Stressing Fast and Slow: Understanding Chronic Stress

Modern society regularly inundates most people with stressors, likely increasing their average stress level. This heightened stress level is often referred to as “chronic stress,” and it can have several negative impacts on mental and physical well-being. Because chronic stress is ubiquitous and often harmful, it is important to manage stress adequately. It is likely that proactive stress management strategies can significantly reduce the risks associated with chronic stress. This article will explain how chronic stress develops and some of the dangers if it's left unmanaged.

The fast and slow stress responses

Stress isn’t always a bad thing. It’s an important part of the human survival instinct and threat-response system. It was crucial for human survival before the convenience and relative safety of modern society, and it continues to be useful today. However, the modern world is vastly different from the environment ancient humans were accustomed to, and the disconnect between the threats that humans encountered in pre-history - when the threat-response system evolved - is likely a major part of why stress is a common health issue today.

Fast stress response

When stress appears suddenly in a way necessary for survival, it is usually in response to an imminent threat. Sometimes called “fast stress” or “acute stress,” the body responds to immediate threats rapidly in order to protect safety. An example of fast stress can be seen when someone narrowly avoids injury, such as by jumping out of the way of a moving car.

When the person first notices the vehicle, their body begins preparing to deliver a rush of energy even before the visual center of their brain has finished interpreting what they are seeing. If you have ever reacted to something before you have had time to fully assess the situation, you may have experienced that first-hand. As soon as the threat is detected, the body activates the fight-or-flight system, the fundamental human threat response system that prepares you to either flee a threat or fight for survival.

In this case, the person dodging the vehicle doesn’t have time to think anything through. Their brain makes the decision to flee by jumping out of the way of the car, which likely produces better results than trying to fight the approaching vehicle. To ensure that their body had enough energy and resources to move quickly, their body activated the sympathetic nervous system, a component of the fight-or-flight system that primes the body for physical exertion.

Activating the sympathetic nervous system raises heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate to increase the amount of oxygen and resources that are transported to the body’s cells. When the threat has passed, a complementary system, the parasympathetic nervous system, essentially reverses the up-regulation of the sympathetic nervous system by lowering heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system is the “exciter,” and the parasympathetic nervous system is the “calmer.”

Slow stress response

While the fast stress response system is useful for imminent threats, you might wonder what happens if the threat doesn’t disappear quickly. Imagine an ancient human being pursued by an aggressive animal. When they first perceive the animal, their fight-or-flight system activates the sympathetic nervous system, giving the person an immediate boost of energy to fight or run away. In this case, the person chose to run away. Unfortunately, the animal chose to give chase.

Our frightened prehistoric human is running away from an animal who appears to regard him as a tasty treat. The person will have to run, change direction, overcome obstacles, and think quickly to get away. The initial burst of energy from the fast-response system won’t be enough to evade the animal for long enough to escape it completely. The person needs their sympathetic nervous system to remain activated and their parasympathetic nervous system suppressed.

This is where the slow stress response system comes in. Also known as the “HPA axis,” it consists of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that acts as a command center, issuing commands from the brain to the rest of the body. If the brain continues to perceive a threat after the initial jolt provided by the fast stress response system, the hypothalamus releases a hormone cascade that eventually prompts the adrenal glands to release a chemical called cortisol.

The HPA axis acts as a feedback loop that keeps the sympathetic nervous system activated for as long as a threat is detected. The cortisol released by the adrenal glands keeps the body upregulated and ready to burn energy. It is not until cortisol levels fall after a threat has passed that the parasympathetic nervous system is able to downregulate the body and restore calm.

From slow to chronic: when stress becomes dangerous

It is easy to see how the fast and slow stress response systems are useful when looking through the lens of an ancient human. However, the stressors posed by modern society are not so clear-cut as being chased by a wild animal. For many, modern stressors lead to an abundance of low-level stress caused by situations that are not an immediate threat to safety or security.

Some examples of low-level stress include work or school responsibilities, family obligations, financial strain, or cultural shifts within communities. While those stressors might not seem low-level, they are significantly less of a threat than a charging animal or an oncoming reckless driver.

Physical dangers of chronic stress

The HPA axis isn’t meant to be activated constantly, even at a low level. When that occurs, it is commonly referred to as “chronic stress.” When stress is prolonged, the body experiences several adverse effects that can lead to significant harm. The HPA axis continues to activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to health problems over time.

Chronic stress puts people at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. It can also impair the immune system, leading to more frequent illnesses and prolonged recovery. Chronic stress can disorder the endocrine system, which regulates hormone production, leading to subsequent health concerns. Gastrointestinal problems are also common, which can lead to appetite changes and induce inflammation in the GI tract. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that chronic stress increases the likelihood of engaging in risky or unhealthy behaviors.

Psychological dangers of chronic stress

Chronic stress is associated with a heightened risk of developing mood or anxiety disorders, which are both common diagnoses alongside chronic stress. It can also drastically increase the risk of developing both physiological and behavioral addictions. Physiological addiction generally refers to an addiction to alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs. Behavioral addictions often include an addition to gambling, food, or the internet.

Chronic stress can also increase irritability and lower your mood substantially. Evidence also suggests it can interfere with memory and cognition. Some of the mental health effects associated with stress are due to its ability to disrupt normal processes. For example, chronic stress is highly associated with sleep disturbances. Reduced sleep quality, in turn, can introduce its own adverse mental health effects, which may compound further by making it harder to engage in self-care and stress management strategies.

What can be done about chronic stress?

After reading this article, you hopefully understand the need for a robust stress management system. Below are a few common strategies to keep the worst effects of stress at bay:

Maintain self-care. Self-care is arguably the best way to keep chronic stress at bay. Self-care generally refers to health-promoting behaviors that contribute to overall well-being. While there are many forms of self-care, three are considered especially important: getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in regular exercise.

Learn relaxation strategies. Deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided visualization, and meditation are all known to be effective at reducing both acute and chronic stress.

Examine your triggers. Knowing what stresses you out the most can help you minimize the amount of time you interact with your stressors. Many stress-management plans involve reducing the amount of unnecessary stress in your life. You might consider assessing your stress triggers to see if any of them can be deprioritized.

Build a support network. Positive social interactions are associated with reductions in stress levels. Consider spending more time with family or friends who care about you and support your well-being.

If you believe your stress is overwhelming or may be negatively impacting you, don’t be afraid to seek help. Therapists and other mental health professionals are highly qualified in stress management techniques and well-versed in helping patients address underlying causes or other mental health conditions that may contribute to high stress levels. Structured psychotherapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy, might help get you on the fast track to lower stress. Similarly, children in stressful circumstances might benefit from play therapy or family therapy to help them manage stress in a developmentally appropriate way.