Download Investigation I and II

III. Investigation:
I.
Today, we analyze stress as a modern situation, but it has been around
since the time that cavemen roamed the Earth. However, it was not studied
until roughly around the nineteen-fifties. It is proven that extreme stress
can cause severe threats to our mental capabilities as well as several
aspects of our health and lifestyle. The development of stress is a process
within the mind that requires attention. The initial cause of stress impacts
how a situation is addressed. What most people use to control anxiety,
however, may only increase the issue when there are more effective
solutions.
II.
Stress is the reaction towards a change in our environment. For instance,
humans react differently to possible threats than animals do. Psychologists
Bob Montgomery and Laurel Morris explain that while all animals react to
fears, the human brain allows us to anticipate a threat before it happens.
The Brain evaluates the stressors in our lives and triggers our reaction. It
allows us to store memory but also fear. This ability makes us different
from other animals. This characteristic enables us to respond to threats. A
particular reaction is known as the “fight or flight” response. In Dr.Frey
and Dr. Odle’s catalogue, Anxiety, this reaction is described as “a state of
physiological and emotional hyper arousal marked by high muscle tension
and strong feelings of fear or anger…”(Frey and Odle 3). Without this
response, humans would not know when there is danger. However, an
exaggeration of this response opens the doors wide to anxiety. Even a mild
case has these little responses. It is with this that the cycle of panic attacks
and anxiety begins.
Stress is a complex subject; some people can tell when they feel stressed
and others struggle to realize it. However, Dr. Frey and Dr. Ogle describe
what happens within the body during stressful moments is the same. When
we respond to a real threat, hormones are released to aid the body.
However, when there is no real threat, our body has to absorb these
hormones rather than release them through physical activity. We may not
be aware of it, but this is affecting our bodies in a negative way. A
previous patient that suffered from stress tells in an interview, “I just
thought it was me worrying. I was in a situation I didn’t want to be in and
I didn’t think of it as anxiety at the time. I just thought I had to get out of it
and I couldn’t see a way” (Quaranta 1). Dr. Quaranta did not realize that
he suffered from stress until health issues started affecting his life. It has
been proved that stress worsens present illness. People have come to
realize the intensity of stress, but the ways they go about “solving” stress
may increase it more.