有毒压力 Toxic Stress

We often think of stress as a bad thing. But stresscan be helpful and unhelpful. Stress is helpful when it motivates you to dosomething better and achieve your goals. 压力是把“双刃剑”。比如学生参加考试，或者明天要给客户做presentation。 Anything that is new or difficult comes with somestress. 当面对适当的压力时，机体启动抗压力机制，使我们恰当面对、承受并克服压力，机体随之建立新的平衡，我们的抗压能力也会相应得到提高。Butsometimes, stress can be unhelpful. 但有时，压力起不到帮助作用。Stresscan be unhelpful if you can’t control what’s causing it, if you have no breaksfrom it, or if you don’t have any support to cope with it. Some people call thistype of stress toxic stress. 如果你无法控制造成压力的原因，如果你无法从压力中得到休息，或者如果你没有任何支持来应对压力，那么压力对你来说，就起不到帮助的作用。人们把这种压力称为toxicstress有毒的压力。

Today,we will talk a little bit more about unhelpful, or toxic stress, and its impacton our mind and body. Toxic stress is toxic because it’s like poison, and itcan lead to significant harm, both physically and emotionally. 今天，我们就一起聊聊更多对我们没有帮助的，有毒的压力，以及它对我们身心的影响。有毒压力是有毒的，因为它就像毒药一样，会导致身体和情感上的重大伤害。

Ifyou have experienced very upsetting situations in your life, your body makesmore stress hormones than it should. When you have too many stress hormones,you may be quick to be angry, act without thinking, or get overwhelmed easily.This is called being triggered. 如果你在生活中感到非常沮丧，你的身体会产生更多的压力荷尔蒙。当你有太多的压力荷尔蒙时，你可能很快就会生气，不假思索地行动，或者很容易不知所措。这叫做being triggered被触发。

Whenyou’ve triggered, certain places, people, noises and even smells can make youeasily upset and overreact. 当你被触发时，某些地方、人、噪音甚至气味都很容易让你心烦意乱，反应过度。And this can happen even after thestress itself ends. 甚至在压力结束后，这种情况也会发生。It is as if your mind and body keep a record of whathappened, holding onto these negative events even after they are over. 这就好像你的大脑和身体记录了发生过的事情，即使这些消极的事情结束了，你也会一直保留着。This makes it easy for youto overreact when something else happens that reminds you of those memories.这使得当别事情发生时，你很容易反应过度，让你想起那些记忆。

有毒压力对儿童的影响更加严重，因为孩子们通常意识不到这种压力是有毒的。It's not always easy tothink or read about toxic stress. Sometimes kids feel embarrassed, guilty, orashamed when bad things happen to them. 有时候当坏事发生在孩子身上时，他们会感到尴尬、内疚或羞愧。研究显示，贫穷、营养不良、被讥讽、身体受虐待，都会成为“有毒压力”，会对孩子的身心造成永久的伤害。所以，我们需要让孩子们知道，You are never the cause ofany toxic stress you might feel.你永远都不是你可能感受到的有毒压力的根源。

那么，当我们受到这种有毒压力的困扰时，我们应该怎么办呢？The good newsis that have safe and warm relationships with family and friends buffers youfrom toxic stress. 与关系紧密的家人和朋友拥有安全、温暖的关系可以缓解你的有毒压力。Scientiststeach us that there are certain experiences that can protect us from theeffects of toxic stress.科学家告诉我们，有一些方法可以保护我们免受有毒压力的影响。

这些办法包括：

Feelingable to talk to your family about your feelings

和你的家人谈谈你的感受

Feelingthat your family is supportive during hard times

感受到你的家人在你艰难的时刻支持你

Participatingin community traditions

多参与社区传统的活动

Feelinglike you belong in school, company or organization

有归属感

Havingsupport from friends

获得朋友的支持

而对于小朋友们来说，Havingsafe, warm, and nurturing relationships with special adults and friends buffersyou from toxic stress. 让他们感到安全，感到在家里受到保护，感受到爱，对他们的身心健康成长，特别重要。