Last Updated on February 23, 2023 by Mike Robinson

The different types of stress can be categorized based on their sign (positive or negative) and length (acute, episodic, or chronic).

Currently, stress is defined as “mental exhaustion” brought on by demands for performance that are much higher than usual, which frequently results in various physical and mental disorders.

Types of Stress

It is a significant contributor to mental and physical health risks. Stress is frequently directly linked to several chronic illnesses as well as psychosomatic and mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety, hypertension, heart attacks, etc.).

Contrary to popular belief, “stress” has been used for centuries. It was used to describe unpleasant experiences like challenges, adversities, or suffering that the person had to go through as early as the fourteenth century.

Physicists and engineers used the concept of stress for the first time to describe the properties of solid bodies in the seventeenth century. These properties represent the internal force that exists in a region where an external force acts and has the potential to distort a solid structure.

Style first used the term in the context of health in 1926 to describe the body’s reaction to a stressor or stressful circumstance.

Positive stress, which helps us confront the task with all of our resources, is one type of stress, as we will explain later. However, when emotion overwhelms and exhausts us, in addition to having adverse mental and physical effects, it also makes it harder for us to face challenges and find solutions.

Phases

In 1956, Style proposed that the stress response consists of three different stages:

Alarm phase. It begins immediately after recognition of the threat. Some symptoms appear as tachycardia or a decrease in body temperature.

Resistance phase. The organism adapts to the situation and continues the activation, although smaller than the previous step. Activation cannot be sustained if the stressful problem persists because resources are consumed faster than acquired.

Exhaustion phase. The body exhausted its resources in the previous phase and gradually lost its adaptive capacity.

Categories of stress

There are different classifications of stress depending on their specific characteristics.

Positive Stress

Contrary to popular belief, stress is not always detrimental or harmful to a person. Positive stress manifests when the person is under pressure but believes that the outcomes of the circumstance could be favorable.

This enables you to harness stress for increased energy, drive, and focused awareness. For instance, a sporting event illustrates this. This stress is linked to good feelings like happiness, satisfaction, or motivation.

Negative Stress

This type also referred to as “distress,” is associated with the expectation of potential adverse outcomes. Fear paralyzes us and keeps us from completing the task successfully, as opposed to being helpful or motivating as it was in the previous situation.

The resources we have to deal with the situation we would use under normal circumstances are destabilized and blocked. Negative feelings like sadness, anger, and, in some cases, anxiety are linked to this disorder.

Acute stress

Acute stress is the most prevalent and can be experienced in the daily demands we place on ourselves. These requirements are frequently based on past events or expectations we have for the near future.

Small amounts of this kind of stress can be helpful and motivating, but more significant amounts can be draining and have various adverse effects on one’s physical and mental well-being.

However, because this kind of stress is brief and specific to a single location and time, it usually has a quick and straightforward cure and leaves no lasting effects. These are the main signs of this acute stress:

• Negative emotions range from apprehension and sadness to depression and anxiety in extreme cases.
• Muscle issues. The buildup of tension can result in headaches, back pain, and neck pain.
• Digestive problems. These symptoms can range from heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea to ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Symptoms arising from temporary overexcitement include increased blood pressure, palpitations, sweating, dizziness, migraines, and shortness of breath or chest pain.

Intermittent acute stress

This kind of stress manifests itself routinely in a person’s life. Those affected frequently have a lot of demands on them, both those they place on themselves and those the environment places on them.

Exhibiting irritability, hostility, and a sense of agony over the belief they will fail. Constantly worrying about the future is another trait shared by those who struggle with it.

They typically have a pessimistic and tragic outlook on life. Additionally, they are unaware of the harm that their way of thinking and living causes to them and frequently to those around them (especially in the work environment).

Because of this, it can be difficult to treat unless the negative symptoms a person experiences are so severe that they are driven to get treatment to avoid them. The most common symptoms are:

• Headaches and persistent migraines, frequent chest pain, and shortness of breath. Some heart problems have also been associated.

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is the most severe and damaging kind of stress. Daily suffering causes physical and mental strain on its victims, which can have severe and long-term repercussions. Chronic stress develops when a person is powerless to change or escape their situation.

This stress could result from dangerous conflicts, ethnic or religious rivalries, or the hopelessness that comes with extreme poverty. Additionally, chronic stress can occur after experiencing traumatic experiences in childhood.

The fact that the victim is unaware of their condition is another common trait. They have lived with this condition for a considerable time, which is part of their emotional makeup.

They identify so strongly with the stressful feeling that even in the case of treatment, they do not believe it will be beneficial. This is because they think that their personality trait of stress makes them who they are and that they would be someone else without it.

These factors make treatment very difficult. First, individuals with stress rarely seek assistance and those who do often leave the treatment before being cured.

Because they have serious physical and mental effects, these stress-related symptoms may even need medical attention. Some of the primary signs include:

• Some diseases, including cancer and heart issues, can be brought on by stress.
• The digestive system is susceptible to disease.
• On a psychological level, there appears to be a lack of self-worth and a sense of helplessness. People give up because they feel it is out of their hands. These emotions can grow into pathologies like anxiety and depression.
• According to some research, this stress increases the risk of suicide.

It is advisable to address any signs of stress head-on, take steps to prevent it from worsening, and acquire additional resources and coping mechanisms.

Risk factors

The potential to experience stress depends on several factors. Remember that while something might be stressful for one person, it might not be for another. Therefore, both psychological and environmental factors must come together to create stress.

Psychological Factors

A person’s interpretation of the situation and ability to handle it depend on several personality traits, behaviors, and thought patterns.

The tendency for anxiety

This is true for those who constantly worry about the unfavorable effects of events in their lives.

They are prone to feeling restless in any uncertain situation they encounter. By approaching events in this manner, we are more likely to experience stress.

A specific way of thinking

Thinking patterns are significantly influenced when a situation is perceived as dangerous or stressful.

Because of this, when presented with a situation, one person may perceive it as threatening and stressful, while another may not.

External control of locus

The locus of control refers to the belief that the events of life are controlled by the actions and/or capabilities (internal locus of control) or external forces that the person cannot control (external locus of control).

A person who has an external locus of control is more likely to suffer from stress. They feel that what they do or say won’t impact the situation in a situation of uncertainty or danger.

Introversion

According to some studies, shy or introverted people experience more negative reactions and stress than outgoing people. They see more things as potentially dangerous or threatening.

People who have low self-esteem feel a load of stress more intensely than others. Also, they believe they have fewer options available to help relieve the stress.

Other individual factors

Other factors, like age, have been shown in some studies to influence the likelihood of developing stress. For instance, important milestones like retirement age can cause stress and overload.

According to other studies, women workers may be a risk factor. In addition to being integrated into the workforce, they typically assume greater responsibility for family care and housework.

Environmental factors

Several “life” circumstances can cause stress. According to some researchers, four different areas can result in stress:

Major change

Changes to certain aspects of life always require an adjustment to your current situation. And this, whether the change is positive or negative, leads to stress. For instance, you are relocating, changing your address, or having a child.

Abrupt interruption

It’s challenging to adapt to new circumstances when something ends abruptly. A person must use all of their resources to readjust to the situation. For instance, the couple’s divorce or retirement.t

The conflict

Some of the most stressful periods in life can result from the conflict. Studies have revealed family and work to be the two major sources of conflict. It is not unheard of for conflicts to stretch out for years if they are not resolved.

Helplessness

In these situations, the individual feels helpless and unable to cope with certain life events. An example of this would be the death of a loved one.