Stress, The Double-Edged Sword Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Stress, The Double-Edged Sword Stress, it is a part of our life that we can't not avoid or escape. There probably isn't anyone in the world today that hasn't dealt with it. It dwells in the work place, at school, in the home and most importantly, in you. So what is stress? And why do we have something that does us so much harm? Simply put, stress is an adaptive response, your body's response to an emotionally disturbing, disquieting or threatening event (1). Often times, it is the tension caused when demands from work, family and oneself can't not be met. Not to say stress is a recent disorder among humans, in fact, all organisms experience it. Stress is a part of the 'fight or flight' response, usually the result of threatening or worrisome event. The body increases the heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate, preparing in the event of actually needing to fight or retreat (1). For most animals, stress tends to come from acting out of self-preservation. The fleeing rabbit experiences stress as it bolts for the safety of its hole. In fact, without it, the rabbit might not survive. The surge of energy from the stress of spotting an attacking predatory might be the difference between safety and death. Early humans probably experienced stress in similar fashions. The attacking lion is a stressor enough to make the fleeing caveman run a bit faster, or fight back with more force. But unlike animals, humans experience stress another fashion, it is the stress that comes with thinking, whether it's about the future or the present. The caveman might have been stressed when the angry bear came charging up but he might also hav e stressed over an unsuccessful hunt and the prospect of having no food for several days. The s... ....coolware.com/health/medical_reporter/stress.html 2) Stress Free Net, http://www.stressfree.com/stress.html 3) Endocrinology and Stress-Related Disease , http://www.endo-society.org/pubaffai/factshee/stressrd.htm 4) How to Survive Unbearable Stress, Information on stress in easy to understand terms http://www.teachhealth.com/#stressscale 5) ABC News.com , Report on how stress may add to aging http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/stress_aging990920.html 6) Development of the Cerebral Cortex: Stress and Brain , http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/plomdevelop/development/January99.html 7) Doctor's Guide: Global Edition , http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/67e66.htm 8) Psycheducation.org, http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/67e66.htm 9) Getting There: Dealing with Stress , http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/handbook/06005-Stress.html