Webster’s International Dictionary defines the word stress as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”. Stress is an integral part of the mental state of masses across the globe, as it can define and dictate the actions taken in the average day to day operations of those same masses. As a general population, people tend to act in the less stressful matters of life, trying to avoid the harm of the inevitable anxiety that they will face at least once a day. The question then becomes: What does civilization try to achieve when they are avoiding stress? The answer can vary from person to person as everyone has his or her own agenda, but success is generally the overall mainstay in all of the answers. Success, as defined by Webster’s, is a “favorable or desired outcome”. The principle of success has become a determinate and motivator for continued progression toward happiness in today’s society, as the main goal in many lives is just that. As stress and success can be seen as polar opposites, they actually can play hand and hand with one another. With this, the effects of both stress and success can affect someone; causing them to realize that stress and success have can have actual effects on their health. However, with the stronger stressors today, society is hindered by stress and, therefore; the negative impact far outweighs it’s counterpart.    

 Hans Selye, an early researcher on stress, stated it in a perfect way when discussing stress and how one can be affected by it; “Adopting the right attitude can turn a negative stress into a positive one.” When Selye describes the effect of stress, he is referencing the neuroscience behind it. Research has been done for years, as people have been trying to determine why stressors have such an impact on decisions made by everyone, every day. When researching and investigating the effects of stress, whether it is emotional, physical, or psychological it is “important to consider the cognitive implications of such events” (Conrad 95). As research gained traction, neuroscientists began to question what really made up stress. While researching, researchers initially believed that stress was the same for everyone, as studies had shown in 1932 by Cannon. “For Cannon (1932) the focus was on exploring the sympathetic-adrenal (i.e. autonomic) response to an immediate stressor” (Conrad 5). What Cannon found was individuals release epinephrine, or adrenaline, from their adrenal medulla, which energizes the body. This was known as the household “Flight or Fight Response.” Cannon also found that the same process was “inhibiting unnecessary energy-utilizing processes such as digestion and reproduction” (Conrad 5). Cannon was able to set the foundation for modern day research that was progressed upon years later.

Research continued through the work of Hans Selye in 1956, which had expanded upon the works of Cannon. Selye wanted to explore the other primary system that dealt with stress, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), which was later noted as the Endocrine system. Through his research, Selye uncovered something he named the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), “which represents a reliable pattern of physiological reactions that corresponded to the body’s attempt to mediate resistance to a threat” (Conrad 5). Selye described that the brain, GAS, went through three stages to deal with stress: an alarm stage that dealt with the preparation of dealing with the threat, a resistance stage where the body deals with the immediate stress and tries to return to steadiness, and an exhaustion stage where the prolonged stress address lingers and hinders the body’s defense systems. Selye was able to differentiate between various personal reactions to stress, which set the framework for biological factors pertaining to stress by developing the idea of GC’s and stress. 

Munck picked up this idea in 1984 when he proposed that psychology interpretation is involved in order for the endocrine system. Further, Munck discovered that stress could have positive effects, as it can start anti-inflammatory responses, finding the GCs work to suppress not enhances stress-endued effects. In 2000, it was discovered that genetics played a role in stress too, as McEwen discovered that “wear and tear could result from either too much stress output or inefficient operation of the stress response system”(Conrad 7). 

This research led scientists to go down two very unique and different paths; either stress corresponded with Munck’s conclusion and with the GC argument where stress had a positive impact on one’s health, versus the foundation negative impact laid out by pioneers and reinforced by later researchers whom had see Munck’s argument against Cannon and Selye. Many reasons support, and reinforce, what Cannon and Selye had initially predicted, a negative impact on a person’s health.

As anything develops, there will side affects, whether it be medicine, a decision, or something as catastrophic as a natural disaster. In the case of stress, these effects are very commonly perceived as negative, and with a solid foundation to be structured upon. In a study conducted by Anita DeLongis at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Richard S. Lazarus of the University of California, Berkley, and Susan Folkman of the University of California, San Francisco was conducted and examined the daily stress process among 75 married couples across 20 assessments during a 6-month period. The somatic and psychological effects of common everyday hassles were investigated. Their conclusion was quiet remarkable and not what they were expecting to find. DeLongis concluded that overall, “there was a significant relationship between daily stress and the occurrence of both subsequent health problems such as the flu, sore throat, headache, and backache” (DeLongis). The study then went on to describe mood and it too was affected by stress, as “daily stress was associated with health and mood differences across time” (DeLongis). It was found that the participants with unsupportive social relations and low self-esteem were more likely to experience an increase in psychological and somatic problems both on and following stressful days than were participants with high self-esteem and social support (DeLongis). Thus, the overall research suggested “persons with low psychological resources are vulnerable to illness and mood disturbance when their stress levels increase, even if they generally have little stress in their lives” (DeLongis).    

The study goes to show that for the most part, the more stressful couples faired worse medically, as the stress caused flu symptoms as well as other common but serious illness. As well, stress feeds off the mental wellbeing of a person, meaning if a specific person has been completing against low self-esteem, depression, or any other mental instability, the stress effects endured would be far more severe. 

This may seem insignificant until one understands that “one in every five adults suffers from a mental health issue, one in ten children have experienced a period of major depression, and one in every twenty-five Americans lives with a serious mental health illness” (mentalhealth.gov). This truly means that stress can chronically affect about a quarter of our population. This impacts the overall wellbeing of one’s mental state. This is a giant problem today as one’s mind is always going to try and perfect more than one thing, as that is how society is developing. This can, in turn, cause mental instability and breakdown. As that mental instability wears down, the brain develops and starts to not release specific hormones needed for that stability to come back. Stress can wear down our brains to where the old norm is a thought in the past and can really impact the mind in a negative way.  

In an article written by Don Joseph Goewey, a respected producer of works about ending stress, he expresses the risks of stress on the brain when it is constant, stating, “Stress can impair the immune system, ruin the cardiovascular system, and damage chromosomes producing cancer cells and prematurely aging you…and can eventually kill you, if you ignore stress” (Goewey). Goewey continues, explaining that if you “add together all the life-threatening stress-related illnesses and you have the number one killer of Americans. At work, stress dampens performance, thwarts teamwork, leads people to make bad decisions, and accounts for nearly half of turnover” (Goewey). This goes on to show that, again, stress can cause instability; in his instance, in relationships and performance. Stress is responsible for the production of panic, and while panic can happen very quickly and unforeseen, the majority of panic happens when an individual, or group, experiences a stressful situation and it is believed that the task they are trying to complete will not be. In a study by the American Psychology Association, it was concluded, “stress can cause the rapid breathing—or hyperventilation—that can bring on a panic attack…” (Tovian). In that same study, it was recognized that stress not only was responsible for immunity and mental issues, but also physical pain and cardiovascular issues. In the study done by Dr. Steve Tovian, it was seen that:

“Chronic stress, or a constant stress experienced over a prolonged period of time, can contribute to long-term problems for heart and blood vessels. The consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, and the elevated levels of stress hormones and of blood pressure, can take a toll on the body. This long-term ongoing stress can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke” (Tovian). 

This leads one to recognize that stress has a strong hand in one’s rhythmic beat and the way that they can be at risk for heart and cardiac problems later on in life, as stress can bare down and create arrhythmic function that can create lifelong issues. Stress can then be seen for being responsible for the stroke and heart attack. This is yet another negative impact that stress can have on the human body, since the heart is solely responsible for our lives being considered lives. When stress is chronic, it effects that same heart and creates risk that otherwise would not be there. As stated by Maggie Fox, a senior writer at NBC News, “eventually, chronic stress could be treated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease.”  

Although the cardiac impact on the body seems to be of the upmost importance, there is another portion of the body that stress negatively impacts, that being the Musculoskeletal System. It is common for stress to create uneasiness in the stomach and brain, as anxiety can onset from it, but elongated and chronic stress attacks the muscles of its victim. In a recent study done by Dr. Steve Tovian and Dr. Beverly Thorn, it was concluded that chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a lesser state of guardedness. “Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders” (Thorn). These disorders are rangy and have a variety of forms, but the most common, and less thought about, are migraines and headaches. “Tension type headache and migraine headache are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck, and head” (Thorn). As our society enters an era where we are consistently asked to do more than one task at a time, and expected to do them all to perfection, stress can create a an array of negativity to our bodies that can become to hard to handle. The negativity produced to our cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems is overwhelming and should not be taken lightly. Human bodies are durable and are meant to withstand that harness of life, but when stress because a factor, it can quickly become an issue. 

Stress affects our brains, muscles and immunity as it can attack our mental disorders and feed as if it is a predator to prey. Stress also comes in and irritates our normal rhythmic motion; create fast heartbeat and irregular motion. This leads to the heart attack, cardiac arrest, and strokes we see today. Although it isn’t the leading cause of these heart related deaths, it plays an intricate role in weakening the immunity response, as the immune system is the first thing to be impacted, where stress is both concurrent and subsequent in the flu, sore throat, headache, and backache. 

Success, as previously stated, is “ a favorable or desired outcome.” As it is generally seen as the most desired outcome in life with the stereotypes that it embodies such as wealth, prestige and happiness. Most people strive to maintain a level of success in their lives for these reasons. Success does in fact influence lives, as it should, and people will tell you that it is the most beneficial factor to the high and positive self-esteem someone has. In a study done by J. Sidney Shrauger and Saul E. Rosenberg, self-esteem was evaluated through a study that evaluated 36 males enrolled in psychology at the State University in Buffalo, New York. The participants were asked to take questionnaires about their self-esteem, as it was the basis of the study. The traits of these men were studied as well as their success in life. The subjects were then put through the “Feldman-Collier Personality Inference Inventory” in order to understand and assess their sensitivity in judgment of others by evaluating how accurately the subjects could predict others’ attitudes (Rosenberg). The results of the study was that quite interesting, success was a reason for someone to feel better about themselves (Rosenburg). This leads to the argument that stress has a better grip on self-esteem as it can make it increase.  Success is shown to raise self-esteem in individuals whom were tested, and this shows a positive correlation that can be transverse. Although there is some truth behind that, success is not necessarily the only reason, or logical explanation. One can see that self-esteem does correlate with success, but many more roles play a part. For example, happiness plays a part in someone’s overall self-esteem. The happier someone is, the better thy feel about themselves. In a study done by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Laura King, it was concluded that “Although the research in some areas is limited, our explanation suggests that high subjective well-being is related to positive outcomes in many areas of life…happy people appear to be more successful than their less happy peers in the three primary life domains” (Lybomirsky; Matta). This study almost discredits the fact that success creates high self-esteem and happiness and replaces it with the complete opposite fact that happiness creates success. Therefore, the negativity of stress still outweighs the positivity of success because success has actually yet to truly prove any sort of self-esteem upgrade, due to Lybomirsky’s study, while it has been proven by DeLongis that stress causes mental instability. 

One other argument that could have a case made out for it is that fact that success leads to a perfectionist persona, that people are drawn to that type of person. It has been recognized by many professors of psychology that people with a more successful life seem to have the larger crowds drawn to them, that people like them more. As it may seem like that is correct, the Harvard Business School has argued it, though their own review. In a recent article they argue that “people judge expressive winners as arrogant compared to inexpressive and are less likely to befriend them” (Pillary). Pillary discusses that if people do find success, they often flaunt it, and push people away from them.  Also, Pillary finds that as humans, we are always trying to find a problem with others success. She explains “when people are similar but superior to us in their achievements, our brains conflict center is activated leading to envy” (Pillary). This brings question to if people are actually drawn to more successful people, and it seems as if they are not. Neurologically, people are set to envy the fact that people are better than them, thus pushing them to not want to be around them. This proves success has a slight positive impact comparatively to the negativity to stress. 

In conclusion, there is strong enough evidence to indicate the thesis; as stress and success can play hand and hand, he negative health impacts of stress far outweigh any positive impact of success. Through studies done by Hans Seyle, Anita DeLongis, Steve Tovian, and Saul E. Rosenberg, it is clear to see the health impacts on the nervous, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and immune systems are severe if stress isn’t treated, as it usually isn’t in the correct manner. Stress plays hand and hand with success in a certain way. As the impacts of success can in fact cause happiness, there is evidence to back up the fact that it is the other way around, as happiness actually deems success in many cases. With this being said, the negativity of stress can cause heart failure, immunity deficiencies, mental instability, and overall physical pain. This causes one to believe that in fact, stress has a far worse impact on one’s health than any positive impact of success.   

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