Stress is a widespread phenomenon nowadays . The causes that lead to the appearance of its symptoms are many, however, the lifestyle and culture of Western societies contribute significantly to the emergence of this condition.

There are different types of stress: acute stress, chronic stress, post-traumatic stress, etc. If you want to know more about the different types of stress, you can visit our article: “Types of stress and their triggers”.

Chronic stress and acute stress

It is important to differentiate between acute and chronic stress . Acute stress is produced at specific moments and in a temporary way, as a response to the experience of one or several highly stressful events, and as a result the person suffers a picture of anxiety. Although stress can be positive in small doses, in high doses it can affect both our mental and physical health: muscular pain, headaches, exhaustion, gastric problems, tachycardia, etc.

Stress, however, can also be chronic, which is a more harmful way to experience this condition. When stress is prolonged over time , it produces a physical, emotional or mental exhaustion that has consequences on the self-esteem and health of the affected person, even leading to severe depression. Whether the person lives in a hostile environment in times of war, is unable to pay a mortgage, suffers from burnout syndrome at work, or is unable to cope with divorce, the result is devastating and has a strong impact on their emotional and general well-being.

Causes

Chronic stress has a particular characteristic that sets it apart from other types of stress. It is that the event or stressor manifests itself over and over again, that is, the stressor is not temporary and remains unchanged over time .

For example, a college student may experience a stressful situation when exams are approaching and he realizes that he has let time pass this course.For a month he tries to study everything he should have studied during the year, but he does not have enough time or resources to pass the course. Once the exam time is over, that stressful event will disappear, and the student will be able to better plan and manage his time for the next course. The student has experienced an acute stress situation.

An example of chronic stress

This is not the case with chronic stress, because the stressful event occurs over and over again, repeatedly over time. You may feel burned out at work because your superior’s leadership style is causing you distress day in and day out , because your boss does not take into account your potential, criticizes you constantly and, by not giving you clear and concrete orders, is causing ambiguity and role conflict.

It can also happen that an individual becomes involved in a mortgage debt that forces him/her to pay an amount he/she cannot afford. The months go by and he is increasingly in debt, which is causing him anxiety, despair, insomnia, severe depression and, in addition, he sees no way out. Both cases are examples of chronic stress.

As you can see, the causes can be varied, however, it is the frequency of presentation of the stressor that causes the harmful consequences for mental health. However, it must be clear that sometimes it is not the stressful event itself that causes the stress, but how we interpret this event and how we deal with it . Our beliefs and our resources are of great importance. Therefore, what may be stressful for one person may not be so for another.

Symptoms of chronic stress

The person with chronic stress, unlike the one who suffers acute stress, is often unaware of what is happening to him, as he has become accustomed to this situation despite not having overcome it. This can have a very detrimental effect, which is known as learned helplessness (click here to learn more). Learned helplessness seriously hinders the search for help and treatment.

So it is important to pay attention to both your physical and psychological symptoms in order to get out of this situation. Generally, chronic stress manifests itself in different ways:

  • Diseases of the digestive system, skin diseases and heart problems
  • Feelings of insecurity and the feeling of learned helplessness.
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Emotional Fatigue
  • Alcohol or substance abuse

These symptoms and many others not only affect the person, but also their immediate environment , making healthy interpersonal relationships with their family or partner very often difficult.

Burnout or chronic stress at work

One of the most frequent types of chronic stress is the burnout syndrome , which occurs in the work environment and which, in recent years, has worsened in many professional sectors due to the crisis and personnel cuts.

The causes of the burnout can be diverse, and have their origin both in the expectations of the employees or their capacity to face the problem , and in different factors that depend purely and exclusively on the practices of the company or the organization. For example: leadership styles, failure in selection processes or role overload.

The studies in this line of research indicate that the burnout is manifested in the following way:

  • Wear and tear and emotional exhaustion : fatigue and mental exhaustion.
  • Depersonalization : negative attitudes towards the company and work, for example, irritability or loss of motivation.
  • Lack of personal and professional fulfilment : negative effect on personal self-esteem, frustrated expectations and manifestations of stress on a physiological, cognitive and behavioural level.
  • You can read more about this in our article: “Burnout: how to detect and take action”

Treatment of chronic stress

Since the first research on stress, carried out by Hans Selye in the 1950s, many experts have been providing more and more knowledge about what it is, how it works and how best to treat this condition. One of the most widely used theories is Karasek and Johnson’s Social Demand-Control-Support Model (1986), which works especially well for work-related stress.

From this model it is understood that the source of stress is found in the mismatch between the existing demands and the control that the person has to face these demands. In other words, what determines the appearance of stress is the interaction between the person and the stressful situation. Therefore, the problem can be attacked in two ways : by changing or avoiding the stressful event or, on the contrary, by changing the way the person perceives and faces this situation.

Seeing a psychologist to overcome stress

The best way to overcome chronic stress, of course, is to eradicate the causative factor, although this is not always possible. It may be an alternative to quitting your job or getting a divorce when the problem is in your job or relationship with your partner, but what about the long-term unemployed or a member of a family without financial resources who is unable to pay off their debt?

These cases require professional psychological help, because this situation can lead to serious problems in the future if this phenomenon is not adequately combated. In other words, it is necessary to seek treatment and learn practical tools to deal with this negative situation. The need to see a clinical psychologist can be key to learning how to manage the negative emotions and feelings associated with stress.

In the best case scenario, a radical change in lifestyle will be enough, such as taking care of the food, practicing physical exercise regularly, spending time in leisure and looking for moments to relax. You can read more about these tips and many more in our article: “10 essential tips to reduce stress”.