The basics of stress. Factors and symptoms

Abstract

Stress is a highly subjective phenomenon and a difficult one to define. Nowadays the relationship between stress and diseases is well established, but it has not always been recognised. The word “stress” is used in physics to refer to the interaction between a force and the resistance to counter that force. It was Hans Selye who first incorporated this term into the medical lexicon to describe the “nonspecific response of the body to any demand”. Selye’s theories attracted considerable attention and stress became a popular modern word, completely ignoring its original definition. There are different types of stress, each of them has its own, particular characteristics, symptoms, duration, and way to be treated. The stress factors are divided into four types or categories: physical stress, psychological stress, psychosocial stress, and psycho-spiritual stress. Stress has physiological, emotional/mental, and behavioral symptoms.