Frustration in the Medical Field

Introduction

In medical and psychological sciences, stress is a term used to describe a person's physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional responses to events that are evaluated and appraised as threatening and challenging. Physiologically, stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it. Stress causes a psychophysiological response called the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)—first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal

Nature

Stress mainly refers to the mental or emotional response of upset occurring in an individual in response to these adverse external stimuli. Through his research, Selye was able to separate the physical effects of stress from other physical symptoms suffered by patients. He observed that patients suffered physical effects not caused directly by their disease or by their medical condition.

There are two basic types of stress: eustress (positive stress) and distress (negative stress), roughly meaning challenge and overload. In some cases, stress in and of itself is neither positive or negative. It is more the way that a person responds to the event that determines whether it has a positive or negative impact. Sometimes, the same stressful event will be positive for one person and negative for another.

For example, two skiers who suddenly find themselves on a steep slope may respond very differently. One may enjoy the excitement of the unanticipated challenge, whereas the other may be in fear and terror that they will be unable to negotiate the terrain. When the word stress is used alone, typically it is referring to distress.

Medical, Psychological, And Everyday Understanding Of Stress

Physiological stimuli or conditions such as a sudden loud noise, lack of air, or the presence of disease can be considered stress. Likewise, psychological conditions such as concern about one's job, one's future, a loved one, or a particular interpersonal relationship can be considered stress. In this later sense, stress is viewed as roughly the opposite of relaxation or serenity.

Serenity is defined as a state in which an individual is disposition-free or largely free from the negative effects of stress. In some cultures, it is considered a state that can be cultivated by various practices, such as meditation, relaxation, physical disciplines such as tai chi chuan and hatha yoga, and other forms of training. Stress can directly and indirectly contribute to general or specific disorders of body and mind. Stress can have a major impact on the physical functioning of the human body. Such stress raises the level of adrenaline and corticosterone in the body, which in turn increases the heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure and puts more physical stress on bodily organs.

Long-term stress can be a contributing factor in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, muscle tension, cancer, mental disorders, and other illnesses. Stress can be very useful in certain situations. For example, fear can be an enormous source of power when someone needs to flee from a dangerous situation or use greater-than-average physical abilities. Stress can also be the catalyst for someone to change his or her way of ...