3a Stress

• Stress is a state of mental, emotional, and physiological tension resulting from a stressor
• Stress can be psychobiological, involving biological physical responses like increased heart rate and muscle tension, as well as psychological responses like fear, excitement, and thoughts such as "I can't cope"
• Stress can range from mild daily irritants to major catastrophes, and can be both negative and positive
• Internal stressors originate within the person and can be psychological (e.g., negative thoughts) or biological (e.g., physical pain)
• External stressors originate outside the person and can include environmental events and sociocultural stressors
• The psychological stress response relates to how we think about a stressor, with eustress related to positive emotions and distress related to negative emotions
• Eustress and distress demonstrate the subjective nature of our response to stress and can change due to experience
• Acute stress occurs due to a sudden threat and lasts for a short time, while chronic stress lasts for a long time and usually has negative effects on health
• The biological stress response involves the flight-or-fight-or-freeze response to acute stress and the release of cortisol during chronic stress
• The fight-or-flight-or-freeze response is an automatic and biological response to a perceived stressor that increases survival chances
• The freeze response, also called 'Tonic Immobility', allows a person/animal to remain undetected and gives time to prepare to shift into flight or fight mode
• Cortisol is released during chronic stress to keep the body on 'high alert' over long periods of time
• Cortisol is involved in regulating metabolism, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, energizing the body, boosting energy levels, increasing awareness, and aiding tissue repair
• Long-term release of cortisol can suppress the immune system and deplete the body's energy required to fight off infections, leading to ongoing physical health problems