Folklore of stress

About the time of Selye's work, the gradual realization dawned that such concepts as anxiety, antagonism, exhaustion, frustration, distress, despair, overwork, pre-menstrual tension, over-focusing, confusion, mourning and fear could all come together in a general broadening of the meaning of the term stress. The popular use of the term in modern folklore expanded rapidly, spawning an industry of popular psychology, self-help, personal counselling, and sometimes quackery.

The use of the term stress in serious recognized cases such as those of post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosomatic illness has scarcely helped clear analysis of the generalized "stress" phenomenon. Nonetheless, some varieties of stress from negative life events, or distress, and from positive life events, or eustress, can clearly have a serious physical impact distinct from the troubles of what psychotherapists call the "worried well". Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and release of stress hormones including adrenaline/epinephrine and cortisol.

Sympathetic nervous output tends to divert bloodflow to the large muscles - the body 'thinks' it has to run away from something or fight something: the so-called flight/fright syndrome of ancient evolutionary heritage - and bloodflow is correspondingly less to the bowel and other non-muscle organs. We all recognise the effects: dry mouth, motor agitation, sweating, pallor, enlarged pupils and insomnia. Our modern lifestyle tends to cause continual sympathetic nervous system activation with very little opportunity for the parasympathetic (also called 'vegetative') nervous system to activate. When this system is active, the bowel and other non-muscle organs receive good blood-flow, the pupils constrict, the glands all function well and secrete their various compounds. Absence of parasympathetic activation leads to poor digestion and probably also to poor healing and organ function. It is vital to take time out from our modern lifestyles to allow for rest and proper parasympathetic action in our bodies.