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Victor A. Barron
Professor Sterling
INRW 0302.208
July 01, 2015
Stress and its Relationship to Mental and Physical Health
What does the word stress mean? The word stress can stand for an emotional, or mental
tension that usually results from challenging situations. Stress can also mean a physical reaction,
in which the human body reacts to certain events that make an individual feel disappointed. In
what way can stress affect a persons mental health? Too much stress can affect a persons
mental health by allowing the individual to fall into depression. Stress can also affect an
individuals physical well-being. Whenever a person reaches high levels of stress it could lead to
an increase in risks of heart attacks. Another way in which high levels of stress can affect an
individuals physical well-being is by weakening the immune system. Individuals who contain
high levels of stress are more likely to catch a cardiovascular disease, weaken their immune
system, or even happen to go through depression.
In what way can stress cause an individual to fall into depression? First of all, what does
the word depression mean? According to Medicine Net, A depressive disorder is a syndrome
(group of symptoms) that reflects a sad, blue mood exceeding normal sadness or grief.
(Depression: Learn All About Symptoms and Testing) In other words, when one is depressed that
individual is really sad, downhearted, or even dispirited, it basically means the same thing. For
example, Beatriz lost her father in a terrible car accident, so she grieved for him. Beatriz became
so depressed because she came to realize that the man that had brought her into this world was
now gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. When an individual weeps, it can be

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considered normal, especially when it has to do about a loved one that passed away, but as time
passes, and the individual still weeps for the loss, then there is a problem here because the
individual is so stressed out about the loss that the thought begins to not only affect ones mental
health, but the physical health as well.
How can stress increase the risks of getting a cardiovascular disease? Stress can lead to
an increase in blood pressure. Another word for high blood pressure is hypertension. According
to Wood, Wood, and Boyd, the effects of stress enter the bloodstream almost as if they were
injected intravenously. (Mastering the World of Psychology p. 181) In other words, stress might
begin in the mind, but the mind communicates with the body for they are one, and after having
communicated, the body then reacts to the emotions that the mind passed on. Thus, increasing
the bodys blood pressure. Samuel E. Wood, Ellen G. Wood, and Denise Boyd went on to state
that, To survive, the heart muscle requires a steady, sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients
carried by the blood. (Mastering the World of Psychology p. 180) Individuals with high blood
pressure tend to pump more blood than arteries usually need. According to Wood, Wood, and
Boyd, Coronary heart disease is caused by the narrowing or the blockage of the coronary
arteries, the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. (Mastering the World of Psychology
p. 180) So, in other words hypertension is the cause for catching a cardiovascular disease.
Catching a cardiovascular disease due to stress, usually is the result from an in increases of blood
pressure.
How does stress weaken the immune system? First of all, what role does the immune
system play in the body? According to the Kids Health - the Web's Most Visited Site about
Children's Health, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that invade body
systems and cause disease. (Immune System) In other words, the immune system protects the

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body from contacting any disease whatsoever. For example, a military exists for one reason only
and that reason is to protect its country and citizens from foreign invaders. The human body is
exactly the same way. According to Wood, Wood, and Boyd, The immune system exchanges
information with the brain, and what goes on in the brain can apparently enhance or suppress the
immune system. (Mastering the World of Psychology p. 183) The human brain tells the whole
body what to do, it allows the body to perform whatever action it thinks. So, if an individual is
stressed out about an event that happened, that individuals immune system will most likely
begin to fail. For instance, whenever a couple breaks-up, either the male or the female will be the
one to take it more harshly, which means either one will most likely end up unhappy, and
probably choose not to eat. Thus, weakening the immune system because the individual refuses
to eat. Instead, the individual chooses to entertain negative thoughts and feelings, which then
allows the brain to send negative messages throughout the whole body.
So, what is stress? And how does it affect an individuals mental and physical state?
Stress can also stand for a way in which an individuals body responds to any kind of demand.
Stress can be both moral and immoral experiences, it all depends on what the individual is going
through. Stress affects an individuals physical being. The first way in which stress affects a
persons physical being is by increasing ones blood pressure levels. By increasing ones blood
pressure levels the chances of catching a heart attack are more likely to occur. Another way in
which stress can affect an individuals physical health would by weakening the immune system,
and the only way to weaken the immune system is by having high stress levels. Stress can also
affect an individuals mental state. When an individual contains too much stress that individual
will most likely end up being miserable, well it depends on what the individual is going through
at that moment as well. Therefore, having high stress levels can affect an individual by giving

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that person high blood pressure, which will result in getting a heart attack, making the immune
system fail, or even cause depression.

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Cited Works
1. Durani, Yamini. "Immune System." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about
Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, 1 May 2015. Web. 2 July 2015.
<http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/immune.html>.
2. "Depression: Learn All About Symptoms and Testing." MedicineNet. Web. 2 July
2015. <http://www.medicinenet.com/depression/article.htm#depression_facts>.
3. Wood, Samuel E., Ellen Green Wood, and Denise Boyd. Chapter 10: Health and
Stress. Mastering the World of Psychology. 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2008.320352. Print.