The Stress Scale

​Back in the 1960’s, a couple of psychiatrists put together a scale rating the impact of various stressors in life.  The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale rates 41 life events, giving them each a number of points.  The highest stresses have the largest numbers, called “life change units” (LCU).
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​​The idea behind the scale was not to learn that something happened to you and that’s a ‘25’ on the stress meter.  The premise is that stress is cumulative, and that experiencing numerous stressful events at the same time can lead to illness.

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Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale
Life event & Life change units
Death of a spouse  100
Divorce  73
Marital separation 65
Imprisonment 63
Death of a close family member 63
Personal injury or illness 53
Marriage 50
Marital reconciliation 47
Retirement 45
Change in health of family member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sexual difficulties 39
Gain a new family member 39
Business readjusment 39
Change in financial state 38
Change in frequency of arguments 35
Major mortgage 32
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
Change in responsibilities at work 29
Child leaving home 29
Trouble with in-laws 29
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Spouse starts or stops work 26
Begin or end school 26
Change in living conditions 25
Revision of personal habits 24
Trouble with boss 23
Change in working hours/conditions 20
Change in residence 20
Change in schools 20
Change in recreation 19
Change in church activities 19
Change in social activities 18
Minor mortgage or loan 17
Change in sleeping habits 16
Change in number of family reunions 15
Change in eating habits 15
Vacation 13
Christmas 12
Minor violation of law 11

​Not surprisingly, the highest stressor on the list is the death of a spouse at 100 LCU, followed by divorce, marital separation and imprisonment.  Also in the top 10 are personal injury or illness, job loss, retirement and marriage.  Retirement and marriage?  Aren’t they positive?

Quite a few of the stressors on the scale are actually positive.  Pregnancy.  Outstanding personal achievement.  Change of responsibilities at work could be good or bad.  Vacation and Christmas even made the list, although they’re in the  bottom three.  It’s important to remember that all life changing events cause some stress, even though they may be the very thing that you’ve been working to achieve.  

​The upshot is that a score of 300 or higher in any given year is considered to be sufficient stress to make you sick.

​The stress response is a biological inheritance from our earliest ancestors.  They needed the surge of adrenalin from a “fight or flight” hormonal burst when faced with a potentially life-threatening situation.  Maybe they needed the courage to face an unexpected encounter with an enemy from another tribe or run from a predator to avoid becoming dinner.  ​

​Even though our stressors today are vastly different than those faced by our ancestors, our response methodology has not changed.  The stress response kicks in automatically, without intellectual processing, when we are faced with a real or perceived threat.   We’ve all experienced it.  Pounding heart, shortness of breath, instant sweat.  ​
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​The burst of adrenalin we receive from the command centre in the brain increases our heart rate which, in turn, elevates pulse and blood pressure to fuel the muscles and organs with as much blood as possible.  Breath rate increases and the airways in the lungs open, allowing us to draw in more oxygen with each breath, which is delivered more efficiently than usual to all muscles and organs in the body through increased blood flow.  Oxygen also infuses the brain, increasing mental alertness and sharpening the senses.  Adrenaline triggers the release of glucose and fats from storage within the body, supplying energy to all body systems in preparation to fight or flee.

​This is a brilliantly designed biological system.  We’ve all heard the stories of incredible strength created by the stress response, like a petite woman who was suddenly imbued with the superhuman ability to lift a car to save her child.  Endorphins contribute to this phenomena as well.  Those endorphins we love so much after a great workout also kick in during a stress reaction, suppressing pain and giving us the will and stamina to act without stopping to consider that there’s just absolutely no way we can do that.

​Where does this brilliantly designed system fit into our modern world?  Our lives today are riddled with minor stresses aside from the big ones identified on the Holmes and Rahe scale.  We are constantly bombarded with stress and stimulation.  Our ancestors did not carry devices that plugged them into constant communication with the world at large.  They didn’t watch the news and find themselves horrified at the atrocities that humans commit, nor did they worry endlessly about the state of politics on the world stage or the threat of nuclear war.  They had no traffic jams, no mortgage payments, no car trouble, no social pressure, no deadlines, no overwhelming uber-busy lifestyles.

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​We, however, do have all that going on and it can be pretty intense when combined with the personal situations we’re dealing with in our lives and, possibly, the internal demons like self-doubt that we need to face every day.  One important operative concept here is that the stress response is triggered not only by “real” stresses, but by “perceived” ones as well.  In other words, we have to beware of an overactive imagination, particularly when it comes to needless worry or negative internal dialogue.    

​The problem is that repeated activation of the stress response on any level can lead to a host of physical issues.  Chronic bombardment with stress can have long-term impact, leading to high blood pressure and clogged arties as well as psychological changes that contribute to anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, digestive problems, depression and addiction.  It can also contribute to weight gain and obesity in that elevated cortisol levels lead to increased appetite and fat storage.  It goes without saying that many of these outcomes exacerbate the problem by increasing stress levels even more.

​​Ways to deal:
Get grounded.  Recognize the feeling of excess stress.  Take a deep breath or, better yet, many of them.  Do whatever you need to do for distraction and relaxation – a nap, a workout, meditation, a cosy throw and a good book.  Identify and quantify the stressor – major or minor?  Will it matter a year from now?  Reach out to a friend.  Seek community interaction or solitude, whatever you need to ease your mind and soothe your soul.

Try to compartmentalize your stressors into separate entities that can be challenged individually.  This is where the Holmes and Rahe scale comes into play.  Remember that every one of these entities contributes to your total number on the stress chart. 
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​We all have unavoidable stresses to deal with.  The goal is to minimize the stressors that are unimportant and learn to readily recognize what we need to do for ourselves at any given moment to manage the rest.  

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