When those feelings continue over time, you know, that can be particularly detrimental to the body. I think that bad stress is the kind that makes us distressed or upset. What's the difference between good stress and bad stress? But, it should more likely to get sick with those conditions than those under stress as well. And yeah, something else that people may not be aware of is that chronic stress can also affect our immune system in a way that makes us more vulnerable to acute viral illnesses like colds and the flu. For example, stress can exacerbate auto immune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. So, in these cases stress can lead to physical problems, things like headaches and stomach aches and also mental health issues, such as anxiety, trouble sleeping.Īnd then over time, the toll of stress on the body accumulates and can contribute to chronic physical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.Īnd in addition, some conditions can be made worse by stress. But, stress becomes unhealthy when it is unrelenting and people do not experience opportunities to recover. Well, humans are actually equipped to deal with stress and stress can be beneficial, at least initially, because it allows us to avoid danger and face challenges. I think there are many people who are aware that stress can negatively affect our health, but what are some side effects of stress that people may not expect? You know, what sort of diseases can be aggravated or even caused by stress? Gallo has extensively studied how stress and other psychological problems can lead to increased risk of chronic disease and she has helped develop a number of psychological interventions aimed at lowering disease risk in lower income populations. She is also co-director of the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, which promotes research aimed at making behavioral science applicable to medicine and health care. Linda Gallo is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

I'm Audrey Hamilton and this is “Speaking of Psychology.” In this episode, we talk with psychologist and researcher Linda Gallo about managing stress and how it affects people from different economic and ethnic backgrounds. Stress can negatively affect health and even contribute to chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. That's according to the latest Stress in America survey conducted by the American Psychological Association. Audrey Hamilton: Money is a top cause of stress for many Americans.

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