Last update:
28-Sep-2019

Stress is a fundamental physiological response of an organism to changes in its internal or external environment that are threatening, or perceived as threatening, for its homeostasis. Depending on its duration, stress is distinguished into acute and chronic, and its symptoms can manifest themselves in every aspect of human function: feeling, cognition/ thinking, behaviour and bodily functions. Chronic stress is a significant aggravating factor for human health, as it is associated with many serious chronic diseases, such as depression, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, etc. Although the term "stress" was introduced by the scientific discipline of psychology in the 20th century, realistic descriptions of stress symptoms were depicted in the Old Testament, centuries earlier. This paper presents the main symptoms of acute and chronic stress/depression from which Psalmist suffered because of various events and sinful acts in his life, as these are recorded in the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament, also known as the "Psalter".

Key words: David, Depression, Old Testament, Psalms, Psalter, Stress.