Men and Woman on Stress

Research shows that men and women handle stress differently. When a person becomes stressed, three hormones kick in to help them deal with the stress. These hormones are cortisol, epinephrine, and oxytocin. Cortisol and epinephrine work together to raise blood pressure and increase the blood sugar level. These levels are similar in men and women; however, the hormone oxytocin's effect is quite different. In women, during a stressful situation, when cortisol and epinephrine are released into the blood stream, oxytocin is then released from the brain to counter the production of cortisol and epinephrine. This reaction helps to stimulate more relaxing emotions and more nurturing emotions (1).

For men, the same thing happens; however, the hormones cortisol and epinephrine are released in much lower amounts, which causes the "fight or flight" response to kick in. Once this response passes, it's over and done; whereas women tends to focus on the problems of others around them instead of just their own stresses and can cause them to stay stressed for a longer period of time; women also tend to discuss what is bothering them more, which can keep the stress on their mind for a longer period of time (2).

As a reminder, this information has been given to provide information and assistance for the purpose of finding an answer to a problem or to assist in writing a paper or research article on the subject, and is not intended for completion of an assignment. Wishing you the best of luck while continuing your educational studies!

(1) http://women.webmd.com/features/stress-women-men-cope

(2) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/genes-and-stress/MY02060

Hope this helps.

Thank you for using BrainMass.

This content was COPIED from BrainMass.com - View the original, and get the already-completed solution here!