"The Stress of Life" - A Book Review

Hans Selye (1907-1982) was a Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist who spent most of his professional life studying the non-specific response of the human body to stressors. Dr. Selye earned his M.D. and a Ph. D in organic chemistry from the German University of Prague, and did postdoctoral and research fellowships at both Johns Hopkins and McGill Universities. He wrote several books on the physiological concept of stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome. I first became aware of Selye's work when I took a course on stress management in college. "The Stress of Life" was initially published in 1956, and the second edition was released in 1976.

Dr. Selye defines stress as, "The non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it, whether the condition or stimulus is pleasant or unpleasant." No one is immune to stress; it comes in many forms: physical, emotional, and psychological. The key to managing stress is in adaptation. According to the author, "Life is largely a process of adaptation to the circumstances in which we exist." Selye called the non-specific response to stress the General Adaptation Syndrome, in which our various internal organs (with the assistance of our endocrine glands and nervous system) help us to adjust to constant changes around us and steer us toward homeostasis. The G.A.S has three stages: the alarm reaction, the stage of resistance, and the stage of exhaustion. The alarm reaction is frequently referred to as "fight-or-flight", and is characterized by the release of the hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. In the resistance phase, the body attempts to adapt, repair, and return the body to homeostasis, but still remains on alert. Finally, in the stage of exhaustion, prolonged exposure to stress can cause burnout, chronic fatigue, and an increased vulnerability to illness.

Inflammation is a defense reaction to an injury that represents fight, rather than flight. If you sustain a blunt force to your elbow, you are likely to experience swelling in the area in short order. This is the body's way of containing the injury by creating a barricade that separates damaged tissue from healthy tissue, and it is an important step in the healing process. The Local Adaptation Syndrome (L.A.S.) is characterized by reactive inflammation and tissue death. As Dr. Selye puts it, "...L.A.S. is powerfully influenced by the G.A.S. It is largely - though by no means entirely - dependent upon the balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory hormones secreted by the endocrine glands in reply to alarm signals set off by the stressor itself.

Chapter 17 covers the stressors of daily life. Keep in mind that this book was published 50 years ago, so some references may seem obsolete. Stress can come in many forms, such as one's occupation, family, public speaking, driving, and even the environment. Sensory deprivation and boredom can also be considered stressors. As the author explains, "Normal function of the brain depends on constant arousal generated in the reticular formation by continuous sensory input." Isolation and loneliness can be significant sources of stress, as we saw during the Covid lockdowns 0f 2020. However, Dr. Selye also makes the very valid point that, "...What matters is not really what happens to you but the way you take it."

The author gives an exhaustive list of medical and self-observable danger signs that can manifest if an individual is experiencing undue levels of stress. Some of these are commonly known and understood today, such as an increase in blood pressure, cholesterol, or abnormalities in EEG (electroencephalogram) readings. Self-observable signs include general irritability, insomnia, inability to concentrate, migraine headaches, and nightmares.

Dr. Selye makes a few other excellent points and references which have some relevance to exercise and physical activity. He discusses what he calls developmental adaptation, which can be interpreted along the lines of muscular hypertrophy (growth). The passage in the book reads: "This response occurs whenever a tissue is required only to increase its activity as regards a function to which it is already adapted at the onset, as, for instance, when a muscle is forced to perform more than the usual amount of mechanical work." As far as the role of genetics is concerned, Dr. Selye notes, "The evolution of our tissues from infancy to adulthood appears to be primarily by the laws of heredity, but it is also manifestly dependent upon the demands that we must face, that is, stress." He speaks of stress as an equalizer in terms of our activities, and cautions against overdoing it. "This situation is quite comparable to that of a country which, when attacked on one front only, can send all its armies to the endangered region, but cannot do so when several frontiers are simultaneously invaded." I have discussed with clients and readers of this blog the importance of having purpose and a reason to get up every day, and caution against retiring early. Dr. Selye says, "Many a valuable person, who could still have given several years of useful work to society, has been made physically ill and prematurely senile by the enforced retirement at an age when his requirements and abilities for activity were still high. This psychosomatic illness is so common that it has been given a name: retirement disease" (author's emphasis).

"The Stress of Life" is not an easy book to read; it took me several weeks to finish. It can be very technical at times, but Dr. Selye does break the monotony by giving numerous real-life examples and stories from his work. Overall, I thought it was a very useful book that gave me a better understanding of some aspects of the body's stress response. Additionally, it reinforced some knowledge that I already had. Each section of the book has a summary, so it gives the reader a heads up about what will be discussed in the next few chapters if they would like to skim the material or skip ahead. However, if you're feeling bold read it in its entirety. Simply finishing the book is a big accomplishment. Even though "The Stress of Life" was published 50 years ago, it still gives us insight into the pioneering work of Dr. Hans Selye, and its impact continues to resonate today.