Stress is a term that is commonly used nowadays as we describe children under stress in school, parents under stress when their teens are acting out, relationships under stress when conflict arises, families under stress if a member gets into trouble – i.e. goes to prison etc.
In the physical world of materials science, stress is a force that results from pressure being imposed upon a solid [1]. When humans come under pressure, we may recognise it, or identify it, as stress. In respect of human emotion, it is first mentioned in the 1920’s. (Of course, humans were stressed before that – there must have been some other name for it)!
Strain is the result of stress. Getting back to materials science, when pressure is put on an iron bar the bar comes under stress. The bar will then bend as a result of the stress. The strain is the amount of bending that takes place, away from the original shape of the bar. If the bar is too strained, it breaks under the stress.
Now think about the difference between an iron bar and a wooden dowel, of approximately the same thickness.
The iron bar will bend quite a lot, depending on how flexible it is, but as both are put under stress the wood will probably break while the iron bar is still bending.
Obviously, some solids are more resilient [2] than others, and are able to bend a fair amount before they break. Just like humans!
Stress is a common feature of many areas of helping, and most practitioners will be aware of good stress and bad stress.
We cannot live our lives without good stress – it motivates, inspires, enthuses, entertains, drives us on to achieve, and adds to the enjoyment of life. The stress of watching our team in an important match, or watching an enjoyable thriller, competing against others for a prize, being challenged by difficulties at home or at work, are all rewarding and life affirming.
This is true even if we lose, as we motivate ourselves to do better next time.
In common usage, however, stress usually refers to bad stress. That is, the experience of being in seemingly impossible situations which cause us emotional pain and distress. This, if not dealt with in a healthy manner, is usually experienced as debilitating and negative. (I’m stressed out)!
In the helping professions in general, practitioners often find themselves in situations of responsibility without power, which is very stressful and ultimately debilitating.
I believe that it is interesting for anyone who works with people in distress (di-stress)? to consider the link between stress and strain.
Being under stress is generally thought to be a condition where we may feel that we have to change, and this could be for good or bad. Eventually if the stress is too much for us we, metaphorically, change our shape to adapt to the new situation. This change we may denote as strain.
An example might be how parents have to change as they experience stress when they are rising to the challenge of raising teenagers. In this, they change their shape. That is, learn new skills, put them into practice, have a different attitude, be more vigilant, listen more attentively etc. etc. – after which there is no going back to the parents that they were when their child was a relatively compliant pre-teen.
So we might say that strain is the critical mass of stress.
In other words, when it reaches the point of no return – the tipping point – the shape is changed permanently. And if we are not resilient, when we cannot take any more pressure, or stress, the strain becomes too much and, like the wooden dowel, we break. Perhaps this is what is popularly known as a nervous breakdown.
And what can we say about good stress? Can good stress, like bad stress, lead to a breakdown? I believe that it can. However what is broken down under the pressure of good stress may be a negative or destructive pattern of behaviour. It can lead to a positive life changing event where someone feels there is no going back – like – as I mentioned in a previous post – recovering from addiction.
Like the long-practiced pattern that I had of smoking!
This is an example of critical mass in changing behaviour in a positive direction.
[1]. Of course, liquids and gases can come under pressure also – but this discussion focuses on solids.
[2]. Resilience in a solid is its ability to spring back to its original shape after it is bent. In the world of humans, it can be defined as the ability to bounce back after a negative event in our lives.