Stress and Immune System Overdrive

Stress is a part of daily life. Our ability to handle stress largely determines the impact that it will have on our health and emotional well being. There are actually many different types of stress, and each has a unique effect on our bodies. As we stress more, we become less able to cope with daily tasks, and our body is less able to cope with physical changes. Let’s take a look at the relationship between stress and the immune system.

In a study by the Institute of Medicine, Stress and human health: An analysis and implications of research, the authors classify 5 categories of stress. By understanding the different types of stress, we can learn how to take measures to cope with each type.

By definition, acute = severe; time limited = short-term. Facing short-term unique challenges that typically push us outside our comfort zone results in acute stress. Public speaking, confronting a phobia, and mental arithmetic are examples. Acute stress typically comes and goes quickly without lasting negative effects.

Stress from facing a challenge, such as an academic examination or a job interview, is brief naturalistic stress. It is another short-term stress that results when we are in an uncomfortable situation, but does not have lasting detrimental effects .

A longer-term stress, this category of stress centers around a focal event, such as the death of a family member, a major natural disaster, or loss of a job. Characterized by a series of challenges that result from the event, this stress pervades a person’s lifestyle. However, with stressful event sequences, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Although affected individuals may not know exactly when their challenges will subside, they have a clear sense that at some point in the future they will.

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