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We all know stress, we know the physical symptoms, but it is much harder to define stress. There is no universal agreement on the definition of stress. For example, the world-renowned neuroendocrinologist McEwen states that "stress is a word used to describe experiences that are challenging from an emotional and physiological standpoint." These stressors can be acute (inconvenience) or chronic (bereavement), small-scale (standing in a long line) or traumatic (violent attack).
In contrast to the view of stress as an impact stimulus, other definitions look at stress as the human body's response to challenged systems. Stress can be defined as a state of compromised homeostasis that is counteracted by adaptive processes involving affective, physiological, biochemical, and cognitive-behavioral responses in an attempt to regain homeostasis. Stress responses are always followed by recovery processes, which can be disrupted when stressors are severe, prolonged, or unusual.
Adaptive coping capacity is a physical fitness capacity that, when exceeded, can put an individual at greater risk of disease. This may manifest in dysregulation of active adaptation processes or allostasis. The latter leads to cumulative wear and tear on the body, also known as allostatic load. This explains how chronic stressors are related to physiological maladaptations in middle and later life. Accumulating evidence also implicates traumatic childhood experiences, stressors that have reverberating effects for decades. Stressful events appear to accumulate from the earliest days of life, and this cumulative adversity can have a significant impact on a wide range of health outcomes.
The eminent psychologists Lazarus and Folkman provide a transactional cognitive component to highlight their conception of evaluation. The latter suggests that individuals perceive stress only when a challenge or event is both threatening and of such a nature that the individual is unable to cope with it. From this perspective, objective demands and subjective appraisals may affect health differently. It is important to note that some stressors can be evaluated positively. Cognitive models of the concept of stress have recently been overshadowed by new research on the integrated role of the brain (particularly the emotion and memory centers) as a regulator of stress processes.
