Thus, continued chronic stress can lead to a variety of health issues, and one of those is cancer, because the weakened immune system cannot fight off the cancerous cells, allowing them to grow more rapidly and unchecked.
This build up of the immune system to chronic stress can also lead to many other conditions, such as tolerance and dependency on many types of drugs. For example, a person under chronic stress who relies on aspirin or other pain relievers may develop a tolerance to the drugs, requiring more drugs to gain the same affect as fewer drug dosages before. Thus, the immune system in high gear can build up tolerances to drugs and other medications in its continued effort to protect the body and fight stress and anxiety. This is also dangerous, because the patient must take more drugs to gain the same result, and some drugs may simply become useless, leading the patient to need new drugs, or perhaps to a situation where no drugs will work against the problem. Continued stress, then, can lead to a wide variety of health problems, all concerning how the immune system reacts and what it does to manage the body in times of stress.
Studies also indicate that reducing stress and anxiety through counseling can help reduce the reoccurrence of at least some types of cancers. One study observed women with stage II or II breast cancer after their cancer had been treated. The women received psychological counseling to reduce stress and anxiety, and the women who received counseling had fewer reoccurrences of the disease. The study found, "Researchers maintain that the data clearly...
Other studies indicate that continued stress can lead to a variety of health concerns, and can leave the body vulnerable to attack by disease and conditions. Clearly, a compromised immune system can create a healthy environment for disease, and cancer is one disease that takes advantage of a situation like this, and can become more virulent in a body with a compromised immune system.
In conclusion, stress is a powerful force, and it can cause powerful reactions in our bodies. Anxiety, depression, anger, and sadness can affect our immune systems and make us more vulnerable to a variety of diseases and conditions. Too much stress can lead to permanent damage, as well, as several medical studies indicate. Managing stress and anxiety is good for a healthy existence, and as these studies show, it can help reduce instances of serious diseases such as cancer, as well. Therefore, managing stress should be a major priority for everyone who wants to live a long, productive, and healthy life.
References
Brown, Doris. "Stress & Immune System." Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 2007. 3 Dec. 2007. http://www.hhmi.org/cgi-bin/askascientist/highlight.pl?kw=&file=answers%2Fimmunology%2Fans_011.html
Counseling Improves Immune System." USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Feb. 2005: 7.
Social Stress May Cause Severe Damage." USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Oct. 2002: 9.
