English 201 April 1, 2014 The word stress is known to many people. Not as much for some, but for others it’s an everyday part of life. Stress can have an effect on a person’s health. There are 1,226 adults in the general population and 1,221 adults are living with chronic stress illness, and 300 adult’s caregivers. . There are many different types of stress. One type of stress is chronic stress. The most common reason chronic stress is felt is that nobody was ready for what had happened, or they can’t get whatever happened off their mind. There is acute stress which is a psychological condition arising in response to terrifying or traumatic event. It should not be confused with the unrelated circulatory condition of shock. There is another kind of stress called chronic stress which is the response to emotional pressure for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has no control. Many different things can cause stress, some more common than others. “The situation and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors” (Help 1). A lot of things can cause stress. Most people may feel stress when you go on a job interview, take a test, or run a race. These kinds of short-term stress are normal. Long-term (chronic) stress is caused by stressful situations or events that last over a long period of time, like problems at work or conflicts in their family. Such as major life changes or even just being too busy can cause stress. Some external causes of stress are work or school, relationship difficulties, financial problems, and children or family. Some internal causes of stress are chronic worry, pessimism, all-or-nothing attitude, rigid thinking, and negative self-talk. One major issue amongst all ages is when a person talks negative to themselves. Saying they will amass to nothing, or they may never be able to afford something that they have wanted since they were a kid. Having a negative attitude causes a lot of stress amongst all groups of people. With all of the causes of stress, come the symptoms along with them. Practically every person has stress or has had stress in their lifetime. “Some amount of stress is healthy, but excessive stress, left untreated, can lead to anxiety and illness” (UMMC 1). There are many different symptoms of stress. Physical symptoms of stress are aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, loss of sex drive, and frequent colds. Many of these symptoms are more noticeable than others. Many emotional symptoms include moodiness, irritability, or short temper, agitation, inability to relax, feeling overwhelmed, sense of loneliness and isolation and depression or general unhappiness. There are also behavior symptoms of stress. These symptoms are eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little, isolating from others, procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax, and nervous habits such as nail biting. Some cognitive symptoms are memory loss problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, seeing only then negative, anxious or racing thoughts, and constant worrying. These are the many symptoms of having stress. There are things that can also influence a person’s stress tolerance level. “In stressful conditions, a person's ability to do the task appropriately with minimal anxiety level is known as stress tolerance” ( Psychology 1 ). Every person needs people to support them and what they do, such as friends and family. A person’s sense of control may be easier in their stride if they have confidence in their self and others have confidence in them as well. Having a good outlook and attitude can help because optimistic people are often more stress-hardy and can take more stress than others. A person’s ability to deal with their emotions in a short and effective way also contributes to their stress tolerance level. Knowledge and preparation helps people know more about a stressful situation that they may be in or have caused. Many of these things may help lower, or raise stress tolerance level. This essay shows stress and the many things that come along with it. These things are the causes of stress, the symptoms of stress, and a person’s stress tolerance level. Many different things can lead to stress, and who a person may be determines what may cause them stress. Untreated stress can actually kill a person, if it is extremely severe stress. When stress starts to control your body, your body starts to produce a hormone cortisol, which is designed to get your rear in gear such as the fight or flight method. The fight or flight method describes a mechanism in the body that allows humans and animals to mobilize a lot of energy rapidly in order to cope with threats to their well-being. Stress can affect a person’s health and reflect things in their life many different ways. It can leave a person’s life in shambles, or maybe just affect a person in a little way. No matter what a person may do or who they may be, stress affects everybody in many different ways.

Works Cited Adler, Jerry, Claudia Kalb, and Adam Rogers. “Stress (Cover Story).” Newsweek 133.24 (n.d.): 56. Science Reference Center. Web 17 Mar. 2014 Blalock, Meghan. “5 Surprising Ways Stress Affects Health”. Woman’sDay. Hearst lifestyle network. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Psychology Dictionary. “ What is STRESS TOLERANCE”. Psychology Dictionary. PsychologyDictionary.org. Web. 18 Mar. 2014 Simon, Harvey. “Stress”. University of Maryland Medical Center. Baltimore, MD. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Smith, Melinda, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. “Stress Symptoms, Signs, & Causes”. Helpguide.org. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.