The Longterm Impact of Stress on Men

Men deal with stress as often as women but tend to exhibit that same degree of stress in very different patterns from women. For men, just as women, there is usually an identifiable pattern with stress although a different pattern among the genders. Understanding the systemic and physiological approach the male body transforms in response to stress, and the methods to naturally remedy some of the associated symptoms of stress, can provide men with a more effective method in stress reduction leading to longer life spans and healthier aging.

In psychology, it is commonly felt our stress moves through a series of phases. While for some individuals these stress phases may be prolonged, for others the transition through these stress patterns occurs rather quickly. Let's first examine the most common thought process with regard to stress and the associated physiological and psychological response of stress stages.

In the first stage of stress, we are simply exposed to a stress or stressor. This may be an internal stress or an external stress, such as that of a specific event. Known as the Alarm Phase, it is the type and severity of the stress which may set the foundation for severity of future phases in the stress process of men.

Once exposed to the stress, men will physiologically and psychologically enter into a phase known as the Resistance Phase. This is the period, during stress, in which there may be an abundant of physiological changes within the body. This is, quite simply, the body's natural approach to dealing with the stress and the chemical or hormonal changes which accompany it. In fact, during the Resistance Phase, a man's liver, adrenal glands and even nervous system will often overcompensate, resulting in a hyperactivity of these bodily functions during the Resistance Phase. This can be viewed, in other words, as the way in which a man's body naturally prepares for spikes in stress level.