Acute vs Chronic Stress Understanding the Difference for Better Health

Both these types affect our mental and physical health in different ways. 

In this article we are going to learn about acute vs chronic stress including their causes and management options difference between acute stress and chronic stress can be a turning point in understanding how to better manage their mental and physical health. Understanding these differences is the first step towards its identification and effective management.

At Sicknote, we’ve seen how proper awareness can make a real difference in long-term well-being.

Acute Stress

It is a short-term stress response to specific temporary situations like immediate challenges or pressures. It is also known as a “fight or flight” response of our body.It’s designed to be a short, intense burst of energy that floods your system with adrenaline, making your senses sharp and your reflexes quick, an incredibly useful tool for navigating immediate challenges.

However, there are some strategies which can help reduce stress and manage it in a better way.  Here are some of them;

 Deep breathing

 Gentle exercise

 Meditation

 Self care

Applying methods of relaxation Staying away from the triggers

 Additionally, toxic stress can result from a negative childhood experience (ACE), according to Trusted Source. ACEs are highly stressful and sometimes traumatic situations that occur in those ages 0 to 17 years old.One’s heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten and the senses become much sharper.  Stress is a necessity for human survival, however, too much of it can drastically impact our health.Self-harm.  Self-harm is a major symptom of chronic stress, ranging from minor incidents like biting one’s nails to major, life-threatening ones like suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Poor performance at work. emergence of mental health issues. Anxiety and depression can be brought on by sudden stress, but if a person has to deal with constant stressors on a regular basis, they may develop mood disorders that last a lifetime. Decreased libido.  

 Examples of ACEs include:

physical, sexual, and emotional abuse

physical or emotional neglect witnessing violence at home parent’s or caregiver’s divorce or separation living in a household where someone is experiencing mental health issues

Understanding Chronic Stress

 It has a significant and devastating effects on both mental as well as physical health of a person.This is chronic stress not the dramatic, heart-pounding response to a single event heavy backpack you never get to take off and over weeks months, or even years, the weight of it can have a devastating effect on both your mind and body.

What causes chronic stress? 

 There are many different things that can cause chronic stress. Global events, like the pandemic, can leave some people feeling overwhelmed or under pressure. it is more common that patients suffer from chronic stress because of something specific happening in their own lives are the five major categories of the causes of chronic stress.

Recognizing the Warning Signs, the Body Keeps the Score Sleep can become a battlefield either you can’t get enough or you’re sleeping all the time and still feel exhausted.  For many, chronic stress eventually contributes to more serious health problems including the high blood pressure and heart issues that make you susceptible to every bug going around the relationships, which can lead to chronic stress or despite the joy they can bring to our lives as humans. The familial & romantic working or the friendly relationships having the ability to turn toxic emotionally abusive or even physically abusive and cause chronic stress.

 A Guide to Managing Chronic Stress: Finding Your Balance You won’t find a single trick to get rid of chronic stress, and that’s okay. The path back to calm isn’t about a grand gesture.The entire point is to teach your body it can finally stand down from high alert.  Begin with the basics, the things we often neglect most.  A short walk every day can genuinely change your headspace.  So can choosing nourishing foods and making a real effort to get quality sleep. 

When to Ask for Help a Sign of Strength

Hope this blog helped you to have a better understanding regarding acute vs chronic stress!  Location-related stress.  Stress can frequently be brought on by our living, working, and recreational environments. Cities are naturally more polluted as the environment changes as a result of industrialization despite the joy they can bring to our lives as humans and the familial or romantic working and the friendly relationships have the ability to be emotionally abusive or even physically abusive and it causes chronic stress. It’s harder to leave and find quiet spaces, economic instability, and the high pressure jobs. It’s hard to alleviate since an individual is experiencing this situation many times in a week.

 so that you can concentrate on your recovery while we take care of the necessary paperwork!

MirzaNouman