Stress
Featured Article
Stress is all around us. It's become normal part of daily life. But over time, its effects can become taxing, both mentally and physically. Stress becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by its challenges. And though it may be difficult to define, that doesn't mean it's all in your head. Researchers have found that significant biological changes take place in the body during periods of stress. And extended periods of stress can cause destructive changes in the body, such as depression and a suppressed immune system, which can eventually lead to heart disease, cancer, and stroke. So if you are feeling stressed out, its time to get some relief. Learn about stress: how to identify it, and how to find relief.
Stress and Substance Abuse
Researchers have long recognized the strong correlation between stress and drug use, particularly relapse to drug use. In the wake of recent tragic events, our awareness of the role that stress can play in increasing ones’ vulnerability to drug use is more important than ever. Exposure to stress is among the most common human experiences. It also is one of the most powerful triggers for relapse to substance abuse in addicted individuals, even after long periods of abstinence.
Psychological Stress and Cancer
The complex relationship between physical and psychological health is not well understood. Scientists know that many types of stress activate the body’s endocrine (hormone) system, which in turn can cause changes in the immune system, the body’s defense against infection and disease (including cancer). However, the immune system is a highly specialized network whose activity is affected not only by stress but by a number of other factors. It has not been shown that stress-induced changes in the immune system directly cause cancer.
Stress and the Developing Brain
It is well known that the early months and years of life are critical for brain development. But the question remains: just how do early influences act on the brain to promote or challenge the developmental process? Research has suggested that many both positive and negative experiences, chronic stressors, and various other environmental factors may affect a young child’s developing brain. And now, studies involving animals are revealing in greater detail how this may occur.
Alcohol and Stress
The term “stress” often is used to describe the subjective feeling of pressure or tension. However, when scientists refer to stress, they mean the many objective physiological processes that are initiated in response to a stressor. The stress response is a complex process; the association between drinking and stress is more complicated still. Because both drinking behavior and an individual’s response to stress are determined by multiple genetic and environmental factors, studying the link between alcohol consumption and stress may further our understanding of drinking behavior.