STRESS KIN 123 FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH M W F 1 1 50Pm Quinn Auditorium Shabnam Lateef Fall 2013 NOTE In Chapter 1 Taking Charge of Your Health The last part from Taking personal responsibility for your wellness including Stages of Behavior Change will be covered under Module 2 It will not be included in Exam 1 However in this module I am going to cover Theory of Behavior and that is included in Module 1 They are two distinct topics Q What is stress Definition of stress According to the American Psychological Association Stress is defined as Any uncomfortable emotional experience that is accompanied by predictable biochemical physiological and behavioral changes Q Why is stress necessary A Stress evolved as a way of preparing the body to respond to a challenge Stress results in the fight or flight response Physical response to stress Determined by two body systems 1 Nervous System Autonomic Nervous System Sympathetic It helps prepare the body for flight or fight in response to a crisis Parasympathetic system Helps you relax and returns the body to homeostasis once the crisis is over 2 Endocrine System Releases hormones chemical messengers which help activate the organs to prepare the body to deal with the stressor Autonomic Nervous System HPA Axis Hypothalamic PituitaryAdrenal Axis Biochemical response to stress HORMONE SECRETED FROM SHORT TERM EFFECT Helps deal with stressor 1 CORTISOL HYDROCORTISO NE Adrenal cortex Gluconeogenesis Produces glucose to make energy available to the brain and important organs 2 NORADRENALINE NOREPINEPHRINE Adrenal medulla Nerve endings of sympathetic nerves Brain Acts on the amygdala to control attention and response Increases Heart Rate Blood Pressure Respiratory Rate 3 ADRENALINE EPINEPHRINE Adrenal medulla Nerve endings of sympathetic Increases Heart Rate Blood Pressure Respiratory Rate Decreases digestion and Q What happens to our body when we get stressed out Q What are some of the ways that we respond to stress Emotional response to stress Effective response Coping skills that help improve optimal performance Ineffective response Overeating expressing hostility anger Addiction Tobacco Drugs Alcohol depression mood swings Q Is our emotional response to stress unconscious and cannot be changed A On the contrary it is controlled by the somatic system which manages our conscious actions Our response to stress are learned behaviors many times we imitate the way in which our parents close friends respond to stress Q What characteristic determines whether we respond to stress positively or negatively Perception of stress As defined by Hans Selye in 1975 Depending on one s feelings of control and desirability and the time and location of the stressor we either perceive the stressor to be positive or negative Both emotional responses positive and negative to a stressor can be equally taxing on the body physically 1 Eustress Eu Good Good stress When a stressor is perceived to be a positive challenge one responds in a healthy way with a feeling of hope and vigor Eustress provides one with a boost to take on the challenge of managing the stressor It correlates positively with feelings of fulfillment and satisfaction in accomplishing something Examples Playing sports giving an exam watching a scary movie riding a roller coaster 2 Distress Dis Bad Bad stress Distress is defined as Persistent stress that is not resolved through coping mechanisms or adaptations It is a negative type of stress that may lead to anxiety withdrawal and depressive symptoms Yerkes Dodson Curve General Adaptation Syndrome Selye coined the term to describe a universal and predictable response pattern to any type of stressor General Adaptation Syndrome GAS Stage 1 Alarm The body is exposed to a stressor The initial body reaction to the stressor Stage 2 Resistance For the short term the systemic response to stress intensifies If the stressor persists then coping mechanisms kick in Stage 3 Exhaustion After the stressor has been overcome the body restores itself to achieve homeostasis In events of a prolonged stressor like dealing with illness in the family the body may become exhausted and cannot maintain continued functioning This approaches a sub stage of decompensation Decompensation may manifest itself in the form of systemic diseases like diabetes ulcers hypertension Allostatic load The long term wear and tear of the stress response is called the allostatic load Allostatic load calculates the risk you are at for developing heart disease stroke diabetes obesity etc Allostatic load depends on genetics life experiences behavioral and emotional responses to stressors Stress Immunity Stress reduces immunity Increased levels of cortisol over a period of time reduce the number of lymphocytes Epinephrine reduces the efficiency of lymphocytes Stress Cardiovascular Disease Stress hormones increase heart rate and cause vasoconstriction narrowing of the blood vessels which causes blood pressure to rise Hypertension causes atherosclerosis deposit of fat in the arteries which may lead to stroke and myocardial infarction Stress Headaches Stresses causes changes in blood supply throughout the body This may precipitate Tension headaches dull aching pain on the side of the head Migraines headaches accompanied by nausea vomiting and fatigue Cluster headaches around the eyes Personality and stress Your personality determines your cognitive behavioral and emotional tendencies This affects how you perceive stress and how you respond to stress Some people are nervous and irritable while some are calm and composed We go through good days and bad days Myers Briggs Personality Test Sources of stress Major life changes Daily hassles College stressors Academic Interpersonal Time pressures Financial concerns Future worries Job related stressors Burnout Social stressors Real social networks Virtual social networks Other stressors Environmental Internal University Stressors 1 Academic 2 Interpersonal 3 Time Pressure 4 Financial Concerns 5 Future Worries WEDNESDAY Managing stress Coping techniques Turn in your stress worksheets under Sakai assignments before class on Wednesday QUESTIONS CONCERNS THANK YOU