The term eustress stands for “positive stress,” while dysstress means “negative stress.” Both terms are often mentioned in the context of stress management. Stress is not always harmful to the human organism, but can also register positive effects.
What is eustress?
The term eustress stands for “positive stress”, while dysstress means “negative stress”. Both terms are often mentioned in the context of stress management. The term “eustress” goes back to the Latin language, with the prefixed syllable “Eu” meaning “good.” Eustress has a positive effect on the human organism, while dysstress is harmful in the long term. People are able to decide within a few seconds whether a stressful situation is negative or positive for them, although this perception is subjective. The body adjusts to “flight” or “fight.” While one person perceives a task as a pleasant challenge, thus associating it with positive stress, the same task can mean exactly the opposite for another. Positive stress is good for people; it awakens their drive and releases the neurotransmitters adrenaline and cortisol, which mobilize unimagined forces.
Function and task
Whether a situation is associated with eustress or dysstress depends not only on the subjective sensation, but also on other factors such as age, physical constitution, education, income, religion and the social environment. The boundaries between eustress and dysstress can be fluid, because even those who experience positive stress on a daily basis, due to challenging tasks that are usually also accompanied by success and recognition, cannot always achieve peak performance. Everyone needs rest periods in which body and mind have the opportunity to regenerate, otherwise burnout is imminent at some point. Dysstress arises in most cases insidiously, through many small events and inconveniences that everyday life brings with it. However, it can also be a long-lasting situation, such as bullying at work. In this case, the affected person no longer experiences the situation and the associated tasks as positive stress that spurs him to peak performance, but as negative stress due to a psychologically stressful situation. The time comes when he is no longer able to cope with his tasks and develops health problems. Many people believe it would be best to live without stress at all. From a medical point of view, however, this situation is counterproductive, because people need a certain minimum amount of stress in order to remain productive and to advance personality development. People experience positive stress in a balanced and pleasant professional and private environment. Happy people feel able to cope with the changes that life brings under these circumstances. The body responds to these positive experiences with the release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine by the brain. These happy hormones give people extra strength to mobilize maximum energy. The cardiovascular system goes into overdrive, pupils dilate, breathing is shortened, and appetite is curbed. This reaction of the body is an urgently needed stress response to changing situations. However, eustress should only occur selectively and not continuously, because nature has arranged it in such a way that people are only able to mobilize all their forces in the short term in order to “take on the world.” This stress response usually lasts fifteen minutes, because the body uses large energy reserves for the adrenaline release, which are not sufficient for a longer period. Dysstress is experienced by people in a negative personal or negative professional environment. The body does not react to this negative state by releasing messenger substances. On the contrary, negative stress puts a strain on the human immune system, which as a result is constantly on the alert and works aimlessly and haphazardly. The “the-danger-is-gone” signal fails to materialize, and the body now no longer releases any power-bringing neurotransmitters, but harmful hormones that place undue strain on the cardiovascular system and can cause various ailments and diseases.
Diseases and ailments
Stress is triggered by various factors that can be negative (dysstress) or positive (eustress).The body immediately falls into a state of intense tension. At the same time, various neurotransmitters are released that enable the affected person to cope with the stressful situation at hand. One important neurotransmitter that allows extensive stress management is adrenaline. During adrenaline release, affected individuals have more power at their disposal. However, if this important messenger substance is released regularly, at some point a habituation effect sets in and the body no longer reacts in stressful situations with the same strength as before. Concentration and attention decrease, fatigue and a general feeling of weakness set in more quickly. No one is able to achieve peak performance every day, even if this is in connection with positive challenges in the private or professional environment, which usually also bring recognition and success. Eustress can also turn into the opposite, into dysstress, at some point. Physical alarm signals are weakness, fatigue, concentration problems, headaches and palpitations. Those who ignore these warning signals of their body, which are still harmless in the beginning, run the risk of getting seriously ill in the long run. Permanently stressed people are irritable, quickly lose their composure and are susceptible to colds and infectious diseases. The originally positive stress that motivated peak performance now leads to a drop in performance. Mild illnesses include burnout, migraines and poor wound healing. Serious illnesses such as heart attack, arteriosclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable stomach, stroke, stomach ulcers or gallstones can also result when eustress turns into dysstress. Affected individuals are prone to addictive behavior with pills and alcohol, suffer from depression and listlessness. They eventually surrender to a state of inner resignation, which negatively affects sensation, thinking, and social life.
