Chapter 12 Psychology Notes Stress Stress is a part of Life Stress is Physical and Mental Cortisol Stress is discomfort tension and strain in response to a situation We experienced stress to varying degrees in many aspects of our lives Our body reacts to a stressful event The major players are the hypothalamus and the pituitary which control the endocrine system and the adrenal cortex which releases cortisol A little stress can be a good thing Cortisol helps the body use energy more efficiently It s released during exercise and acute stress However Cortisol causes vasoconstriction increased blood sugar levels and suppresses the immune system If it stays at high levels over prolonged periods of time it wastes muscle lowers bone density increases blood pressure and suppresses the immune system Long terms chronic stress leads to weight gain increased risk of heart disease decreased fitness and susceptibility to illness Stressors are events that cause stress They can be positive or negative and they can be of great or small magnitude Marriage moving a death in the family changing jobs divorce major personal illness the birth of a child etc are all considered major life events that are known to increase stress The Social Readjustment Rating Scale SRRS is a 43 item questionnaire asking how many of these major events someone experienced in the last year The number of events does predict stress related health issues There are minor irritants but a lot of minor events can add up and contribute to stress When daily hassles are chronic and paired with major life events they can become especially problematic The Effects of Stress Stressors Major Life Events Daily Hassles Acute Stress When we are involved in a short term stressful situation our bodies experience what is called General Adaptation Syndrome GAS General Adaptation Syndrome 1 Alarm The fight or flight response cortisol levels rise 2 Resistance Body is in a general state or arousal that allows it to cope with stress 3 Exhaustion Resistance breaks down crash Means of Coping With Stress The next few slides will cover some ways to deal with stress and things that are associated with better coping People with more social connections live longer Social support helps people cope with short term stress and major life events People provide comfort share resources encourage us to get help provide advice etc Problem focused coping is changing behavior to solve a problem that causes We might start out avoiding a stressor but that doesn t solve the problem One can restructure cognitions to help cope with stressors Part of cognitive therapy Sanctums professional help can assist with the coping process if stress has led to psychopathology Social Support Changing Behavior Changing Thoughts Professional Help Spirituality and Mindfulness Exercise Individual Differences Religiosity is associated with lower levels of stress Meditation can be practiced to help people cope with stressful situations Exercise can help with symptoms associated with stress depression and anxiety There are individual differences in hardiness and resilience However like many other things in life experience and practice can help most people become more resilient
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