STRESS, HEALTH AND COPING

Zack DawesElle Epperson

Amy Price

Stress

Stress Physical and psychological response to internal

or external stressors. Stressor

Specific event of a chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person’s well-being.

Health psychology Subfield of psychology concerned with the ways

psychological factors influence the causes and treatment of physical illness and the maintenance of health.

Examples of Stressors from the College Undergraduate Stress Scale

http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/social_science/danced/upload/psy203stressurvey.pdf

Chronic Stressors

Sources of stress that occur continuously and repeatedly. (Daily Stress)

Small stressors that may be easy to ignore if they happened only on occasion.

Linked to features of city life noise, traffic, crowding, pollution, etc.

Cause more psychological and physical symptoms.

Longer-lasting impacts than major life events.

Stressful Events

Daily Stress The little life hassles that occur. If they add

up, this can be your biggest stressor. Significant Changes

Big changes in your life that stress you out for long periods of time. Examples: Death, divorce, moving, etc.

Catastrophes something you can’t control, and is usually life

changing and unpredictable. Examples: Tsunami, hurricane, tornado, etc.

Perceived Control

The belief that one has the ability to make a difference in the course or the consequences of some event or experience; often helpful in dealing with stressors.

Weiss’ 1977 Rat Research

The rat that gets shocked randomly gets stressed out, and is more likely to develop ulcers.

The rat that is under-control of the shock and can turn it off is just as healthy as the rat that doesn't get shocked.

lack of perceived control over stressful events leads to more severe health consequences.

Responding to Stress

Fight-or-Flight Response Emotional and physiological reaction to an

emergency that increases readiness for action.

Prepares the body for combat and struggle (Fight) or for running away to safety (Flight)

Walter Cannon coined the phrase in 1929 to describe the body’s physical reaction to any threatening stimulus.

General Adaption Syndrome (GAS) is a three-stage physiological stress response that appears regardless of the stressor that is encountered. Alarm Phase

Body recognizes the stress and prepares for fight-or-flight. Resistance Phase

Trying to cope with stress using fight-or-flight, and shuts down all unnecessary processes (digestion, sex-drive, etc.)

If GAS goes on long enough… Exhaustion Phase

Body’s resistance collapses, and can result in creating gradual damage. (aging, tumors, and organ damage)

Stress effects on Immune System

The Immune System- a complex response system that protects the body from bacteria, virus, and other foreign substances.

Lymphocytes- white blood cells, and these cells produce antibodies and they fight infections.

1998 Medical Student experiment Health and Social Status

Cardiovascular Health

The heart and circulatory system are also sensitive to stress!!

Heart rate increases. The rate of blood flow speeds up, increasing

blood pressure. The release of fatty acids into the bloodstream

for energy increases cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Under chronic stress, the continued release of cortisol seems to have some effect on where fat is deposited in the body, most often in the abdomen.

Cardiovascular Health

Abnormal heart rhythm or you could have problems with the heart muscle itself.

Hypertension including increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

Potential for your arteries to thicken with plaque over time, which could lead to coronary artery disease or heart attack.

Type A behavior pattern

Psychological Reactions from stress

PTSD: (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)-recurrent unwanted thought or images of the trauma, and avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind

Burnout: a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion created by long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowered performance and motivation.

Coping with Stress

Repressive- avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint.

Rational- facing the stressor and working to overcome it.

Avoid the stressor Alter the stressor Adapt to the stressor Accept the stressor

Avoiding the Stressor

In order to avoid stressors, learn to say no. By learning to say no, you prevent

putting yourself in bad situations Avoid people that cause stresses

Try to limit the amount of time spent with people that cause stress as much as you can.

Alter the Situation

Express your feelings and don’t keep them bottled up inside.

Learn and be willing to compromise Be assertive and strong with your

opinions and feelings

Adapt to the Stressor

Focus on the positives Change your perspective on how

you see things Look at the big picture Don’t be afraid to adjust your

expectations

Accept the stressor

Don’t try to control things that are out of you hands.

Share your feelings Learn to forgive

Find time for fun

Find things that make you happy

Set time aside for yourself to relax and recharge

Connect with others and find things in common

Don’t be afraid to laugh

Test Question

True or False Stress is the physical and psychological

response to internal or external stressors.

Works Cited

http://www.apa.org/research/action/glossary.aspx

http://www.slideshare.net/mstalbot/ch14-ppt-3851938

http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/cardshowall.php?title=chapter-12b-stress-health

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm