in such situations during the examination due to such pains doctors do not find anything. It causes a person to constantly look for a suitable doctor and consult a variety of specialists. If none of the doctors can bring a relief to the patient, he often loses faith in medicine and begins to engage in self-medication, and for better results Begins to get involved narcotic drugs and alcohol.

Thus, to suspect the clinic provoked by stress, it is very often possible in the presence of pathologies of internal organs. It is possible to speak in the direction of stress according to the fact that the most often his signs are affected by several organism systems at once (for example, heartburn and joint pain). It is possible to clarify the diagnosis is possible only with the help of surveys: in such cases using laboratory (analyzes) and instrumental (x-ray, heart ultrasound, cardiogram, fibrogastroscopy) studies will be found minimal changes or complete absence of changes in organs. The presence of stress can confirm a psychiatrist or psychotherapist during a conversation with a person and carrying out some special tests (usually oral). Also, the presence of a stress reaction of the body will be evidenced by the change in the level of hormone ACTH and cortisol in the blood.

The word "stress", as well as "success", "failure" and "happiness", has a different meaning for different people. Therefore, it is very difficult to give it to the definition, although it entered our ordinary speech.

What is it - effort, fatigue, pain, fear, the need to focus, humiliation of public censure, blood loss or even an unexpected tremendous success leading to breaking the entire lifeguard? The answer to this question is - and yes, and no. That is why it is so difficult to define stress. Any of these conditions can cause stress, but none of them cannot be allocated and saying: this is stress, because this term equally applies to all other things.

The founder of the student of stress is the laureate of the Nobel Prize Physiologist Hans Selre (1907-1982). The former student of the University of Prague in 1936 published the first observations of patients suffering from disorders of various organism systems. All such patients had a loss of appetite, muscle weakness, increased blood pressure, loss of motivation to achievements. G. Selre identified these symptoms as "syndrome just illness", showing that in the body many people have monotonous violations in the body: changes in adrenal cortex (increasing size, hemorrhage), depletion of lymphoid tissue (lymph nodes, thymus), stomach ulceration . To describe the combination of all nonspecific (non-specific organism in the norm) changes inside the body, he introduced the concept of "stress".

Stress (eng.s.tress - voltage, compression, pressure) -this is

the state of emotional and physical stress, which occurs in certain situations, which are characterized as difficult and non-liable;

this is a physical, mental, emotional and chemical reaction the body on what scares a person is annoying him or threatens him;

non-specific response of the body for any presentation of the requirements.

To understand this definition, it is necessary to explain what is meant by the word "nonspecific". Each presented body requirement in some sense is peculiar or specific. In the cold, we tremble to highlight more heat, and blood vessels are narrowed by reducing heat loss from the body surface. We sweat on the sun, and the evaporation of the sweat cools us. If we ate too much sugar and its content in the blood rose above the norm, we highlight the part and burn the rest, so the blood sugar level is normalized. Muscular effort, for example, running, up the stairs with maximum speed, places increased demands on muscles and cardiovascular system. Muscles need an additional energy source for such an unusual work, so the heartbeat becomes more often and stronger, the increased blood pressure is expanding the vessels and the muscle blood supply is improved. A factor that causes stress is called "Stressor".

Each medicine and hormone have a specific action. Hormone Adrenaline raises the pulse and increases blood pressure while at the same time raising the blood sugar level, and the hormone insulin reduces the sugar content. However, no matter what kind of changes in the body they cause, all these agents have something in common. They prevent restructuring requirements. This requirement is nonsoficial, it is to adapt to the difficulty that would be it.

In other words, except for a specific effect, all agents affecting us also cause a non-specific need to carry out adaptive functions and thereby restore the normal state. These functions are independent of specific impact. Non-specific requirements for influence as such is the essence of stress.

From the point of view of the stress reaction does not matter, the situation with which we collided is pleasant or unpleasant. It is only the intensity of the need for restructuring or adaptation. The mother, who reported the death in the battle of her sole son, is experiencing a terrible spiritual shock. If many years later it turns out that the message was false, and the Son will suddenly enter the room as a whole and unharmed, she will feel the strongest joy. The specific results of the two events - grief and joy are completely different, even opposite, but their stress action is a non-specific requirement of adaptation to a new situation - may be the same.

It is not easy to imagine that cold, heat, medicines, hormones, sadness and joy cause the same biochemical shifts in the body. However, the situation is exactly the case. Quantitative biochemical measurements show that some reactions are nonspecific and the same for all types of influences.

The mandatory attribute of emotional stress, a signal indicating the insufficiency of human functional reserves to overcome the threat, is anxiety. It is defined as a sense of concerns or waiting associated with the emergence or prospect of the blockade of the actual need of a person (frustration) and implements the most important integral mechanism of emotional stress.

Binding a feeling of anxiety with a threat having a specific content is indicated as fear. In general, anxiety and fear are the main signs of tension of mental adaptation mechanisms, incentives that activate adaptation mechanisms for finding out of the stressing situation.

J. Everly and R. Rosenfeld also believed that in the transformation of most stimuli (external or internal or internal) into stressors, an emotional and mental assessment of these incentives is played. If the stimulus is not interpreted as a threat or a call in relation to personality, the stress reaction does not occur at all. Thus, most stressful reactions experienced by people actually, according to Everly and Rosenfeld, are created by themselves and last as much as they are allowed.

At the level of biological changes in the body, emotional stress initially occurs as a central neurogenic process, and all peripheral functional disorders develop again and actually cause emotional overvoltage. In implementing emotional excitations, hormonal mechanisms play a leading role.

Physiological stress is manifested as follows: on early stages Emotional stress violates information connections between various functional systems of the human body, and they begin to work in isolated, tensely, trying to independently maintain the indicators regulated on the optimal level. With the continuing stressing effect, the mechanism of self-regulation of any weakened human functional system is broken, and then its function is stably changed: for example, arterial pressure is raised, immunity is reduced, etc. The regulation of the corresponding physiological indicator at the same time is carried out by local cellular mechanisms, which leads to the occurrence of the disease.

It would be a mistake to believe that stress is a kind of hostile force that should always be avoided. Not all stress is harmful. Stress activation can be called positive events that cause positive emotions (for example, a holiday, moving to a new apartment, etc.). These states are denoted as " eustone. " We always need a stimulus in order to make your life dynamic and filled, not be afraid of non-standard situations, not to give up new opportunities and most importantly - to achieve the goal. Eustess is the charge of a cheerfulness that helps us cope with cases on time. Without him, our life would be gray and boring.

All emotional-stressful states associated with negative experiences and having weakening, destructive power, are denoted as "Distress" (Unresolved conflicts, loss of a loved one). But in this situation, stress cannot be called harmful. After all, it is a stressful reaction that gives a man of the force that he can use to overcome hard situation (Avral at work, the opportunity to escape from the robber). Therefore, it is impossible to say that stress on good events is useful, and on bad - harmful. The border between useful and harmful stress is sometimes very pleased. According to the principle of "the best - the enemy of a good" excess of positive emotions, too, can end the breakdown, if you leave them without control.

The most significant disadvantage in the theory of the city of Selre is the denial of the leading role of the central nervous system in the origin of stress.

G. Selre and his followers showed that the syndrome of a response physiological reaction to stress represents a universal model of protective reactions aimed at preserving the integrity of the body, and the same for both human and animals. But in contrast to animals, a person has a physiological reaction can be determined not only by the direct presence of a stressor, but also its psychological impact on the person.

Thus, in relation to a person, the specifics of stress consists in conscious processing of negative emotions with the participation of the mechanisms of psychological protection of the individual.

The natural continuation of the theory of the city of Selre is the theory of emotional stress R. Lazarus, which conducts the separation of systemic (physiological) and mental (emotional) stress. Emotional stress advocates the body's response to internal and external processes, in which physiological and psychological abilities are strained to levels close to the limit or exceeding them. Within the framework of this theory, the differences between physiological and emotional stress are explained by the immediate effects of adverse factors on the body in physiological stress and mediated (through the inclusion of human attitude towards the situation) adverse effects in emotional stress. Thus, with an emotional stress of direct damaging impact on the body may not be.

With an emotional stress, the factor causing the voltage of the body to the levels exceeding the normal adaptive reactions is foresightdamage due to the actual or projected adverse factor. Thus, a prerequisite for the occurrence of psychological stress is the perception of a threat. Emotional stress does not arise if the situation is not perceived by a person as dangerous. Perception and assessment of the situation as threatening are closely related to cognitive processes, human identity features (anxiety, emotional sustainability, etc.) and its previous experience. Therefore, factors and situations causing the same stress for all people do not exist.

Modern views on stress are distinguished by the conventionality of the complete separation of physiological stress and stress emotional. In physiological stress there are always mental elements and vice versa. Whatever stress is: emotional or physiological, one species often serves as a source of another - emotional stress invariably attracts physiological, and strong physiological stress can affect the emotional state. A vicious circle is formed, which only complicates the solution to the problem, especially with long or chronic stress.

In this way, stress -

extremely complex phenomenon affecting all levels of functioning of the body. From the work of the body on each of these levels, the success of overcoming the person of stress depends;

it is not always harmful, its disastrous impact has in situations when it is too strong or acts too long;

it is associated with the individual and psychological features of the personality of the factors and situations that cause the same stress for all people do not exist.

Stress refers to the number protective mechanismsproviding normal vital activity of the body. In this process, complex neurohumoral and metabolic processes are involved, the body uses backups. After the experience, their immediate replenishment is required and physical recoveryOtherwise, pathological conditions may occur. A person needs to independently control the level of internal stress and take time timely treatment and recovery. Long stress, which passed into a chronic form, depletes a person and often leads to personality disorders.

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What is stress?

The concept of stress is in manifestation of a non-specific response of the body to any stimulus. It contributes to the development of endogenous adrenaline, which increases stability and activates the potential forces of a person. Stress accompany states such as anxiety, excitation and tension. They are dangerous, as they lead to the development of anxiety disorders. But in small quantities they are even useful for personality, have a stimulating effect. Normally, a person is aimed at overcoming the problem, but in the case of chronic stress, when the body is exhausted, it does not always have it. At this moment, anxiety and tension reach their peak and may entail irreversible consequences.

The determination of stress in psychology is different from everyday understanding. It is almost always accompanied by anxious state, when such emotions are published as nervousness and concern for the result. In the aggregate, they help the body as quickly and efficiently and rationally cope with any problem, quick brain activity is activated and sometimes a person himself is not aware of how he managed to take something. Psychologists have a pattern that the higher the nonspecific response, the more unpredictable and lightning room it turns out to be a decision from a person.

Regular alarming states lead to a persistent personality disorder, occurrence panic attacks and obsessive states. It is possible to prevent the development of pathology only with the help of timely and competent treatment.

Views

Many psychotherapists are confident that stressful reactions in moderate quantities contribute to the growth and development of the personality, due to its exit from the comfort zone. Thanks to them, self-knowledge and improvement of external and internal qualities occurs. But this positive effect largely depends on the type and degree of severity of stress.

Classification by provoking factor:

distress - occurs as a result of a negative impact, for a long time withdraws a person from the usual rhythm of life, it is possible to develop adverse consequences, especially if something irreversible happened;
eustone - the response of the body on a positive effect is not dangerous and does not entail expressed changes.

By type of exposure, the following types of stress are distinguished:

mental;
food;
temperature;
light et al.

By the mechanism of impact distinguish:

mental stress at which only excited emotional sphere and the answer comes from the nervous system;
biological, in which there is a real threat to human health, injuries, diseases appear.

The level of stress largely depends on the scale of the problem. Some are temporary, and a person subconsciously understands that they do not imagine a serious threat to life, like sessions from students or cold illness. Others are global when a person does not understand what the outcome will be. The latter include an earthquake, an armed attack and other circumstances that threaten Cardi nalleal changes in life or her loss.

Stages

There are three interrelated stress stages that smoothly move one to another, and it is impossible to resist this process:

1. At the time of stress, a person completely loses control and orientation in space for a period of time. There is a sharp change of mood, the behavior is not characteristic of the individual. The body ceases to resist. The kindness is replaced by the bits and aggression, and the quick temper goes into closure and detachment.
2. After remembering shock stateWhen certain irritation occurred, an answer is formed in the form of a stress reaction. In order to rationally use reserve forces, a person needs to soberly look at the situation. For this, on the subconscious level, it calms down and adapts to the incident. Begins to manifest resistance.
3. The answer to the stimulus is given, a person finds a solution to the problem and begins recovery period. If the acting factor did not stop his influence, then stress does not retreat. The process chronization occurs, and the body is exposed to emotional and physical exhaustion.

The third stage has a fundamental importance for a specialist. From how long the patient experiences an alarming upheaval, fundamentally depends on the tactics of treatment. There is a direct dependence: what more man is under the influence of an irritant factor, the greater the volume necessary assistance.

Causes of occurrence

The response of the body in the form of stress, appears not only for negative factors of impact, but also on positive stressors, which also foreshadow changes. Many psychotherapists are confident that stressful reactions in moderate quantities contribute to the growth and development of the personality and its exit from the comfort zone. Thanks to them, self-knowledge and improvement of external and internal qualities occurs.

The main causes of Disteres serve all negative situations that appear in humans during their lives. Each has its own value system and can experience a different level of shocks from the same situation, but no indifferent.

For example, pregnancy is a consequence of biological eussy. On the one hand, a woman waited a long time for the onset of this state and is incredibly glad to feel their lives inside. On the other hand, the body undergo certain changes that are temporary, but deliver a lot of trouble and discomfort. The presence of pronounced toxicosis in the first months, talk about confrontation. Thanks to the suppression of immunity, the fetus does not take place. Immune reactions, change of hormonal background, use of accumulated nutrients And much more is a complicated stress reaction. At the end of pregnancy, a woman begins to experience real health difficulties, which are subsequently transformed into postpartum depression and require specialized treatment.

Signs

Symptomatic picture various diseaseshaving a similar manifestation, brought a well-known explorer Hans Selie to certain reflections, which marked the beginning of the work of his life - the teachings on stress. At the moment of complete exhaustion, there is not a single system that would not have hitting. Conditionally, all the symptoms can be divided into physiological and mental. The first reflect the effect of stress on the body. These include a pronounced weight loss, a decrease in appetite, changes in the work of the heart, VDC (vegeto-vascular dystonia), fatigue, etc.

Mental features include: internal stress, urinary incontinence, anxiety, depression, apathy, bad mood, closedness, detachment. From the initial state of the human nervous system, the fact that the response of the body and its non-specific response will be. Emotionally weak personalities are subject to finding solving problems on the side or with the help of psychotropic substances. They usually have dependence on drugs and alcohol. Strong personalities to resist stress is easier.

In psychotherapy, they allocate cognitive, physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms of stressful state. They are relative because some may manifest themselves in human behavior and without provoking factor, since they are the norm for the person and are laid by a psychotic. The psychotherapist will help to identify the true symptoms of stress in the early stages of its manifestation, when a person loses control over himself, they can be seen even a non-specialist.

Cognitive symptoms:

the memory is worsen;
the ability to self-organization is lost;
indecision appears, doubt;
pessimism and mood swings are observed;
anxiety increases, concern;
it is possible to break sleep, right up to insomnia.

Emotional symptoms:

man becomes a capricious and demanding;
irritability increases;
painic attacks are possible;
there is a tendency to depression;
thoughts about suicide appear;
there is a sense of loneliness and uselessness;
there is a hostile attitude to all;
more often appears aggression;
possible dissatisfaction with this condition;
psycho-emotional background occurs.

Physical symptoms:

dizziness and headache;
digestion disorder;
stool disorder;
partial loss of reflexes;
nausea and vomiting;
respiratory disorders;
muscular and nervous spasms;
aggravation of chronic diseases;
increased sweating;
dry mouth, feeling thirst;
fatigue.

Behavioral symptoms:

closed;
detachment;
refusal of the main activity;
addiction to alcohol or drugs;
change attitude to others;
shift views on life;
change of world view;
suspiciousness and distrust of others.

Depending on the number of listed symptoms, the severity of the state is recognized. After a survey, observation and visual examination The specialist makes a diagnosis and determines the amount of assistance. In severe clinical situations, hospitalization is required in the hospital around the clock stay and constant control by a specialist.

Treatment

Start treating stress is permissible at home, especially if the patient correctly perceives its condition and is ready to resist all negative changes. The first thing you need to pay attention is emotional condition. Soothing tea, sedative drugs can be reduced to reduce the anxiety, and physiotherapeutic treatment helps. It is important to prevent the impact of the provoking factor. The earlier the recovery period begins, the faster the healing process proceeds.

To restore and further readiness, withstand a new stress, you should think about the general state of health. It depends on the lifestyle. Healthy sleep, compliance with labor and recreation, rational and balanced diet, moderate physical activity and regular intake of vitamin complexes will strengthen health and make the spent spent useful material. This cannot be neglected because the exhausted organism is not able to continue adequate and full-fledged life.

Long absence of positive dynamics on the background independent treatment Speaks about the need to appeal to a psychotherapist. It can recommend individual trainings or suggest group classes that are very effective in confronting an alarming disorder. The advantage of this approach to treatment is the ability to learn how to experience stress with minimal consequences for yourself and regularly carry out prevention.

εὖ- "Good") and negative ( distress from Dr. Greek. δυσ "Loss") forms of stress. By the nature of the impact, neuropsychic, thermal or cold (temperature), light, hunger and other stresses (irradiation, etc.) are isolated.

Whatever stress, "good" or "bad", emotional or physical (or other at the same time), its impact on the body has common nonspecific features.

History of the term

For the first time, the term "stress" in physiology and psychology introduced Walter Cannon (Eng. Walter Cannon) in his classic work on the universal reaction to "fight or run" (English Fight-or-Flight Response).

The famous researcher of Stress Canadian physiologist Hans Selre in 1936 published his first job on the overall adaptation syndrome, but a long time avoided the use of the term "stress", since he was used in many ways to refer to the "neuropsychic" voltage (to "fight or run" syndrome) . Only in 1946, rule began to systematically use the term "stress" for a general adaptation voltage.

Stress physiology

Common Adaptation Syndrome (OAS)

The first physiological stress is described by Hanssel Selleg as a common adaptation syndrome. The term "stress" he began to use later.

"Stress is a non-specific response of the body for any presentation of the requirements [...] in other words, except for a specific effect, all agents affecting us also cause a non-specific need to carry out adaptive functions and thereby restore the normal state. These functions are independent of specific impact. Non-specific requirements imposed by the impact as such - this is the essence of stress

Further development of stress theory

It is shown that stress (as a classic nonspecific response in the description of the city of Selre) is just one of the reactions constituting general System Non-specific adaptive reactions of the body, since the body, as a more sensitive system, than the components of its subsystem, responds to different strengths and quality stimuli, causing oscillations of homeostasis within, in the first place, normal indicators, and stress is a reaction to strong stimuli.

Described effect of group stress, manifested in groups and populations in difficult conditions of existence: in a typical situation with an increase in the adaptation load, the level of correlations increases, and as a result of successful adaptation - decreases. The greatest information about the degree of adaptation of the population to extreme or simply changed conditions is correlated between physiological parameters. Based on the effect created method of correlation adaptometry . The method is systematically used in monitoring tasks.

The use of a multiple regression method has proved the possibility of predicting the level of stress long before its offensive in order to identify individuals (or groups of persons), especially susceptible to stress. This method Allows not only in advance to identify the level of stress resistance of man, but also with high accuracy to predict the indicators of the level of mental and somatic tension of people during stress.

Types of stress

Eustobe

The concept has two meanings - "stress caused by positive emotions" and "non-stress, mobilizing organism."

Distress

The negative type of stress, with which the body cannot cope. It undermines human health and can lead to severe diseases. The immune system suffers from stress. In stressful state, people are more likely to be victims of infection, since the products of immune cells fall noticeably during the period of physical or mental stress.

Emotional stress

Emotional stress is called emotional processes accompanying stress, and leading to unfavorable changes in the body. During stress, the emotional reaction develops earlier than others, activating the authentative nervous system and its endocrine support. With a long or repeated stress, emotional excitement can be stressed, and the functioning of the body is tolere.

Psychological stress

Psychological stress, as the type of stress, is understood by different authors in different ways, but many authors define it as stress caused by social factors.

Using stress for interrogation or psychological manipulation

Showing, for example, in the television series "Deception me".

Common delusion

Among the nonspecialists there was a tendency to identify stress (and especially psychological stress) simply with nervous voltage (partly in this the term itself, meaning "voltage" in translating from English). Stress is not just mental excitement or nervous tension. First of all, stress is a universal physiological reaction to sufficiently strong impacts that have the described symptoms and phases (from the activation of the physiological apparatus to exhaustion).

In modern encyclopedias, there are several interpretations of such a popular concept "stress". And so, in psychology storm is the body's response (mental, physical, emotional, chemical) on everything that it scares it, annoying or threatening. The founder of the theory of stress, the Czech scientist Hans Selre, in the course of his research came to the conclusion that there can be nonspecific stress protective reaction The organism on adverse factors violating his calm existence. This concept appeared in 1936. In technical significance, the term meant "pressure", "Voltage".

All these definitions are intelligible and simply create an idea of \u200b\u200bthis state. However, in order to understand what stress is, there is no need to look in the encyclopedia - it is enough to look around.

In our rapid century, everyone is in a hurry, somewhere run, try to catch everything. Each of us has their own specific ideas about the surrounding, the needs are generated, the requirements of the requirements are generated. The inconsistencies of our ideas and reality give rise to dissatisfaction. It's one thing when this dissatisfaction pushes to further development, self-improvement, the other when it causes aggression to the whole world, which destroyed the dreams of happiness.

Stresses break into our life in the parking lot, in minibuses, in quarrels with close, on the "carpet" at the bosses ... This list can be continued to infinity.

Can we live, avoiding stress? Science is responsible unequivocally - no. Life does not tolerate stability, and it is she who is the main source of stress.

Symptoms

Memory deterioration
The inability to focus
Permanent feeling of fatigue
Frequent errors
Elevated excitability
Fast speech
Increased anxiety
Dissatisfaction with your work
Loss of sense of humor
Pity to me
Excessive stubbornness
Insomnia
Interesting alcoholic beverages
Feeling of an unsaturated hunger or bad appetite
Reducing the tempo of activity.

Naturally, all listed signs of stress may not be observed together. The manifestation of several of them is already talking about serious problems. In some cases, signs of stress are hiding behind the pains of unknown etiology. Only an experienced physician can distinguish them from the disease. However, some signs of stress take the form of real diseases, such as hypertension, stomach ulcers, arthritis.

Views

Depending on the result in psychology, the following types of stress distinguish:

Eustrassa ("useful" stresses). For a successful existence, each of us requires some dose of stress. It is she who is the driving force of our development. This condition can be called a "reaction of awakening". It is akin to awakening from sleep. To go from the bed in the morning and wake up. To achieve work activity, you need a push, a small portion of adrenaline. Eustrades perform this role.
Distresses (harmful stresses) arising during critical tension. It is this state that meets all ideas about stress.

In which direction, the types of stress will be shown, depends on a number of circumstances and individual features Personality. Distress can be caused as a response to a specific situation. But most often this phenomenon wears a "accumulative" character, as a result of which the body's resistance is gradually decreasing, and then disappears at all. Such a state can not last long, it can turn into a disease.

Depending on the factors that caused stress, the following types of stress are known:

Psychological - cause frustrating, unfavorable relations with society.
Physiological stress is the result of excessive physical exertion, poor irregular nutrition, lack of sleep.
Information stress provokes an excess or deficiency of information when making a decision. In a predicary position, an excess of information is also posing for too much factors that should be taken into account at the time of decision making, and its disadvantage in which there is no clear certainty.
Emotional stress causes overly strong feelings. It arises in life-threatening situations or as a result of joyful and unexpected events. Causes of stress, in this case, is a message about enhancing in the service, the birth of a child, the proposal of the arm and heart, etc.
Management stress provokes high responsibility for the decision made.

Causes of stress in science are called stressors. Accordingly, scientists allocate three groups of stressors.

The first is the impressive stressors. These include: weather, prices, inflation, other people's habits, government actions, taxes. Under their impact, it is possible to be incredibly nervous about the increased tariffs, actions of an inexperienced driver, but besides increasing the blood pressure and concentration of adrenaline, nothing will change. Much more efficient will be the use of the technique of positive imaging, muscular relaxation, methods of meditation and breathing exercises.

The second includes phenomena and events that we voluntarily turn into problems. This group includes all types of concern about past events that are no longer able to change, and about the future.

The third is the stressors that are subject to us. These include not constructive actions, the inability to plan their time, the inability to determine priorities, some difficulties in interpersonal interaction.

In this vein, it is important to note that stressor is only a reason for it, the cause of neuropsychic disorder we do it yourself.

So for someone, a broken cup is nothing, and for someone a reason for a divorce. Thus, in both cases there is one stress, and it causes the reaction different. Another one bright example became the story of A.P. Chekhov "Death of the official." The narrative hero was sneezed and inadvertently sprayed the salivary General Lysin. Experiences that followed this event caused his death.

The reasons for stress are cutting us every second, another thing is how we react to them. This can be explained from the point of view of physiology. Human brain can not distinguish real threat From seeking, and every time the situation causes concern, he reacts like a real threat.

The danger of such situations is the gradual addiction of the body to a hostile environment. It is constantly in the "combat" readiness, which contributes to the emergence. In psychology, this concept is interpreted as a result of a long stay in an overly dangerous atmosphere. It should not be better characterized by the aggressive reality of the modern business world.

To have a complete idea of \u200b\u200bwhat stress is, the stress stages or stages of its development should be considered.

Stages of development

Stages of stress characterize the dynamics of internal voltage development:

The first is mobilization, characterized by increasing voltage, reaction intensity, acceleration of abilities to reproduce information, memorize. At this point, the clarity of cognitive processes increases. This stage contributes to improving productivity and performance in activities.
The second is deadaption, the transition to internal stress. The transition to this level occurs as a result of the protracted stress. There is a reaction of the forbidden braking, which manifests itself in a decrease in the quality of activity. In the behavior there is an inorganization, a part of the information is loss, the clarity of its transfer is lost, decisions are made, excluding consequences.
The third is disorganization, characterized by a decline in internal activity, nervous exhaustion. It occurs in the case of continuing stressing load. As a result, violations of the internal regulation of behavior may occur, the behavior becomes inadequate. A long experience of stress stress can lead to serious diseases. At this stage, specialists are needed: psychologists, therapeutors, psychotherapists, psychoneurologists.

Stress is not a sentence. You need to fight him. The human body is stable and has a colossal potential capable of recovering it. However, this recovery mechanism works when the mind has not yet been poisoned by the effect of disorder.

One of the most popular is the "positive visualization". Its use will allow to get rid of negative emotions. It lies in a conscious mental reconstruction of an unpleasant situation, but with some adjustment. For example, imagine a person who has taken offense in a ridiculous hat with a bow or an indecent costume. A recreated image is unimportant here, the result is important, it should cause you laughter, a change in negative emotions.

A good result gives a technique offering to look at stress with higher positions.

Rate stress from the position of high moral principles, not from the standpoint of mesh disassembly.
Food stress. Life is the theater, and in difficult moments, we have the right to go out "for the scenes."
View "From the balcony". Mentally "look" on the problem from above. Both from the balcony, people seem small and problems that seem unresolved, on top will seem insignificant and funny.
You can "make peace" stress. In an emergency, apply a relaxing breathing exercises - a slow breath and slow long exhalation. In the free time, "to decide" stress with the help of aroma of essential oils.
Try to "strange" stress, repeating positive assertions of the type: "What does not kill us, makes stronger," "The louder shots, the more courageous."

No less effective technique "Elimination of the cause of stress". She implies the creation certain style Life without a rush, with the adoption of pleasures offered by life (fitness, hobbies, mugs in interest, dancing). The essence of the technique - "Enough to build a martyr for the sins of all mankind."

Of great importance in the fight with stress have proper nutrition and healthy image Life. But the most important thing is the ability to understand that the strongest means against stress is to learn to be happy.