What Happens in the Body During Stress?
Stress is an activation of the nervous system and specific hormones. When the brain senses a stressor, the hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormones) and release them into the bloodstream. These stress hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body.
These changes help a person function effectively during a crisis by maximizing the physical ability to fight or flee. When a stressful situation is relatively brief, the nervous system returns to its normal state after the feeling of danger or threat has passed, ready to respond again when needed. But when a stressor is an ongoing situation that causes pressure, tension, or anxiety, the stress response may continue, producing a long-lasting, low-level stress. Under conditions of lasting stress, the nervous system may not return to a normal resting state. Sensing continued pressure, it may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones for an extended period.
Long-lasting (or chronic) stress is hard on people. It can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other symptoms.
What Triggers Stress in Teens?
Teens might feel stress because of schoolwork or tests, making friends, or moving to a new neighborhood or a new school. Family situations like the birth of a sibling, parents' divorce or remarriage, or family arguments can create stress, too. Dating, peer pressure, and all the changes of puberty also can be stressful for teens.
Although we often think of stress as resulting from negative circumstances, stress can also be a response to change or excitement or anticipation of something about to happen - good or bad. Any situation that requires someone to adapt to challenging new conditions can create stress. Teens can feel stress over positive challenges, like making the varsity team, running for student council, competing in a science fair, or getting ready to go to a big dance. As long as the stress is manageable, a little pressure can help you stay on your toes and rise to the challenge.
Stress Overload
Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story - too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study well. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn. And a little stage fright as the curtain goes up on your school play gives you a temporary adrenaline rush, just enough to help you focus and deliver your lines with energy. Too much stage fright, however, may make you forget your lines, give you a stomachache, or keep you from trying out in the first place!
Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause stress overload for teens. Certain stressors can overwhelm any teen's ability to cope. Things like being bullied or being exposed to violence at home, at school, or in the neighborhood can be extremely stressful. Accidents, injury, illness, trauma, or the death of a loved one can be especially stressful - not just for teens but for people of any age. Situations that create extreme stress or that cause posttraumatic stress may require special attention and care.
Ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or an attention problem also can cause stress overload in teens. Usually, once the learning or attention problem is recognized and the teen is given the right learning support and starts to succeed, the stress disappears.
Crammed schedules are a cause of stress overload for many teens. Not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go, can create stress over time. Emotional distress caused by relationship stress, ongoing conflict with friends or family, or a broken heart you just can't get over can also lead to long-lasting stress.
Symptoms of Stress Overload
Teens experiencing stress overload may seem constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried.
They may feel and act irritable, upset, moody, or tense. A teen overloaded with stress may be more prone to emotional outbursts or act snappy or impatient with others. Stress overload also can cause physical symptoms like an upset stomach, headaches, or even chest pain. Teens who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.
Teens who are prone to anxiety may find that panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms become worse when they are under chronic stress. Worries can build and become debilitating. People under extreme long-term stress may become angry or depressed.
People under prolonged stress may engage in unhealthy behaviors. They may use drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating as a way to ease the tension they feel. Although these things might seem to take the edge off immediately, in the long run they do little to solve the problem. Relying on unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.
What can a teen do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most important thing is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. That means learning how to manage your reaction to the things that happen. Your reaction includes your attitudes, your thoughts, your emotions, and your behavior. All that's plenty to deal with - no wonder it's hard for some people to manage stress well! It can take time, effort, and patience to develop good stress-management skills, but the payoff's worth it.
Stress is an activation of the nervous system and specific hormones. When the brain senses a stressor, the hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormones) and release them into the bloodstream. These stress hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body.
These changes help a person function effectively during a crisis by maximizing the physical ability to fight or flee. When a stressful situation is relatively brief, the nervous system returns to its normal state after the feeling of danger or threat has passed, ready to respond again when needed. But when a stressor is an ongoing situation that causes pressure, tension, or anxiety, the stress response may continue, producing a long-lasting, low-level stress. Under conditions of lasting stress, the nervous system may not return to a normal resting state. Sensing continued pressure, it may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones for an extended period.
Long-lasting (or chronic) stress is hard on people. It can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other symptoms.
What Triggers Stress in Teens?
Teens might feel stress because of schoolwork or tests, making friends, or moving to a new neighborhood or a new school. Family situations like the birth of a sibling, parents' divorce or remarriage, or family arguments can create stress, too. Dating, peer pressure, and all the changes of puberty also can be stressful for teens.
Although we often think of stress as resulting from negative circumstances, stress can also be a response to change or excitement or anticipation of something about to happen - good or bad. Any situation that requires someone to adapt to challenging new conditions can create stress. Teens can feel stress over positive challenges, like making the varsity team, running for student council, competing in a science fair, or getting ready to go to a big dance. As long as the stress is manageable, a little pressure can help you stay on your toes and rise to the challenge.
Stress Overload
Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story - too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study well. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn. And a little stage fright as the curtain goes up on your school play gives you a temporary adrenaline rush, just enough to help you focus and deliver your lines with energy. Too much stage fright, however, may make you forget your lines, give you a stomachache, or keep you from trying out in the first place!
Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause stress overload for teens. Certain stressors can overwhelm any teen's ability to cope. Things like being bullied or being exposed to violence at home, at school, or in the neighborhood can be extremely stressful. Accidents, injury, illness, trauma, or the death of a loved one can be especially stressful - not just for teens but for people of any age. Situations that create extreme stress or that cause posttraumatic stress may require special attention and care.
Ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or an attention problem also can cause stress overload in teens. Usually, once the learning or attention problem is recognized and the teen is given the right learning support and starts to succeed, the stress disappears.
Crammed schedules are a cause of stress overload for many teens. Not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go, can create stress over time. Emotional distress caused by relationship stress, ongoing conflict with friends or family, or a broken heart you just can't get over can also lead to long-lasting stress.
Symptoms of Stress Overload
Teens experiencing stress overload may seem constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried.
They may feel and act irritable, upset, moody, or tense. A teen overloaded with stress may be more prone to emotional outbursts or act snappy or impatient with others. Stress overload also can cause physical symptoms like an upset stomach, headaches, or even chest pain. Teens who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.
Teens who are prone to anxiety may find that panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms become worse when they are under chronic stress. Worries can build and become debilitating. People under extreme long-term stress may become angry or depressed.
People under prolonged stress may engage in unhealthy behaviors. They may use drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating as a way to ease the tension they feel. Although these things might seem to take the edge off immediately, in the long run they do little to solve the problem. Relying on unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.
What can a teen do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most important thing is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. That means learning how to manage your reaction to the things that happen. Your reaction includes your attitudes, your thoughts, your emotions, and your behavior. All that's plenty to deal with - no wonder it's hard for some people to manage stress well! It can take time, effort, and patience to develop good stress-management skills, but the payoff's worth it.
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