Audrey Wagstaff who is the Associate Professor of Psychology at Wilmington University explained to me that Stress is a mental state or emotional strain or tension that comes from adverse or highly demanding situations. She also described stress management as the broad spectrum of psychotherapies and techniques aimed at controlling one’s stress level, particularly chronic stress, for purposes of improving functioning (Davidson 2001). When I asked her on the causes of stress, she said that situations, as well as pressures that lead to stress, are called as stressors.  She stated that these are not only harmful things like work exhaustion or a rocky relationship but also anything that puts high demands including positive events like getting married, going to college, buying a house, or getting a promotion. When I inquired on stress tolerance, she responded that people are different. She said that some could roll with life’s punches, but others crumble in the face of small frustrations.  Hence, tolerance differs with people. With curiosity to know the symptoms of stress, Audrey classified them into four. She said that symptoms could be divided into cognitive symptoms, emotional symptoms, and physical symptoms. According to her, cognitive symptoms include Memory problems, Inability to concentrate, Poor judgment, seeing only the negative, constant worrying and racing thoughts.  She also said that emotional symptoms include general unhappiness, anxiety, and agitation, moodiness, irritability, or anger, feeling overwhelmed, loneliness and isolation as well as other mental or emotional health issues. On the other hand, she said that physical symptoms include aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat as well as loss of sex drive. She said that other physical symptoms could include frequent colds or flu. When I asked what happens when one is stressed, she stated that stress is that which one feel when he has to handle more than what he is used to.  She said that when one is stressed, his body responds as though he is in danger making hormones that speed up the heart to make the person breathe faster, and give him a burst of energy. She called this as fight-or-flight response to stress.

I also wanted to know if stress is all negative but I her response, I came to learn that I was wrong. She said that stress is normal and can sometimes be useful.  She said that stress could be of help if one needs to work hard like winning a race. However, she stated that if stress lasts for long, it can have adverse effects. From my interaction with her, I also came to learn that one can do something about stress. She said that one could learn ways to manage stress and as a way of getting stress under control one needs to find out what is causing stress in his life. The person must then look for ways to reduce the stress and learn healthy ways of relieving stress and lower its harmful effects. On measuring personal stress level, she said that sometimes it could be clear on where the stress is coming from.  Hence, one can count on stress in a major life change like the death of a loved one among others.  She also appreciated the fact that other times it can be unclear to know why one feels stressed. Finally, she said that stress is a life fact for many people and that one may be unable to get rid of it, but looking for ways to lower it is possible.

References

Davidson, Jeff. Stress Management. Indianapolis, Ind: Macmillan USA, 2001. Print.

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