Stress Facts

Stress is a normal part of life that can either help us learn and grow or can cause us significant problems.
Stress releases powerful neurochemicals and hormones that prepare us for action (to fight or flee).
If we don't take action, the stress response can create or worsen health problems.
Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging.
Stress can be managed by seeking support from loved ones, regular exercise, meditation or other relaxation techniques, structured timeouts, and learning new coping strategies to create predictability in our lives.
Many behaviors that increase in times of stress and maladaptive ways of coping with stress -- drugs, pain medicines, alcohol, smoking, and eating -- actually worsen the stress and can make us more reactive (sensitive) to further stress.
Risk factors for unmanageable stress include a lack of adequate social support.
While there are promising treatments for stress, the management of stress is mostly dependent on the ability and willingness of a person to make the changes necessary for a healthy lifestyle.