Posts in ADHD

The term “stress” was introduced into the psychology vocabulary in 1926, by Hans Selye. While, the term “stress” is a well known word, Selye actually used the term “strain” to denote his concept, as it suggested structural changes, like the amount of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, into the body. The term “stress” emphasizes external factors. Selye believed that “stress” consisted of the “sum of all nonspecific changes (within an organism) caused by function or damage” or, more simply “the rate of wear and tear in the body” (Selye, 1956). Since then, researchers have used the term “stress” to emphasize on increased cortisol stemming from outside sources, such as external pressure.