Managing Stress and Unhealthy Behaviors
Chapter 9 Managing stress and unhealthy behaviors Stress Management Stress can affect both physical and emotional health. Chronic stress has been associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, and reduced immune system functions. Researchers usually categorize stress adaptation into these three stages: an alarm stage, a resistance stage, and a fatigue or depletion stage. In the alarm stage, the body responds to stress by engaging the sympathetic nervous system. This engagement prompts the release of stress hormones, elevates the heart rate and blood pressure, and increases muscle tension. During this stage, eating and sleeping patterns may be disrupted and anxiety is often experienced. The body may also become more susceptible to disease. During the resistance stage, the body begins to fight back and begins to activate resistance mechanisms to improve the ability to cope with stress. However, if the stress persists too long, the depletion or fatigue stage takes over. This stage may become life threatening if the stress is constant for weeks or months.