2.4 Influence of Stress on Mental and Physical Health Flashcards

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1
Q

What is stress?

A

Exposure to stressful situations or events is a common human experience. These range from daily pressures to long lasting challenges.

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2
Q

What is acute stress?

A

High arousal levels for short periods of time.

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3
Q

What is chronic stress?

A

Ongoing demands and pressures that are long lasting.

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4
Q

What is eustress?

A

A positive psychological response to a stressor as indicated by the presence of a positive psychological state.

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5
Q

What is distress?

A

A negative psychological response to a stressor such as anger, anxiety, nervousness.

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6
Q

What is an example of eustress?

A

A concert, birthdays, etc.

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7
Q

What is an example of distress?

A

Lining up before an exam, financial pressures.

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8
Q

What are the aspects of fight, flight, freeze response?

A

Fight - confronting and fighting off the threat.
Flight - escaping by running to safety.
Freeze - keeping still and silent.

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9
Q

What reactions are involved with the fight-flight response?

A
  • Increased heart rate.
  • Increased breathing rate.
  • Increased glucose (sugar) for energy.
  • Dilation of pupils (so eyes can take in as much light as possible.
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10
Q

What reactions are involved with the freeze response?

A
  • Body movements stop.
  • Vocalisations stop.
  • Heart rate slows.
  • Tense muscles collapse.
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11
Q

What is adrenaline?

A
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12
Q

What is cortisol?

A

The body cannot maintain the intensity of fight and flight reactions for a prolonged period. It is also the body’s main stress hormone, helping to wake us up and give us energy, as well as putting us to sleep at night.

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13
Q

What are some negative effects of the fight flight response on health?

A
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Digestive Problems
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14
Q

What is Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome?

A

Selye exposed rats to a variety of stressors such as painful tail-pulling, exposure to heat or cold, electric shocks etc, and found that physiological arousal pattern in response to each of these stressors was generally the same.He concluded that stress is a condition that is non-specific and can be brought on by internal or external stressors.

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15
Q

What are the three stages of the GAS model?

A

Alarm reaction (immediate response), resistance (maximise resources to cope and adapt), and exhaustion (vulnerable and weak).

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16
Q

How does the alarm reaction work?

A

The alarm reaction occurs when the person first becomes aware of the stressor. The body goes into a temporary state of shock and its ability to deal with the stressor decreases. During this the sympathetic nervous system is activated and the response is one of fight or flight.

17
Q

How does the resistance reaction work?

A

During the resistance stage, the body’s resistance to the particular stressor rises above normal. During this stage, all unnecessary physiological processes are shut down and cortisol is released into the bloodstream to further energise the body.

18
Q

How does the exhaustion stage work?

A

If the stressor is not dealt with and stress continues, the organism will enter a stage of exhaustion.

19
Q

What are some examples of approach strategies for stress?

A
  • I try to find out more information.
  • I consider several alternatives for handling it.
  • I try to think about it in a more positive way.
20
Q

What are some examples for avoidance strategies of stress?

A
  • I stop trying.
  • I pretend it isn’t real or doesn’t exist.
  • I change the subject.
21
Q

What are the two different types of coping strategies?

A

Problem-focused coping strategies and emotion-focused coping strategies.

22
Q

What are some problem focused strategies?

A

Time management, assertiveness training and relaxation or meditation.

23
Q

What are some emotion focused coping strategies?

A

Journaling, reframing, positive thinking.