What Can Cause Stress?

In today's fast paced, ever-changing society, many factors or stressors are believed to contribute significantly to our most serious health problems. Individual perception of stress varies from person to person, but most often stress is related to situations in which you are forced to adapt to in a way that is difficult or unpleasant.

Many life events and the ability to cope with them are closely related to stress-related health problems. Some stressful events are the death of a loved one, alienation of affection, geographical moves, decline in self-esteem, or change in job status. Threats to marital, family or social status, to health or security may also be particularly stressful. Patterns of change, both for better or worse, can also cause stress.

Particular kinds of work seem to cause special stresses related to the nature of the work or imposed irregularities, For example, rotating shift work which disturbs the normal sleep cycle, produces chronic stress by repeatedly upsetting daily rhythms that control specific hormones and other responses. Jobs that entail little variation but close attention, such as assembly-line work involving dangerous machinery, also seem particularly stressful. People in high-stress jobs often view their situation as controlling: too much to do, too little time, unstimulating and no way to escape.

Much has also been written about the role of personality and stress-related conditions, particularly heart disease. Individuals who are very tense, impatient, highly competitive and seem to be driven by time and the need to succeed (Type A persons) seem to be at a higher risk for stress-related diseases than others who are more relaxed and less competitive.