Stress, cognition and the nervous system

Stress, as defined by Selye, is the non-specific response of an organism to any demand made upon it. The response varies in intensity, depending on age, experience and genetic makeup. These demands, or stressors, can be physical, social or psychological. This concept has been challenged by others and the importance of perception and cognition in the stress response is argued strongly here. The role or cognition in reacting to external stressors is reviewed in the light of the three brain model and the differing functions of the right and left hemisphere. Techniques such as drugs and cognitive restructuring for altering perception and cognition are discussed. Cognitive restructuring is an important technique used in psychotherapy to enable patients to achieve more appropriate emotional responses and consequent behaviours.