People generally think of stress and anxiety as negative concepts, but while both stress and anxiety can reach unhealthy levels, psychologists have long known that both are unavoidable — and that they often play helpful, not harmful, roles in our daily lives. , according to a presentation at the American Psychological Association's annual convention.
Stress usually occurs when people are operating at the edge of their capabilities – when they push themselves or are forced by circumstances to go beyond their familiar boundaries. It is also important to understand that stress can arise from both bad and good events. Being fired is stressful, for example, but so is bringing a baby home for the first time.
“It is important for psychologists to share our knowledge about stress with a wide audience:that stress is a given in everyday life, that working at the edge of our ability often builds those capacities, and that moderate levels of stress can have an inoculating function. leading to above-average resilience when faced with new difficulties,” said Damour, a psychologist presenting at the convention. Fear also gets an unnecessarily bad reputation, she said.
“As all psychologists know, fear is an internal alarm system, probably passed down through evolution, that warns us of external threats – such as a driver flying into a nearby lane – and internal – such as when we procrastinate too long and it's time to work,” Damour said. Seeing fear as sometimes useful and protective allows people to make good use of it.
That doesn't mean stress and anxiety can't be harmful, Damour said. Stress can become unhealthy if it is chronic (leaving no possibility of recovery) or if it is traumatic (psychologically catastrophic).
"In other words, stress causes damage when it exceeds any level a person can reasonably absorb or use to build psychological strength," she said. “Likewise, fear becomes unhealthy when the alarm makes no sense. Sometimes people routinely feel anxious for no reason. At other times the alarm is completely disproportionate to the threat, such as when a student has a panic attack over a small quiz.”
Untreated stress and anxiety can cause ongoing distress, Damour says, but can also contribute to a host of additional psychological and medical symptoms, such as depression or an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Anyone who feels overwhelmed by stress should, if possible, take steps to reduce their stress and/or seek help from a trained professional to learn stress management strategies. For anxiety management, some people find relief through books that help them evaluate and challenge their own irrational thoughts. If that approach is not successful, a trained professional should be consulted,” Damour said. “In recent years, mindfulness techniques have also emerged as an effective approach for both stress and anxiety.”
