The Differences Between Physical Fatigue and Stress Exhaustion

Sometimes when we feel excessively tired, the causes have nothing to do with physical exhaustion. Sometimes our symptoms of fatigue are caused by stress.

Chronic stress is the primary reason behind stress-induced exhaustion. When we have stress in our lives, our bodies produce an abundance of adrenaline, which in turn excites our nervous systems. Regardless of the cause or severity of the problems in our lives, whether real or imaginary, our bodies respond in the same way. We find ourselves short of breath, feeling emotional agitation, and experiencing a rapid heartbeat. When these physical symptoms are short lives, they are beneficial, because they help us to address self-preservation issues.

Stress exhaustion is much different from physical exhaustion. In the former case, continuous high stress lifestyles and situations result in a combination of emotional and physical exhaustion. When these types of exhaustion are combined with a lack of adequate nutrition or sleep, stress exhaustion is exceptionally debilitating. Those who chronically suffer from this type of exhaustion feel exceedingly overwhelmed by life, life events, life mandates, social problems, financial problems, and personal or relationship problems. They may also act out in aggression, become easily frustrated, or feel helpless in their condition. If these symptoms are not fully or adequately addressed, additional health problems will result.

Physical exhaustion is, for the most part, created by choice. The individual may choose to engage in vigorous activities, take a hard labor job, or exert themselves physically. The fatigue that comes shortly after the individual slows down is expected, and the recovery efforts of sleep, rest, nutrition, or relaxation are planned. Although his muscles may be a bit tired for a few days, he is otherwise physically refreshed. He has a renewed level of energy, and has the ability to make it through another day.

Stress exhaustion, on the other hand, is not planned. It is unwanted, undesired, and is caused by the thoughts and feelings of the individual rather than the situation related to it. The person experiencing stress as a result of a lost job may become emotionally exhausted as a result of worry, while another person may choose to take the loss in stride or see it in a positive light. The person who chooses to allow life's ups and downs to negatively affect them will feel emotional stress. If they continuously choose this route, they will experience physical and emotional consequences.

Stress exhaustion can be rather frightening, especially when an individual fails to recognize his own role in its creation. The pressure of work demands, personal failures, goal setbacks, or worries bear down heavily upon us all. Those who experience prolonged and unresolved stress do not realize that they lack the ability to respond in a productive and positive manner. In fact, their high stress levels may have been present for so long that they believe it to be normal and routine. We do not understand why we feel so tired all the time, or why we seem to fly off the handle at the slightest frustration. We only know that something does not feel right.

The immune system is the first line of defense when it comes to physical abnormalities and illness. When we have prolonged stress in our lives, the immune system is depressed. The immune system is not smart. It does not have the ability to differentiate between adrenaline caused by stress and adrenaline caused by illness. When the immune system is over taxed by high levels of stress, its ability to fight off other types of illnesses becomes compromised. For these reasons, stress exhaustion is linked with vulnerability to contagious diseases, heart disease, depression, and other conditions.

Sources:

Personal education and experience in the field of Psychology
Personal education and experience in stress management techniques
Personal education and experience in the field of physical and emotional wellness

Additional online resources for interested parties:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-stress-exhaustion.htm
http://www.stress-counselling.co.uk/management/exhaustion.htm
http://www.womentowomen.com/understandyourbody/symptoms/fatigue.aspx?id=4&campaignno=fatigue&adgroup=ag5exhaustion&keywords=stress%20exhaustion