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What is stress?

Stress itself is not a disease. It is a natural part of our everyday existence, occurring in reaction to the demands of life, some small and some big, which upset our sense of equilibrium.

12 July 2016

These events – causes of stress otherwise known as stressors – trigger the body’s built-in ‘fight-or-flight’ response, which serves an important function in preparing us to face (or escape from) perceived threats by causing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline to flood through the body. 

How do stress hormones affect you?

Cortisol, also called the stress hormone, increases glucose in the bloodstream, plays a role in maintaining blood pressure and fluid balance, and quickly regulates nonessential functions (including digestive processes and those of the reproductive and immune systems), so that your body is primed to face danger. 

Adrenaline serves to increase the heart rate and breathing so more oxygen can be distributed to the muscles, focuses attention and gives you a surge of energy to help escape from the dangerous situation. 

The scope of events that can trigger a stress response is massive – from job interviews to deadlines to relationship issues to the death of a loved one. As a result it is necessary to understand that not all stress is the same. 

According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), while small amounts of stress may be necessary for healthy living, it’s when it becomes a chronic condition that stress can be dangerous, leading to a host of negative mental and physical effects, including stress-related illnesses, burnout, depression and panic. Stress has also been pinpointed as one of the major causes of insomnia and other sleep disorders.

This is because usually the body’s reaction to a perceived threat is self-limiting: once the threat is deemed diminished, biochemical levels can begin stabilising and returning to normal. When stress is a constant presence, the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ instinct is always activated and cortisol and adrenaline levels remain elevated. As a result, those stress hormones that may be life saving in a dangerous situation become damaging themselves. 

How can stress damage you?

An overload of stress can lead to: 

  • Hypertension (high blood pressure), which raises your risk of heart disease. This is exacerbated by the fact that many chronic stress sufferers partake in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, eating too much processed food and not getting enough exercise.
  • Increased risk of stroke. A report published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, revealed that people with high stress jobs had a 22 percent higher likelihood of suffering a stroke than their counterparts working in low stress jobs.
  • Suppression of the immune system, making those who are highly stressed more susceptible to infection by opportunistic viruses and bacteria.
  • Inhibited growth and faster ageing. Studies show that those suffering from work-related exhaustion have shorter telomeres – the ‘caps’ at the end of each strand of DNA that serve to protect our chromosomes. Shortened telomeres have been associated with many diseases related to ageing, as the shorter the telomeres, the greater the chance of cell damage and death.
  • Damage to mental health. Aside from the havoc it wreaks on your body, too much stress can leave you psychologically vulnerable and more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and panic disorders.

Employees suffering from stress-related depression are reportedly up to five times less productive at work, which is why the UN International Labour Organization has stated that occupational stress is a "global epidemic."

It has also been estimated that South Africa loses as much as R3 billion a year to workplace stress, according to a survey conducted by human resources effectiveness group, The People Element, in 2012. 

Read More: Stress Super Section