Beatriz Garcia

Mr. Hackney
Rhetoric 102
11 April 2014
Stress: Does It Affect People Differently?
In todays world, everyone and anyone deals with stress which is typically further
affected by anxiety. The types of people who have stress or anxiety varies upon different age
groups as well as types of stress. Stress can be caused by something as unimportant as "What am
I going to wear today?" or by something important such as "Will I be able to make my house
payment this month?" The severity of stress all depends on the person and how they overcome
the situations they are forced to face. Severe amounts of stress can become dangerous for the
overall health of a person, both mentally and physically, externally as well as internally. Stress
has many more effects on a person than just feeling overwhelmed. Stress can cause issues that
lead to other problems that can even lead to death. Although all types of stress are dangerous in
their own ways, chronic stress is the most deadly. It is very easy to allow your stress to become
chronic if you are very worrisome because everyone's level of stress differs depending on what
they stress about and how they handle it. Stress also reacts differently on the body based upon
gender. For hundreds of years, men and women have been brought up in a way that has
established gender roles. These gender roles have made an impact on how men and women react
to stress. Men and women have different things they stress about and different ways of handling
their situations. Feelings of anxiety also effect individual stress levels because not everyone has
anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of anxious behavior that is a result of stress. Anxiety can cause
people to worry even further which in turn makes there stress levels rise even further. Although
some may argue that stress affects everyone the same, research shows that stress affects
everybody differently based on a variety of factors.
Stress is defined, by Webster's dictionary, as "a state of mental or emotional strain or
tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances." Stress can take a very strong
toll on the body mentally. When under stress, the "heart rate, cortisol levels (a stress hormone),
subjects' perceived stress levels, and regional cerebral blood flow" is affected in a person
(Psychology Today). Research performed by scientists from the University Of Pennsylvania
School Of Medicine have proven that actions in the brain differ in gender. These studies have
found that when men are under stress, the cerebral blood flow in the right prefrontal cortex
increased while the cerebral blood flow decreased in the left orbitofrontal cortex. Cerebral blood
flow is the circulation of blood flow throughout the brain (Nauert). Not enough blood flow in the
brain means there is less oxygen getting to where it needs to be which in turn can cause death
and other deathly symptoms. The prefrontal cortex that is affected by the cerebral blood flow is
the front region of the brain that controls the motor and premotor areas. The orbitofrontal cortex
is the smallest region of the frontal lobes and is placed right between the eyes. This region plays
a large part in decision making. So in Lehman's terms, when men are under stress they have
increased anxiety because they have more energy to exert and their minds are cloudy because the
part of the brain that makes decisions is being negatively affected. This research also found that
when women are under stress, the limbic system is mainly affected. The limbic system is the
region of the brain that is mainly related to emotion. They have also found that the effects on
women last much longer than those of men, which explains why women can be very moody
during times of stress. Gender also plays a part in stress when it comes to moods/personality. For
centuries, gender roles have existed and these gender roles effect how people react to stress.
One's living environment and the way they were raised can also affect how one handles the stress
in their life. While one person may be very calm and collected in times of stress, others can
become agitated and lash out on others. Men might get angry due to common nature, whereas
women might become overly emotional and cry a lot. Yet, the roles can also be reversed: men
can become emotional and cry, while women might angry. It all depends on what the person has
been exposed to as a child and how they have learned to deal with challenging times in life. The
research performed by these scientists clearly depicts that stress affects people differently based
upon factors such as gender. Gender, when speaking of stress, has an effect on one's behavior,
personality, and mentality.
Anxiety is defined by Webster's as "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically
about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." Although many people do
not typically put the two together, stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Anxiety is something that
many people deal with while other do not. For this reasoning, it has become aware that anxiety
plays a part in how stress can affect all people differently. The severity of stress that a person is
dealing with is what determines if anxiety will play a neighboring part. In times of chronic stress,
anxiety is very common. Chronic stress is the continuous exposure to stressors in life that can
lead to mental health issues, as well as physical ailments. The anxiety that is a result of chronic
stress can lead to anxiety disorders such as: agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post- traumatic stress disorder, specific phobias,
social phobias, and public speaking anxiety. This is not saying that every person that deals with
stress is going to develop one of the listed anxiety disorders, but, depending on the mental
strength and a person's family medical history, it is very possible. Not only can anxiety lead to
anxiety disorders, but it can also lead to stress related life threatening effects. This intern further
proves my theory that stress affects people differently because not all people have anxiety,
although others might have anxiety but not let it affect them all that much.
Another factor that can alter the way stress effects every individual is what exactly their
stressor is. The cause for stress varies depending on the person, especially when it comes down
to age groups. As a child, one might worry about what they are going to eat for lunch that day or
whether their mother will allow them to have a play date or not. Yet, as you mature and grow
into an adult, there are so many other reasons to stress. Adults stress over everything from
financial issues to jobs to relationship issues. Time Magazine has stated that "the latest survey
shows stress is on the decline overall but still hover above healthy levels, especially for young
adults." There are also a number of reasons why young adults might be stressing, including
college, living on their own for the first time, or being broke from going to college just to name a
few. The difference of stressors in every person can also be determined by how sensitive a
person is. While some people have a very strong backbone, others are extremely vulnerable. A
sensitive person, for example, might become stressed over why someone has not texted them
back. Yet a person with a strong backbone could possibly have 5 deaths in their family and not
be very affected by it whatsoever. It is very obvious that the difference of stressors that affects
every individual person proves that stress affects everyone differently.
The intensity of ones stress is also a reason why stress effects every individual
differently. Intense stress, such as chronic stress, can cause premature aging as well as a plentiful
of average and life threatening effects (The Huffington Post). In a study published in journal
PLoS ONE, it was discovered that "work-related exhaustion can have a harmful effect on critical
DNA in the cells." This research came to the conclusion that stress related to jobs caused a
shortage of telomeres. They discovered that a shortage of telomeres can cause cells to die or
become damaged. This issue surrounding telomeres has been found to be linked to Parkinsons,
type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer (The Huffington Post). An example of
premature aging caused by DNA damages are the many presidents America has had. Since
Obama was sworn into office in 2009, he has developed many more wrinkles, much more gray
hair, and more of a grey pigmentation in his skin than he probably would have developed had he
not become president and been put under chronic stress (Slate). This image is proof that Obama
has aged tremendously since being sworn into office.

Chronic stress can lead to a plethora of effects all over the body. Some physical effects
include insomnia, frequent urination, and nervous habits such as fidgeting (Steiner). Although
there are many external physical effects, there are plenty of internal physical effects as well.
Chronic stress effects every system in the body including the nervous system, musculoskeletal
system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, gastrointestinal system,
and reproductive system. The nervous system is the only system in the body that is not extremely
negatively affected. The nervous system is what produces adrenaline in time of panic. Repeated
release of adrenaline will eventually cause the body to age prematurely. When under stress,
headaches, migraines, and muscle pains can result from the musculoskeletal system. When stress
affects the respiratory system, a person can experience hyperventilation which intern can also
cause panic attacks. Chronic stress can affect the cardiovascular system by leading to heart
attacks which can sometimes further lead to death. When stress is put on the endocrine system,
the adrenal glands are forced to produce more cortisol and epinephrine, stress hormones, which
in turn forces the liver to produce more glucose. When the liver produces too much glucose,
there is a chance that the person can develop diabetes. Under stress, it is possible that
gastrointestinal system cause a person to eat more/less which can further cause increased
heartburn and a possible increase in tobacco and alcohol use. Stress on the gastrointestinal
system can also cause a person to vomit as well as cause them to have difficulty producing a
bowel movement. Lastly, when stress is put on reproductive system can cause both genders a
decline in the ability to achieve pregnancy. The increased level of cortisol is what causes this
issue in men and women both. This is a clear depiction of the negative bodily effects that can be
caused by an intense amount of stress. Not every person deals with such a severe amount of
stress as the next person might which is what differentiates stress between individuals (American
Institute of Stress). This image demonstrates where each of the bodily systems are located in the
body and where they affect.

Lastly, a factor that affects how stress effects people differently is their mental health and
stability. One's mental health and stability can make a big difference in how stress effects an
individual. It is said that "mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-
being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate
to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and
adolescence through adulthood" (Steiner). Everyone feels differently about themselves, their
environment, the people in their lives, and basically everything in the world. No two people are
ever going to feel the exact same way about everything. Your mental health can be affected long
term by your amount of stress. When one is under chronic stress for long periods of time, they
can eventually fall into depression. Being under stress and then depression for a long amount of
time can take a toll on the brain. When dealing with stress cortisol and epinephrine can "heighten
our reactive tendencies by muting our reflective tendencies, leading to everything from anxiety
to aggression to depression" (Steiner). When dealing with anxiety, aggression, depression, or any
other mental illness, it can affect your emotions and the way you feel socially. Dealing with a
mental illness can affect your self-confidence and your overall self-worth. This can lead you into
a deeper depression which can in turn lead to suicide or other harmful situations. Dealing with a
mental illness can also affect the way you feel in a social environment meaning you might not
want to go out anywhere or have no motivation to go anywhere. Not everyone deals with mental
illness which effects how stress effects them compared to others. Mental illnesses are once again
caused my severe chronic stress which is also a factor in how stress effects people differently
because everyone deals with differently intensity levels of stress.
Stress is a feeling that everyone in the world deals with. It is a natural exertion of the
body that comes from having too much on your plate. In the survey I performed, I asked a series
of high school students and adults questions that related to physical effects induced by stress,
what caused their stress, how they felt about stress, how they dealt with or overcame stress and
questions that discussed their personal levels of anxiety and stress also. About 90% of adults
answered that their main cause of stress was either financial issues or their significant other. On
the other hand, 96% of high school students claimed their stress was a result of school, their
parents, their job, and significant other all combined. Both categories revealed that their stress
caused them to have anxiety. They also claimed that their level of stress is around 8 out of 10 and
their anxiety is around 7 out of 10. The national average of stress is recorded by Time Magazine
to be a 5.4 out of a 10 point scale. Time also revealed that although the national level of stress in
America has gone down in recent years, it is still above a healthy level of stress. The first
question I asked was the survey takers gender. Later on in the survey I questioned whether or
not the person felt any symptoms that they believed were caused due to stress, as well as how
they dealt with their stress. I asked these specifically to further prove that stress affects people
differently based upon gender. A majority of the men I surveyed revealed that they did not deal
with their stress. Some worked out while others only held in their issues, which is a very bad
outlet because it affects your mental health and stability. All of the women I surveyed revealed
that they became overly emotional and did not deal with their stress. Both responses of which
were very expected. My survey, along with the rest of my research, proves my research question
correct. Stress does affect people differently. It affects the people internally, externally,
physically, mentally, and emotionally. All of which are not identically affected for any two
people. Stress is affected by a billion more factors other than the factors mentioned in my paper.
The intensity of stress, environment, personality, and mental health and stability are all clear
examples of factors that can differentiate the stress that affects people.












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