The stress response prepares a person
to react quickly and perform well
under pressure. It can help teens be on
their toes and ready to rise to
a challenge.
The stress response can cause
problems, however, when it overreacts
or goes on for too long. Long-term
stressful situations, like coping with
a parent’s divorce or being bullied at
school, can produce a lasting, low-level
stress that can wear out the body’s
reserves, weaken the immune system,
and make an adolescent feel depleted
or beleaguered.