Types of Stress

Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. However, not all types of stress are harmful or even negative, the major types of stress can be broken down into four different categories: Eustress, Hyperstress, Hypostress, and Distress.

A) Eustress

Eustress is defined in the model of Richard Lazarus (1974) as stress that is healthy or gives one a feeling of fulfillment. It is one of the helpful types of stress. It prepares the muscles, heart, and mind for the strength needed for whatever is about to occur.

Eustress can also apply to creative endeavors. When a person needs to have some extra energy or creativity, eustress kicks in to bring them the inspiration they need. An athlete will experience the strength that comes form eustress right before they play a big game or enter a big competition. Because of the eustress, they immediately receive the strength that they need to perform.

When the body enters the fight or flight response, it will experience eustress. The eustress prepares the body to fight with or flee from an imposing danger. This type of stress will cause the blood to pump to the major muscle groups, and will increase the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. If the event or danger passes, the body will eventually return to its normal state.

Some of the examples of Eustress are:

• Thrill experienced while watching a horror movie
• Excitement of winning a race
• Accomplishing a challenge
• Getting a promotion

• Happiness felt on the birth of a baby
• Excitement while getting wedded

B) Distress

Distress is one of the negative types of stress. This is one of the types of stress that the mind and body undergoes when the normal routine is constantly adjusted and altered. The mind is not comfortable with this routine, and craves the familiarity of a common routine. There are actually two types of distress: acute stress and chronic stress.

1. Acute Stress

Acute stress is experienced in response to an immediate perceived threat, either physical, emotional or psychological. The threat can be real or imagined; it’s the perception of threat that triggers the response. It is an intense type of stress, but it passes quickly. Acute stress is the body’s way of getting a person to stand up and take inventory of what is going on, to make sure that everything is OK

During an acute stress response, the autonomic nervous system is activated and the body experiences increased levels of cortisol, adrenalin and other hormones that produce an increased heart rate, quickened breathing rate, and higher blood pressure. Blood is shunted from the extremities to the big muscles, preparing the body to fight or run away. This is also known as the fight-or-flight response.

2. Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is a state of ongoing physiological arousal. This occurs when the body experiences so many stressors that the autonomic nervous system rarely has a chance to activate the relaxation response. This is the type of stress experienced by someone who constantly faces moves or job changes.

This type of chronic stress response occurs all too frequently from our modern lifestyle, when everything from high-pressured jobs to loneliness to busy traffic can keep the body in a state of perceived threat and chronic stress. In this case, our fight-or-flight response, which was designed to help us fight a few life-threatening situations spaced out over a long period (like being attacked by a bear every so often), can wear down our bodies and cause us to become ill, either physically or emotionally. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 90% of doctor’s visits are for conditions in which stress at least plays a role!

C) Hyperstress

Hyperstress occurs when an individual is pushed beyond what he or she can handle. Hyperstress results from being overloaded or overworked. When someone is hyperstressed, even little things can trigger a strong emotional response. A Wall Street trader is likely to experience hyperstress. It is important for a person who thinks they might be experiencing hyperstress to take measures to reduce the stress in their lives, because hyperstress can lead to serious emotional and physical repercussions.

D) Hypostress

Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress. Hypostress occurs when an individual is bored or unchallenged. People who experience hypostress are often restless and uninspired. A factory worker who performs repetitive tasks might experience hypostress.

Reference:

http://www.stressfocus.com/stress_focus_article/types-of-stress.htm

http://www.aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief/stress-management/define-stress/eustress.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustress

http://www.thehealthcenter.info/adult-stress/types-of-stress.htm