Stress

Referring to both physical and mental strain, stress occurs in response to some stimulus seen as endangering an individual's wellbeing or integrity, and in response to which protective action must be taken. Such stimuli may be short or long-term. The immediate response is an alarm reaction of shock and lowered resistance, followed by counter-shock, defensive mechanisms. On a long-term basis, adaptation produces optimal resistance which may finally be exhausted as energy reserves are depleted and energy available from other functions (such as digestion) is also reduced. Such long-term physiological stress reaction may lead to damaged tissue and disruption of adreno-cortical functioning; the sufferer has no behavioural escape mechanisms such as occur in neuroses.