There are different types of stress and two main ways to group them by time and gravity condition, or its characteristics and prevent know.

What is stress?

Stress is a useful tool for survival and natural physiological response, as it allowed our ancestors to prepare the body for maximum effort and enter a state of alert to stop chasing and fighting for hunting or escape from potential predators.

At low doses, stress keeps us in an alert tone and interesting work, especially to activities that require using our physical energy. But the pace of modern life, alerts do not involve physical effort, if not primarily mental and stay in that state of continuous manner, turning a survival system in a health problem of the first magnitude, direct or indirect cause of many problems different pathological nature and gravity.

Types of stress as time and intensity condition

This division of different types of stress or frequency corresponds to the time that remains under its effects. Which affects gravity and result in physical and emotional health?

Acute: It’s the kind of stress that happens, occasionally, usually for short periods due to a temporary cause. For example, before a trip to an unfortunate surprise, an even desired change (home, work, furniture, car, etc.) This kind of stress you do not have many health consequences for being punctual, but produces symptoms like excitation, irritability, loss or increase of appetite, poor sleep, etc.

Episodic: This type of stress corresponds to that comes by periods as for example, a student in exams, a firefighter in emergencies, an athlete in competition, etc. But when frequency is too runs the risk of impaired health more severely with symptoms such as headaches and / or persistent back, hypertension, chest pain, etc. When episodic acute stress needs treatment generally it requires professional help and months to process.

Chronic: This kind of stress occurs to spend much time under the influence of the above type or jobs that generate constant stress, emergency medical, air traffic controllers, security services etc. and also anxious, perfectionist, negative personalities, etc. In chronic type the individual is maintained regularly stressed, which generates multiple health problems, physical, emotional, even fatal if not properly treated.

Types of stress according to their characteristics

  • Stress: Also called positive.In the former category enters the acute type. He is punctual and generally corresponds to physical activity, excitement, enthusiasm, creativity and motivation.
  • Distress: This type of stress is negative.Caused by constant adjustments or changes in routine. Also enters the group of acute but can become stronger and begin to rub episodic.
  • Hyperstress: It is that occurs when you are making an extra effort in an activity related or personal, beyond what you can handle.When someone is hyperstressed, any trifle more to be a greater effort can trigger a whole emotional outburst, since the collapse of uncontrolled anger.
  • Hypostress: The hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress.In this type you are in a state of absolute boredom and demotivation. Usually it occurs in the case of restless and creative people who are subject to repetitive work, such as chain gear factory.

Conclusion

In conclusion we want to remember what he said Dr. Hans Selye, the father of stress research and founder of the Canadian Institute of Stress, answering the question of why some people were stressed in certain situations and not others, he said: “The important thing is not so much what happens to you but how you take it.” Therefore, the best way to combat any type of stress is to change the focus.