“You need to relax. » This phrase is one that most people hear every week, and sometimes daily. It is difficult to deal with situations that put mental strain on the body, such as relationship problems, at work or at home. In an attempt to adapt to the situation, the body goes into panic mode. If the emotions associated with these events remain constant, they can begin to impact physical health as well as mental health. Physical symptoms place even greater strain on mental health as the individual begins to worry about them. The individual gets lost in a vicious circle. Stress is “the body's reaction to change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response.” Many people realize that stress has a significant impact on psychological health; however, they do not realize that physical health can also be compromised. When the body is under stress, physiological changes occur, such as an increase in heart rate or blood pressure. Many people are unaware of the extent to which stress can impact their body because they cannot see the changes taking place. If stress continues, physical symptoms may begin to appear. These symptoms are real; however, they may or may not be due to some sort of physical disorder. Stress-induced anxiety can begin to form in the individual due to the constant fear of having a serious health problem. The cycle will repeat with potentially worsened symptoms. A psychosomatic illness “is an illness that involves both the mind [psyche] and the body [soma]” and “is thought to be caused, or aggravated, by mental factors.” These mental factors include stress and anxiety. Stress causes the release of a wide variety of hormones middle of paper...... because of their health. Works Cited Goldenson, Robert M. The Encyclopedia of Human Behavior. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1970. Green, Anthony L. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2008. Guralnik, David B. Webster's Dictionary of the New World. Englewood Cliffs: William Collins + World Publishing CO., Inc., 1974.Hacker, Jeffrey H. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge. Grolier Incorporated, 1991. Kenny, Dr. Tim. Psychosomatic disorders. May 1, 2011. http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Psychosomatic-Disorders.htm (accessed December 2, 2013). Kumar, Anil, Puneet Rinwa, Gurleen Kaur and Lalit Machowal. “Stress: neurobiology, consequences and management.” Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 2013: 1-7. Sutherland, Stuart. Discovering the human mind. London: John Canova, 1982. Wilson, John Rowan. The mind. Alexandria: Time-Life Books Inc., 1980.