Advertisement
Health TopicsMental HealthStress
question

What is psychological stress?

Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine
Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine
answer
There are two basic kinds of stress: psychological stress and physical stress. An infection would be an example of physical stress, whereas someone yelling at you, being demeaning, and threatening abuse are all example of psychological stress. Psychologic stress does have physiologic responses that can lead to physical symptoms and disease and so should not be thought of as not having a huge impact on disease. For example, diabetics under psychological stress may have trouble keeping their blood sugars under control.

Continue Learning about Stress

How to Achieve a Healthier Work-Life Balance
How to Achieve a Healthier Work-Life Balance
Photo Credit: Ryan Hyde, via Flickr Creative Commons Would adding a second of time to your day change the way you manage it? Would you finally be abl...
Read More
Where to Turn Your Eyes for Stress Relief
Where to Turn Your Eyes for Stress Relief
Next time you feel like you're about to lose it, switch off your computer monitor and take a look out the window. New research shows it might be just...
Read More
5 Healthy Ways to Handle Everyday Stress
5 Healthy Ways to Handle Everyday Stress
An aggravating text message from a friend, an argument with your partner, a traffic jam that makes you late for work: While little stressors like thes...
Read More
How is stress diagnosed?
There is no specific test to diagnose stress. Learn more from our experts about stress.
More Answers

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.