Chapter 11 Stress and Health 06 11 2013 12 41 00 STRESS AND STRESSORS STRESS the physical emotional cognitive and behavioral responses to threatening or challenging events WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT STRESS CAN MANIFEST SHOW ITSELF o physical sweat headache o emotional behavioral depression inability to concentrate withdrawal eating too little STRESSORS events that cause a stress reaction WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISTRESS AND EUSTRESS o Distress the effect of undesirable stressors o Eustress the effect of positive events EXTERNAL EVENTS CATASTROPHES An unpredictable event that creates a tremendous need to adapt and adjust as well as overwhelming feelings of threat PSYCH 100 Crosby LIFE CHANGES Positive o marriage o going to college o new job Negative o loss of a loved one o divorce o foreclosure WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF LIFE STRESS Physical mental illness Accidents distractions inability to concentrate HASSLES daily annoyances of everyday life Have the least impact highest frequency WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST HASSLES REPORTED BY INDIVIDUALS AT DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES Preschool teasing 6 10 yrs bad grades PSYCH 100 Crosby Early adolescence 11 15 yrs pressure to use drugs 15 20s trouble at school work Adults fighting among family members Elderly lack of money PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS PRESSURE URGENT demands or EXPECTATIONS from an outside source school parents causing you to have to work harder faster do more to meet these expectations Perception something you feel UNCONTRLLABILITY how much control one has over a situation less control you have over a situation relates to greater sense of stress FRUSTRATION response when a desired GOAL or a perceived need is BLOCKED WHAT ARE SOME TYPICAL RESPONSES TO FRUSTRATION PSYCH 100 Crosby PERSISTANCE find ways to get around problem alternate solution keep AGGRESSION frustration aggression hypothesis frustration always leads to aggression modified frustration creates a readiness to become aggressive but alternate factors effect this DISPLACED AGGRESSION taking our frustration on a less threatening going on source ESCAPE OR WITHDRAWAL physically actually withdrawing from a relationship or a class psychological drug use or alcohol use CONFLICT a pull toward two desires or GOALS only one of which can be attained APPROACH APPROACH CONFLICT win win situation desire for 2 goals both are attractive options both positive options stress comes from having to decide from between the two EX been accepted to 2 great colleges and have to choose 1 AVOIDANCE AVOIDANCE CONFLICT caught between a rock and a hard place choice between two or more goals that are both unpleasant and have generally negative overtones stress choose between negative events EX are not happy with job choices are to stay with current job that you are unhappy with or go to another job that has less pay APPROACH AVOIDANCE CONFLICT 1 goal instead of 2 that goal has both negative and positive aspects develop a pro con list most stressful of types of situations EX coming to college but having to take on significant loan debt weigh positives and negatives what will degree do for you EX offered great job 1000 miles away from your family takes you away from family and friends PSYCH 100 Crosby PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS STRESS AND HEALTH Remember the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system Chapter 2 Which is involved in the reaction to stress SYMPATHETIC fight or flight response system involved in stress helps us to manage and deal with stress ACUTE STRESSORS very intense but short lived EX fire fighter highly stressful but time limited LONG TERM during course of semester stressors one feels can last a long time If stress lasts too long parasympathetic kicks in and shuts down systems to protect body Reaction to the exhaustion caused by stress GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME GAS three stages of the body s PHYSICAL reaction to stress PSYCH 100 Crosby STAGE 1 Alarm when some threat is identified or realized the body s response system is in a state of alarm sympathetic system activated flow of hormones stress hormones to help body fight stress begin to prepare build up resources we will need STAGE 2 Resistance people start to feel pretty good if stressor persists into this stage the body will come up with some means to cope with stress STAGE 3 Exhaustion body s ways to deal with stress are being depleted one is unable to deal with stress and function if stressor does not leave during this system the immune system will not function and bodily functions will be impaired everything is used up CAN THINK OF THIS ABOUT AN INTENSE STRESSOR THAT HAPPENS OVER A SHORT TIME CAN THINK OF THIS AS A SMALLER STRESSOR OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME SEVERAL LIFE CHANGES END RESULT IS SAME WITH BODY THOUGH IN STAGES HOW DOES STRESS IMPACT IMMUNE FUNCTIONING AND PROBLEMS LIKE HEART DISEASE AND CANCER negatively affected by stress Cells organs chemicals that respond to disease infection and injury Stress can mimic same response that and infection can cause colds ulcers diabetes trouble with digestive system cardiovascular system this is not automatic only related in some ways One s risk for having a heart attack is increased as well complex stressors stress physiological reactions compromising functions of body unhealthy behaviors eating badly not exercising coronary heart relationship disease not a direct relationship not only physical functioning PSYCH 100 Crosby similar links to stress and diabetes immune system is responsible for fighting off cancer cells stress can higher risk of developing cancer connects stress to physical health PERSONALITY FACTORS IN STRESS Certain personality factors can have an impact of how long someone lives MEYER FREEDMAN Coined type A and type B heart disease Research was interested in personality factors and how they relate to TYPE A workaholics ambitious time conscious competitive achievement oriented hardworking often hostile always on edge easily annoyed easily frustrated can become hostile constant sense of pressure very successful but not always satisfied with success easily aroused to anger and hostility Men 3 times Higher risk for heart disease than type B Women women who work outside of home with type A are at 4 times risk of heart disease than type B women TYPE B easy going relaxed less competitive more content slow to anger opposite of A Men lesser risk for heart disease TYPE C pleasant repressed do not
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