In 1936, the concept of general adaptation syndrome and its phases of alarm, resistance and exhaustion in response to an aggression were first proposed . Currently, consensus continues to be sought concerning the definition of stress, for which terms such as homeostatic imbalance, a discrepancy between expectations and perceptions of the environment, and allostasis are used. Allostasis is the ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite the influence of external elements, i.e., adaptation. Adaptation is not achieved when the response is ineffective or inadequate or when exposure to the agent that induces the response is prolonged, resulting in allostatic load, which is defined as wear and tear from the under- or overactivity of allostatic systems . Allostatic load is increased by an overreaction of the adaptive mechanisms capable of generating a disease, transforming a protective mechanism that maintains systemic homeostasis when faced with an aggression into a highly pathogenic mechanism with a prolonged effect. Stress is defined as a real or interpreted threat to the physiological or psychological integrity of an individual that results in specific, physiological or behavioral responses seeking to restore homeostasis and whose chronicity is potentially pathogenic . Castrillón et al. defined psychological stress as a pathophysiological process that occurs when an individual is faced with environmental demands that exceed his or her resources, inducing a response that involves physiological and cognitive activation of the body (CNS, endocrine system and immune system) in order to quickly and forcefully meet the demands of the situation. Therefore, the response to psychological stress is systemic in nature and has several metabolic consequences, such as increased steroid synthesis and a state of chronic inflammation . The response of the body to stress involves the participation of different homeostatic regulatory systems, causing functional alterations that lead to chronic stress, which forms the basis for the development of cardiovascular, metabolic, immunologic, allergic, oncologic and psychiatric disease. An individual’s response to stress is provoked by genetic and psychological factors, which explains the large interindividual variability in the response to similar stimuli . Different stressors cause distinct responses through the activation of specific neuroendocrine systems .