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Does stress itself cause poor health, or does stress cause high blood pressure and unhealthy habits, which cause poor health? (monyet.cc)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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title. I feel like you always hear stuff to the liking of "high stress leads to poor health," but I am kind of wondering exactly why this occurs.

For instance, it's said that stress can cause:

Aches and pains.
Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing.
Exhaustion or trouble sleeping.
Headaches, dizziness or shaking.
High blood pressure.
Muscle tension or jaw clenching.
Stomach or digestive problems.
Trouble having sex.
Weak immune system.

Imagine, hypothetically, that I were to have a high stress life, but still had good sleep, low blood pressure, and a slow heart rate, while also staying away from unhealthy habits like drinking or addiction.

Would my health still be worse than a person who lives an equivalent, but less stressful life than me?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's not as simple.

Small, infrequent bursts of stress are beneficial, but permanent stress is very harmful.

Simply put, stress kicks your body into overdrive. Staying in overdrive permanently is very bad for your health.

You can compare that to sport. Going to your limits every once in a while can be quite beneficial. Going to your limit 24/7 without any breaks in between will reduce your output below what you'd be able to do normally and in the end will kill you.

It's the same with about every positive thing: too much of it is usually harmful. Some water is required to survive. Too much water and you drown.

And yes, attitude can mitigate some stress but there's a certain level of where it becomes unhealthy, no matter what your attitude is. Again, coming back to the sports analogy: Attitude can help you push further, but working in a labour camp until exhaustion will kill you regardless.