We can think of stress in two ways. Eustress, which can be thought of as helpful stress, and distress, which can be thought of as unhelpful and damaging stress. When the pressures around a person outstrip their ability to cope with them we call this stress but we mean stress of the distress variety. Men are not always good at recognizing stress in themselves and as one person's ability to cope with situations invariably differs from another stress is an individual experience. What one man finds stressful another will not, and what can be stressful one time may not be at another time of your life.
Measuring Stress in Men
Stress can be measured in different ways but usually takes the form of a self-report in which the person rates particular
experiences, events or feelings on a scale of some sort. Probably the most well known is the SRRS (Social Readjustment
Ratings Scale) that was originally put together by two American psychiatrists in 1967. Thomas H. Holmes and Richard Rahe. They
listed a number of life events assumed to be stressful, such as moving house, death of a spouse, etc and they placed a
numerical value against each of these items based on the intensity of the stress. Death of a spouse for example was rated the
most stressful at 100 whereas a minor violation of the law was 11.
Facts about Stress and Men
Physical Signs and Symptoms of Stress for Men
Below are some of the physical signs and symptoms of stress. Remember that stress is an individual experience and that
symptoms are too. These signs and symptoms may be signs of disease so you should not ignore them just because you believe
they are stress related. You must get more serious symptoms checked out by your doctor. Physical signs and symptoms of stress
include:
Chest pain
Pounding heart
High blood pressure
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Diminished or increased sex drive
Muscle aches, such as back and neck pain
Headaches
Dizziness
Clenched jaws and grinding teeth
Tight, dry or a feeling of a lump in your throat
Indigestion
Constipation or diarrhea
Increased perspiration
Stomach cramps
Weight gain or loss
Skin problems
Psychological Signs & Symptoms of Stress
The psychological signs and symptoms of stress include:
Sadness
Depression
Crying
Withdrawal or isolation
Insomnia
Mood swings
Worry
Restless anxiety
Irritability, anger, decreased anger control
Overeating or anorexia
Feelings of insecurity
Decreased productivity
Job dissatisfaction
Changes in close relationships
Increased smoking, increased use of alcohol and drugs.
Article Sources: Gross, R (2005) Psychology The Science of Mind and Behavior
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. et al (2002) Psychoneuroimmunology and Psychosomatic Medicine: Back to the Future Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
et al. Psychosomatic Medicine 64:15–28
JA Boscarino Diseases among men 20 years after exposure to severe stress: implications for clinical research and medical
care.Department of Outcomes Research, Catholic Health Initiatives-Southeast Region, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
bosc100w@wonder.em.cdc.gov
Reuters
