The American Dream: The Effects Of Stress On An Individual's Life

Stress is something we all go through and over time our stress beings to build up. Many believe that stress starts to impact one 's life by the time they start middle school or the beginning of their teenage years. The transition from elementary to middle school into high school can be very intense. Students become highly influenced by their surroundings which makes them susceptible to descended into unhealthy coping mechanisms. At this point in time their lives are shifting dramatically, they will be encountering many different people. They are on their journey to self discovery which is beginning at this time, and will come with many “trials and errors” meaning that there will be a great number of phases before they begin to differentiate

Although hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, having the capacity of allowing an individual to flee a threatening situation, repeated distribution can alter the way the body works. When someone is continuously stressed the brain will continue to release cortisol, which can decrease the numbers of brain cells that contribute in repairing memories. Cortisol also has the effect of increasing blood pressure, a condition common in underserved communities. Communities that lack resources are likely to be subject to stress because of the lifestyle that is promoted by the American Dream. The American Dream is one that encourages the thought of natural selection, Social Darwinism, that dates back to the early 19th century when the foundation of this country was being founded. It was popular thought to believe that a person earned their place in the world, and only those who were worthy of being in the upper class survive in a society of Darwinism. When it comes to America there is a sense of luxury people should aspire to achieve, but yet create a system where not all individuals can achieve that way of life. Creating this system puts greater obstacles in the face of people of the lower class who are attempting to achieve the desired life that fuels the American Dream. If they fall short there 's a sense of inadequacy which can take an individual into a dark hole, where they are left with their negative emotions and stress, that makes them even less likely to achieve the American Dream. Stress affects both the adults and the youth of these communities, they were not offered the proper tools needed to succeed in life, because the system does not work for people that belong to the lower