Types of Stress

There are many types of stress that are distinguishable by the sensations that the individual feels, how they react and how long these feelings persist among other variables. These are listed below with a brief description attached to help differentiate between the different types of stress.

Acute Stress – Coming to a crisis quickly. These are short spontaneous reactions rather than extended and prolonged reactions.

Chronic Stress – Continuing for a long period, constant and persistent causing alterations to the body’s biochemical makeup.

Panic Disorder – A sudden, unreasonable, overpowering fear. Occurs abruptly and may last from minutes to hours.

Agoraphobia – Fear of being in public arenas. This stress is caused by the individual’s fear of having a panic attack in the presence of large groups of people and the embarrassment that this reaction would cause the sufferer.

Anxiety Disorder – This is a tense emotional state of mind characterized by fear and apprehension without any apparent cause. This causes an intense feeling of worry and dread.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Advanced Acute Stress Disorder lasting for periods over one month when the symptoms are sever enough to interfere with normal activities which may consist of home confinement.

Separation anxiety – This may be a child who is taken from a parent or a loved one who passes and leaves the child behind or even children leaving the home to start their own life, which is also referred to as the empty nest syndrome.

Social Anxiety Disorder - Caused by stress induced when placed in a situation where interaction with the public is inevitable. The individual fears being publicly judged with a disapproving and harsh analysis.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder – This anxiety is caused by unremitting worry. There may not be any specific issue or event causing the worry. The individual suffers from apprehension and fear but cannot distinguish the source.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – Ones’ mind is constantly occupied or troubled to an excessive degree. This individual has many reoccurring persistent ideas or feelings that are hard to control on their part. This can cause compulsive actions that are irrational but uncontrollable contributing to a neurotic behavior when they become fixated on an object or thought.

Phobias – This is a stress caused by an exaggerated fear of a particular stimulus. There are many types of phobias such as fear of heights; closed in spaces, water, animals etc. this could be any item that has a strong foundation of terror.

Acute Stress Disorder – This individual has suffered from a traumatic event that caused personal feelings of defenselessness and vulnerability, these feeling may in turn cause the person to withdraw from society or suppress thoughts of the fearful memories of the event.

For proper diagnosis of the types of stress that an individual is suffering from it is best to consult a physician or specialist in behavioral therapy. Medications may be necessary depending on the type of stress that is being experienced and the effects that this type of stress is causing both emotionally and physically.

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