HOW STRESS AFFECTS HUMAN HEALTH

This article comprehensively analyzes the phenomenon of stress, which is one of the most pressing problems of modern psychology and physiology. In the research, along with the traditional classification of stress — acute, episodic, and chronic types — the negative consequences of hypostress (lack of stress), a condition that has been little studied but is dangerous for human life, are thoroughly explained. Based on the Yerkes–Dodson law, the importance of the “golden mean” necessary for human efficiency and the concept of beneficial stress (eustress) are revealed. In the central part of the article, the biochemical mechanisms of stress are analyzed, in particular the activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis) and the effects of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline on the organism. Additionally, age-related characteristics of stress — toxic stress in childhood, emotional instability in adolescence, and occupational “burnout” in adults — are compared, and strategies for activating natural antidotes such as oxytocin, endorphin, and serotonin hormones are recommended.本文全面剖析了应激（stress）现象——这是现代心理学与生理学领域亟待解决的核心议题之一。研究过程中，除了对应激的传统分类（急性应激（acute stress）、发作性应激（episodic stress）与慢性应激（chronic stress））之外，本文还详细阐释了低应激（hypostress，即应激缺失）这一鲜有研究却危及人类生命的状态所带来的负面影响。本文基于耶基斯-多德森定律（Yerkes–Dodson law），阐明了维持人体运作效率所需的适度应激水平的重要性，以及有益应激（eustress）的概念。本文的核心章节剖析了应激的生化机制，特别是下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴（hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis，简称HPA轴）的活动，以及皮质醇（cortisol）与肾上腺素（adrenaline）对机体的影响。此外，本文还对比了不同年龄阶段对应的应激特征：儿童期的毒性应激（toxic stress）、青少年期的情绪不稳，以及成年期的职业倦怠（occupational burnout），并提出了激活催产素（oxytocin）、内啡肽（endorphin）与血清素（serotonin）等天然抗应激物质的干预策略。