AHHHH!!! I'm So Stressed!

Side Note

Stress is everywhere! While we wish that our lives could be more like our dogs', or a vacation at the beach, that's actually not healthy either. A little bit of stress is motivating, and is a catalyst for goal oriented behavior. What parents, and kids, don't realize is that achieving, playing four sports, volunteering, and going to tutoring leaves everyone exhausted, cranky, and overwhelmed. Perhaps I have misspoken, we all know that this is unhealthy and miserable, but have decided not to challenge the status quo, and keep up with our neighbors and friends. Most of us can reflect on our own childhoods, and recognize that they did not look anything like those of today. What prevents us from slowing down? Why are we so afraid to say "enough is enough"? What's wrong with letting childhood happen instead of being scheduled and created? 

Types of Stress

Positive Stress:

This type of stress results from short lived, unpleasant experiences such as getting a shot, meeting new people, getting a toy taken away, or separating from a caregiver. While the child may experience temporary discomfort, with proper support, he/she learn to cope with these experiences.

Tolerable Stress:

This type of stress results from more adverse experiences, but continues to be relatively short lived. Examples include the death of a loved one, natural disaster, accident, or divorce. Again, with proper adult support, children can typically cope and adapt. Eventually this may become positive stress, and benefit the child’s development.

Toxic Stress:

This type of stress results from prolonged adverse experiences, lasting weeks, months, or years. This includes abuse and neglect. Children cannot manage this type of stress, and permanent changes to brain development can ensue.

Stress and the Body

Learning:

Prolonged stress has a significant impact on learning. The adrenal gland activates adrenaline, and cortisol, which increases heart rate, muscle, and memory power. Sounds good, right? Wrong! Years ago, this “fight or flight” response was activated due to an immediate threat, and then shortly after, the body regained homeostasis. Now, our threats are long term, with no end in sight, so children experience prolonged periods increased adrenaline and cortisol. High levels of cortisol literally break down connectivity in the brain, making learning new things more challenging.  In school, this manifests as challenges with planning, memory, impulse control, and attention.

Immune System:

As previously noted, when children are stressed, they produce increased levels of the hormone cortisol. It is necessary under acute conditions like taking a test, competing, or going to the doctor. Unfortunately, when children are under more chronic stress, excess of this hormone is released, which changes functioning of the immune system, leaving children susceptible to  many illnesses.

Psychosomatic Complaints:

Psychosomatic complaints are physical ailments, that upon further investigation, are psychological in origin. Examples include unexplained headaches, stomachaches, stiff muscles, nausea, loss of appetite, rapid heartbeat, and chest pain. While children can physically experience these symptoms, their bodies are perfectly healthy. These symptoms are simply the physical manifestation of psychological stressors.

Mental Health:

While positive stress can promote healthy child development, ongoing stress involving loss, family discord, learning problems, and natural disasters can have devastating consequences. Children under toxic stress are at risk for developing depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.  Mediating factors such as positive role models, therapeutic intervention, and access to medication can substantially change the trajectory for children at risk.

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."

                                                            -William James