Chapter 14 Stress and Health specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a the physical and psychological response to internal or external Stressors person or threaten the person s well being Stress stressors psychological factors influence the causes and treatments of physical illness and the maintenance of health the subfield of psychology concerned with ways Health psychology Sources of Stress What Gets to You Chronic stressors Environmental psychology behavior and health sources of stress that occur continuously scientific study of environmental effects on Stress Reactions All Shook Up Fight or flight response that increases readiness for action that appears regardless of the stressor that is encountered General adaptation syndrome GAS emotional and physiological reaction to an energy 3 stage physiological stress response 1 Alarm phase body rapidly mobilizes resources to respond to threat a fight or flight 2 Resistance phase adapts as it tries to cope with stressor a Shuts down digestion growth sex drive menstruation 3 Exhaustion phase production of testosterone and sperm body s resistance collapses a Susceptibility to infection tumor growth aging irreversible organ damage or death caps at the ends of each chromosome that protect the ends of complex response system that protects the body from Telomeres Telomerase Psychoneuroimmunology enzyme that rebuilds telomeres produce antibodies that fight infection Stress significantly accelerates aging process chromosomes and prevents them from sticking to each other Immune system bacteria viruses and other foreign substances Lymphocytes psychological variables like stressors plaque build upon inner walls of arteries causes heart disease impatience time urgency and competitive achievement strivings Secondary appraisal handle or not o Threat interpretation of stimulus as stressful or not Primary appraisal Type A behavior pattern Atherosclerosis tendency toward easily aroused hostility study of how immune system responds to stressor you believe you might NOT be able to overcome gradual narrowing of arteries that occurs as fatty deposits determining whether the stressor is something you can o Challenge stressor you feel fairly confident you can control Burnout a state of physical emotional and mental exhaustion created by long term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowed performance and motivation Stress Management Dealing With It Repressive coping stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint facing the stressor and working to overcome it avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a Rational coping coming to realize that the stressor exists and can t be 2 Exposure 1 Acceptance wished away out life 3 Understanding attending to stressor thinking about it and even seeking it working to find the meaning of the stressor in your Reframing practice of internal contemplation reframing technique that helps people to technique for reducing tension by consciously relaxing finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces its threat Stress inoculation training STI cope with stressful situations by developing positive ways to think about the situation Meditation Relaxation therapy muscles of the body Relaxation response heart rate breathing rate and blood pressure bodily function and possibly gain control over that function Social support aid gained through interacting with others Religiosity Spirituality necessarily linked to a particular religion affiliation with a particular religion having a belief in and engagement with some higher power no use of external monitoring device to obtain information about a condition of reduced muscle tension cortical activity Biofeedback The Psychology of Illness Mind Over Matter Cytokines Psychosomatic illness communicate sickness response to brain interaction between mind and body that can produce adaptive set of reactions to illness organized by brain Sickness response illness Somatic symptom disorders displaus significant health related anxiety expresses disproportionate concerns about their symptoms and devotes excessive time and energy to health concerns Sick role feigning symptoms to achieve something you want a socially recognized set of rights and obligation linked with illness a person with at least one bodily symptom Malingering The Psychology of Health Feeling Good Optimist healthier than a pessimist Stress resistant group had o Commitment o Control o Willing to accept challenges Self regulation into line with preferred standards exercise of voluntary control over the self to bring the self o Most effective when focusing on what to do vs what NOT to do Illusion of unique invulnerability are less likely to fall victim to a problem than others systematic bias toward believing that they
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