Everyone experiences stress. How much and what kind of stress experienced varies for each person. When stressors of any kind occur, the body reacts in a very predictable way. Certain chemicals are released in the brain that cause the nervous system to turn on full force. These changes in the brain may cause you to think and feel in certain ways and make you change the normal way you go about doing things.
Stress can contribute to two common mental illnesses.
These are anxiety and depression. The condition of anxiety results in many symptoms. Anxiety is the feeling of being afraid, worried or tense, and threatened. Physical symptoms include shaking, difficulty falling asleep, rapid heart rate, rapid respiratory rate, or difficulty breathing. When anxiety occurs, certain chemicals are turned on in the brain.