Harm from stress in children; harmful effects of stress

Stress

Stress! We've all felt it, and none of us like it. Numerous experiences in life can trigger a stressful response. The primary culprits are:

1. Conflict (Arguing and fighting, or conflict between one’s own psyche and the constraints of the world)

2. Fear (of the unknown, of certain events)

3. Change (We all hate it. Anything that disrupts our normal routine elevates stress)

4. Loss of control (which results in fear and helplessness)

5. Social pressure (a primary activator of stress)

6. Insecurity (about life, about an event; emotional or physical)

As hard as it may be to believe, not all stress is bad. (Add ref) It serves a role in our physiology, and is designed to focus our attention on a particular threat so that we can react quickly. In isolated doses, stress can actually help an organism thrive and build resiliency. Children need a certain amount of stress to grow into healthy adults. Much like the immune system grows stronger by fighting off germs, children grow more resilient by experiencing stress and overcoming it. A person who is shielded from stressful situations in their childhood grows up to be a rather incompetent adult, ill-prepared for the ups and downs of life.

On the other hand, too much stress isn't good for anyone, and "too much" can come in several different forms. There are certain elements that make stress especially bad:

1) Chronic stress - Stress becomes harmful to a child if it occurs too frequently. The elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) on the brain can create cognitive deficits and other long-term emotional problems.

2) Acute stress - Certain events, such as a severe car accident or a violent rape, can create such a spike in cortisol that it overwhelms a child's ability to cope. Such acute events can lead to PTSD.

3) Social stress - We have never known social stress to be a good thing, under any circumstance. Not only does it create a spike in cortisol levels that is higher and stays on the brain longer than any other type of stress, but it can linger and endure for months, years, or even a lifetime. Social stress is easily recalled and can be just as potent from recalling the memory of it as it was when it originally occurred. It's meant as a strong warning signal that keeps us in line with the group and is meant to prevent banishment (something that in our evolutionary past meant certain death) but in modern day society, it serves little purpose other than to create severe hurt.

4 ) Uncomforted stress - No stress is beneficial unless it gets resolved, because unless the child learns to deal with it and grow from it, nothing is being accomplished.