JAKARTA - Stress not only makes the mind tired. When pressure comes on continuously, the body also works hard. The heart rate goes up, blood pressure increases, breathing changes, and the body's resistance can weaken.
The Guardian, quoted Saturday, July 25, reported that the human body has a natural way of dealing with threats. The system used to be useful when humans had to face physical dangers. However, in modern life, the triggers often come from work pressure, social media, family conflicts, or recurring anxiety.
Prof Kavita Vedhara, an expert in stress and behavioural medicine at Cardiff University, said the most immediate effect of a stressful situation is an adrenaline rush.
"The most direct effect we see in a stressful situation is an adrenaline rush that causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing," said Vedhara.
According to Vedhara, this reaction is known as the fight-or-flight response. This means that the body is preparing to fight or run away from threats.
About 30 minutes after the rapid response, cortisol levels also rose. Cortisol is often called the stress hormone, although the term is considered too simplistic.
Vedhara said cortisol helps regulate blood pressure, suppress inflammation, and increase blood sugar availability to add energy. This response is useful when stress only comes for a moment.
The problem arises when stress lasts a long time. When the body is constantly in standby mode, the body's energy is diverted from other functions such as digestion, tissue repair, and the immune system.
In normal conditions, the body can recover after the threat is over. In chronic stress, the body does not have enough time to return to stability.
"Perhaps the most well-known problem associated with chronic stress is worse immune function. This can increase the risk of infection, make vaccines less effective, interfere with wound healing, and so on," said Vedhara.
According to Vedhara, chronic stress has also been shown to increase the risk of obesity, depression, and the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Neurodegenerative diseases are diseases that gradually attack nerve cells. Alzheimer's is included in it and is usually related to memory loss and thinking ability.
Dr Jo Daniels, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Bath, said the stress response can also create a vicious circle.
When stressed, a person can be more sensitive to changes in the body that are actually normal. A fast heartbeat, for example, can feel scary. That worry then makes the body's sensations feel stronger and adds to the anxiety.
"When in a stress response, we become hypervigilant. So, we are more likely to perceive normal variations in body sensations as threats," Daniels said.
According to Daniels, stress hormones can also interfere with the way a person makes decisions. In that condition, people can respond to problems in ways that are not helpful.
He gave an example, someone who feels restless can choose not to leave the house because the body feels like giving a signal of danger.
Experts don't place all stress as an enemy. The body is designed to respond to stress and recover. The problem is stress that lasts a long time and continues to recur.
Vedhara said the real impact on health is more likely to come from long-term stressors.
In its report, The Guardian also noted an important study in the 1990s involving nearly 400 healthy volunteers. They were exposed to a common flu virus. The results, stress is strongly related to a person's tendency to get sick.
Age and life experience also have an effect. Older adults, with immune systems that are starting to decline, can feel the effects of chronic stress more severely. People who have experienced trauma may also have a lower threshold for the stress response.
"A lot of it depends on your life experience," Daniels said.
According to Daniels, some people can actually thrive in stressful jobs. However, in the long run, everyone still has limits.
To manage stress, one of the ways that is supported by evidence is to stop for a moment and slow down the breath. When stressed, people tend to breathe short and fast. That pattern can strengthen the threat signal in the body.
"If you breathe slowly, you're sending a message to the brain that everything is OK, you're safe," Daniels said.
Exercise can also help reduce the buildup of adrenaline due to high stress responses.
However, simple ways such as regulating the breath are most useful for acute or temporary stress. Severe and prolonged stress is not enough to be dealt with just by taking a breath for a while.
If stress often appears and lasts a long time, another option is evidence-based psychological therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy known as CBT.
CBT helps people reexamine thoughts that arise when depressed. Daniels said stressed people often immediately think they can't face problems. In fact, thoughts are not always facts.
Another technique is mindfulness-based stress reduction. This approach helps a person take a distance from unhelpful thoughts, rather than fighting against them directly.
Daniels said chronic stress needs to be addressed with lifestyle changes, social support, and healthier coping skills.
"I recommend people seek help when they are experiencing stress almost all the time, or if they themselves are concerned about their stress levels," Daniels said.
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