Stress and the Human Body

            What is stress? How does it affect the body? Stress is your body's response to certain situations. Something that may be stressful for one person -- speaking in public, for instance -- may not be stressful for someone else. Not all stresses are "bad" either. Graduating from college, for example, may be considered a "good" stress. (The Healthline Editorial Team, 201, May 01). Stress is a part of everyday life; it's brought on by harsh situations or perceived threats that carry feelings of anxiety, anger, excitement, or sadness. Stress is considered to be anything that challenges the body's ability to function in its usual fashion. The body has developed complex and associated responses that are designed to keep hurtful or dangerous situations brought on by stress and to keep it in balance. When most of us think of stress we think about is the negative effects, but there are both negative and positive effects of stress. Stress affects us in a variety of ways from depression to excitement. It can also contribute to health problems if not handled properly. Stress is an unavoidable part of life that we all deal with and we all deal with it differently.
             One type of stress we deal with on a daily basis is acute stress. Acute stress occurs when symptoms develop due to a particularly stressful event. With acute stress the symptoms develop quickly, but do not usually last long. A pop quiz, a dentist appointment, or arguments are examples of acute stress. Another common example is traffic accidents they cause many casualties each year and you may be directly or indirectly affected by this kind of serious stressful event. Acute stress has been seen in people who experience terrorist incidents or major disasters. Acute stress can come up in anyone's life, and it is very easy to treat and manage if done properly. However, if left untreated acute stress can be a long term and complicated problem. Episodic acute stress is a more severe type of acute stress.