Positively Stressful

Positively Stressful!

by Kris Kingsland

Stressed Out!

‘Take it like a man. Grin and bear it.’ What other clichés so evoke the trials of life and the struggle to cope - if not to survive and prosper. We all know that challenges are character forming, but now they are also considered to be health promoting too. The spotlight has again fallen upon psychology giving rise to physiological effects. Stress is applied and strain is experienced; this basic physical model was used by Hans Selye on our psyche. Unfortunately his English was so bad that originally, he got the terms ‘stress’ and ‘strain’ mixed up... Something can stress you, and you can feel the strain of a predicament.

What one person finds stressful, another may experience as exciting, commonplace, or even humdrum. Preliminary studies indicate that successfully dealing with stressful situations can boost the immune system. Our perception of a given situation as exhilarating and not threatening, suggests that we may not be stressed but aroused, and that feels very different. Intrigued by the implications, I spoke with psychology professor Phil Evans who is carrying out research in conjunction with others around the country.

"The psychological challenge of the task was confirmed by rises in arterial blood pressure," he explained. Prof. Evans and collaborators Drs Clow and Hucklebridge, at the University of Westminster, found levels of non-specific Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies rose in the saliva of those challenged with difficult computer games. IgA antibody levels were also found to be higher in others experiencing similar short term stress, such as moving house, making speeches, family Christmases and during exams!

IgA antibodies are secreted throughout the body - in saliva, tears, milk, intestinal and urinary/cervical tracts. They form a protective barrier between lining tissues and specific infectious organisms - like bacteria. Statistically, the more IgA you have, the less likely you are to succumb to an illness.

The autonomic nervous system (non-voluntary) has two sub-classes:

the parasympathetic nervous system (hereafter PNS) is normally associated with ‘relaxed state’ behaviour i.e. digestion, and
the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which functions in emergencies - largely responsible for our ‘fight and flight’ responses, when we encounter our ‘prey’ or ‘predator’.

Making a public speech (or writing an article!) can be stressful - whereas talking about one’s interests is good, self-indulgent fun. They may well be identical in content. The source of the stress, and its nature, are considered less important than its duration and the way in which we handle it. Short term stressors stimulate the SNS. Separate studies show that children faced with ‘tests’ had increased heart rates as compared with those undergoing the same challenge, but told that it was a ‘game’. Individuals subjected to inescapable shocks showed a drop in heart rate (a PNS resignation response) as opposed to those told that the shocks were avoidable; they reacted and displayed increased rates.

Depressed individuals tend to have suppressed immune responses and suffer more from illness as a result. The key factor being our status in society, more than alcohol, smoking, or other detrimental drugs - though they do contribute. More fascinating, is the reason why many turn to social drugs in the first place - you guessed it - stress!

Intriguingly, reports of ‘voodoo death’ in the early 1940’s show that people who were ‘cursed with death’, believed they were doomed, and treated as such by their associates, often died within a few days - from no obvious causes. Clearly one’s psychology - in particular our sense of well-being, is of paramount importance. AIDS is still, despite everyone’s fears, most prolific amongst ‘low status social groups.’ The very people that do not care enough about themselves or others to practice safe-sex, according to this research, are also likely to be the most susceptible. A chilling scenario.

Longer duration stress: death, divorce, financial worries, and caring for the sick - chronic stressors, lower the immune response making us more susceptible to diseases. The problem is compounded because many of the these stressors come in groups or soon lead to other sources of stress. Once this happens, a chain of events are set in motion: Alarm Response, Resistance, and Exhaustion. If resistance in stage two is successful, i.e. you rally your forces and take out that student loan, things return to normal. Otherwise things could get out of hand...

When the SNS is excited, the hormone cortisol is released. This raises blood sugar levels and enhances metabolism. Your short term energy resources will be greater - to help you outrun that nasty lion... It also stimulates protein breakdown in muscle and bone. Individuals with high cortisol secretion, may be psychologically withdrawn and inactive for much of the time (stereotypical computer-game junkies). Energy is shifted away from protein synthesis which is essential to the immune system, growth and healing. Indeed, prolonged stress can cause endorphin (the body’s own painkiller) to be released, which decreases pain sensitivity. Unfortunately, the production of the body’s natural killer cells (which terminate virus infected cells) drops and thus the risk of tumour development is increased.

Even bottling up anger causes natural killer cell numbers to drop, which suggests that it is better to take positive action. People react when they are under strain, and the healthier option seems to be advanced planning or proactivity. We should not fear change, but view it as a challenge and embrace it. If you take conscious action in stressful situations (merely trying to cope may not be enough) then it seems you are more likely to remain healthy. You will probably be happier, anyway.