Stress affects us all. While having a brain injury can certainly complicate stress management, dealing with chronic stress is very similar to dealing with traumatic brain injury or any other kind of acquired injury to the brain.
What is Stress?
Stress is a conditioned response that has both physical and mental attributes. We, meaning all of us, usually refer to the mental aspects by saying, “I had a terribly stressful day at work.” In this sense we are referring to a feeling; stress is what you feel when you think you have more things to deal with than you normally do.
That stress thought triggers physiological responses inside your body. Adrenaline and cortisol production speed up to allow you to either overcome the situation or run from it. Referred to as the fight or flight response, your heart speeds up, you breathe faster and you actually have a burst of energy.
Your body prepares itself for your next decision. That increased energy will help you stand and fight, or it will give you added strength to head for the hills. All of this is normal. The fight or flight response helps us react quickly to situations; it helps us work harder to complete a work assignment.
Usually, however, when you and I say we had a terribly stressful day we are not referring to the good side of stress. When we feel stress for prolonged periods of time in a day or for numerous days we discover the dark side of the force: headaches, upset stomach, ulcers, back pain, and sleeping difficulties. Overabundant stress can weaken your immune system, making it more difficult to fight off medical issues and can actually cause a health problem to worsen.
You become moody, tense or depressed. This can trigger a complete new set of issues that can cause even more stress. While your body is prepared for fight or flight, your mind is leaning toward flight more and more as time passes. Let’s dig a little deeper into this phenomenon.
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