Types of Stress

Main ideas and lessons

• Stress can affect anyone at any time; people experience it in different forms.
• Stress often feels like being overloaded, exhausted, “wound up,” tightly tense, stuck/overwhelmed, and worried.
• Stress has two performance-related outcomes:
  • Eustress (use stress): helps performance when the stressor is manageable and improves functioning.
  • Distress: occurs when stress becomes too much and performance declines.
• If stress persists, it can harm regular daily life and interfere with:
  • Academics
  • Occupational functioning
  • Cognition
  • Interpersonal relationships
  • Daily well-being / “quality of life”

Classification of stressors (Wein, 1994 model)

Stressors are primarily grouped into two types:

1. Event (Acute) stressor

• Definition: An acute, sudden stress response triggered by a specific event.
• Core feature: Stress rises rapidly and may be intense over a short period.
• Examples mentioned:
  • Natural calamities
  • Failure in an exam
  • Exam/interview/presentation deadlines
  • Placement interview stress
  • Relationship breakup
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Sudden diagnosis/findings of severe illness
  • Accidents
  • Sudden daily hassles (e.g., car breaks down, transport interruptions/roadblocks)
  • Household disruption (e.g., maids not turning up for those who depend on them)

2. Chronic stressor

• Definition: A stressor that continues over a long period.
• Core feature: Stress tends to plateau rather than spike; it is sustained.
• Key outcome: Even if intensity is not as sudden as acute stress, prolonged exposure causes:
  • Physiological changes
  • Psychological changes
  • Psychosomatic disorders
  • Problems in occupation and other life areas
• Examples mentioned:
  • Ongoing war/calamity aftermath
  • Financial crisis
  • Long-term relationship problems (e.g., disturbed marriage over many years)
  • Traumatic experiences such as childhood sexual abuse or physical abuse
  • Being in a career/academic path one doesn’t want (e.g., pushed into engineering/medical)
  • Learned helplessness (feeling unable to change one’s situation)
  • Chronic illness impacting finances/family adversities
  • Dysfunctional families (conflict, fights, abuse)
  • Ongoing inability to relocate or move on due to family constraints

Acute stress: how it can feel and what it does

• Acute stress may also be thrilling/exciting initially (e.g., scuba diving, paratrooping).
• Mechanism described: fight-or-flight response
  • Sympathetic activation becomes active.
  • The body is ready to respond.
• If prolonged: the person becomes exhausted, and cognition is impaired.

Reported physiological effects (acute):

• Emotional changes: snapping behavior, anger, irritability, hypervigilance
• Cardiovascular: palpitations, high blood pressure, other sympathetic activation effects
• Digestive: stomach upsets, constipation, indigestion, irritable bowel-like symptoms

Timing distinction: acute stress effects are often transient, but prolonged acute stress can become draining and harmful.

Chronic stress: signs and differences from acute stress

• Chronic stress often shows similar signs to acute stress but:
  • They last longer
  • They become more “stamped” into bodily systems

Common physical signs (chronic):

• Dry mouth
• Difficulty breathing
• Pounding heart
• Stomach aches
• Chronic headaches

Common psychological signs (chronic):

• Irritability
• Concentration/focus problems
• Fatigue
• Narrowed perception / reduced sense of control

Additional chronic outcomes emphasized:

• Persistent digestive complaints; ongoing psychosomatic issues (e.g., migraine/tension headaches)
• Worsened digestion, sexual functioning
• Impaired cognition

Chronic stress: effects on performance and specific life domains

Appetite/digestion

• Stress-related nervous system activation can suppress appetite.
• Mentions increased stomach acid secretion and links to ulcers (digestive wall issues).
• Includes indigestion and constipation; IBS is specifically noted.

Sexual activity

• Stress reduces sexual interest/arousal.
• Mechanisms described:
  • Disruptions in male testosterone
  • Reduced estrogen concentration in females

Cognition

• Reduced concentration and memory problems.
• Working memory difficulties.
• More negative belief system about self, world, and future (e.g., feeling not good enough, no hope), with possible links to depression.

Growth and physical health

• Stress affects digestive enzyme release and nutrient absorption → nutritional deficits → growth problems.
• Stress hormones disrupt calcium-related rebuilding processes → brittle bones/bone disintegration risks.

Management / treatment principles (explicitly stated)

• Stress can be treated and managed.
• Acute stress: often manageable through lifestyle changes.
• Chronic stress: if symptoms are present or persistent, therapy is important.

Personality and cognitive factors (intermittent acute → chronic risk)

• Some individuals may be prone to stress due to:
  • Personality variables
  • How they perceive situations (cognitive appraisal)
  • Potential unawareness that their response patterns contribute to their stress
• Intermittent acute events can accumulate; the lecturer emphasizes evaluating personality/cognitive variables.

Named sources / speakers (as stated)

• Wein (1994) — model dividing stressors into event/acute and chronic stressors.
• Sikman — introduced the concept/principle of learned helplessness (lack of control leading to helplessness and prolonged stress vulnerability).