How Stress Impacts our Physical Health

In the Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté points out that stress, like pain, is a mandatory survival function. Our stress response lets us escape from, or confront, threats to ourselves or our loved ones. Every organ and system in our body gets involved in this response.

There are two forms of stress: 1. An immediate reaction and 2. A prolonged state. Both can be triggered by a threat from external factors or internal, emotional factors. The immediate, acute stress is a useful response which helps us escape from an unpleasant situation but the prolonged stress, which becomes chronic stress, is the opposite.

Chronic stress can make us feel anxious or depressed, it suppresses our immunity, promotes inflammation, narrows our blood vessels and promotes vascular disease, encourages cancer growth, thins our bones (osteoporosis), induces diabetes, abdominal obesity, elevates blood pressure and impairs our cognitive function.

Taking care of our psychic well-being has a great positive impact on our physical health.

Reducing or better yet eliminating stress is the best thing we can do to stay healthy.

Have you noticed a positive change in your body after you took steps to reduce stress?

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