Stressors Essay

Everybody deals with stress in their everyday life. Stress does not care if they are rich or poor, employed or unemployed, black or white. Many people experience physical maladies due to stress, but what is stress? Why is it so powerful to cause hearts to stop, and stomachs to develop holes? The American Institute of Stress says that ‘The term “stress”, as it is currently used was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”.’(The American Institute of Stress [AIS], 2015). Another definition to consider is “Stress is a fact of nature in which forces from the inside or outside world affect the individual.” (MedicineNet, 2015). A third definition is as follows, “Stress: The responses of individuals to environmental stressors” (King, 2014, p. G-10). The three definitions previously listed agree that stress is the body’s response to outside stressors. The next questions that need to be asked are what is a stressor? What is the difference between an external and internal stressor? The first definition of stressors states that they are “Stressors: Circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping

This can affect a person’s mood and attitude in a multitude of ways. Stress can make a person feel anxious, or show symptoms of anxiety. This is especially severe in people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD); GAD leads people to be anxious over any little thing in life. Another symptom of stress is Irritability, or hostility/anger. So while the subject may be a generally carefree easygoing person, stress can lead to them having an affected fight or flight response. This leads to them perceiving even little things as a threat which can lead to exaggerated responses to stressors. Stress also manifests in thoughts. These thoughts can include self-criticism, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and general mental