Another effect of continued stress on the human body is problems with digestion and ultimately ulcers. The human body develops problems with digestion because when under stress we use energy, lowering out blood sugar level. Therefore the stomach tells your body that you need more sugar. When placed under stress however, your appetite disappears. So the stomach creates more hydrochloric acid, which is not being used up. This acid wears down the walls in your stomach, causing ulcers. This is all controlled by the SAM.
There has only been one major study into ulcers, by Brady (1958). He performed an experiment on two monkeys. Many people believed for a long time that this was this study was definitive proof that stress caused ulcers. It was backed up by Weiner et al in 1957. He used army recruits under stressful training conditions. At the end of the study fourteen percent of the recruits had developed ulcers. Marshall et al (1985) disagreed however. He believed that it was actually a bacterium called ‘helicobacter pylori’. He was so convinced that he infected himself with it, and developed stomach ulcers.
Another effect of prolonged stress to the body is mental stress, because you are getting less oxygen to your brain. People who experience a high level of stress for a long time—and who cope poorly with this stress—may become irritable, socially withdrawn, and emotionally unstable. They may also have difficulty concentrating and solving problems. Some people under intense and prolonged stress may start to suffer from extreme , depression, or other severe emotional problems. Anxiety disorders caused by stress may include generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
One model that is useful in understanding stress among students is the person-environmental model. According to one variation of this model, stressful events can be appraised by an individual as "challenging" or "threatening" (Lazarus 1966). When students appraise their education as a challenge, stress can bring them a sense of competence and an increased capacity to learn. When education is seen as a threat, however, stress can induce feelings of helplessness and a foreboding sense of loss.
Finally, when stressed, your immune system deteriorates. When stressed, your body produces cortisol. This is a hormone that, in the short term, helps prevent infection and inflammation. Long term presence of cortisol in your system suppresses some functions of your immune response which can then heightening the risk of infection. It also raises the levels of blood glucose, which leads to the release of insulin, a hormone that controls blood-sugar levels. Prolonged stress can damage the cells that produce insulin.
