4A - Internal And External Stressors Flashcards
Stressor
Any event that causes stress or is perceived as a threat and a challenge to our ability to cope
Psychological Stress Responses
- Relates to how we think and feel about a stressor
- Response is subjective
Physiological Stress Responses
- How our body responds
- Such as - increased heart rate, increased muscle tension etc
Types Of Stressors
Internal - originate inside the individual
External - originate outside the individual
Internal Stressors
Psychological-
- expectations
- feelings
- mindset
Biological-
- pain
- illness
- sleep deprivation
External Stressors
Environmental-
- loud noises
- extreme temperatures
Sociocultural-
- daily hassles
- life events
- loss of significant other
- catastrophes
Acute Stress
- sudden or short term
- more intense or severe
- can be beneficial and help with deal with challenges
- e.g - sitting an exam, starting a job, giving a speech etc
Can be beneficial because it can help us deal more effectively with the challenge BUT this type of stress can also be more intense e.g life-threatening event
Chronic Stress
- ongoing, prolonged or long term
- less intense or severe
- generally, more detrimental for health
- e.g - isolation, relationship problems, bullying etc
Tends to be worse for your body because it can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, etc
Fight-Flight-Freeze Response
- Acute stress involves physiological changes that occur very rapidly and without our awareness
- Adaptive response in that it minimises possible harm and enables us to deal with the stressor most effectively by instinctively adopting one of three responses
Fight Or Flight
- sympathetic nervous system is dominant
- can involve aggressive responses or fleeing the situation
E.g - confronting an attacker or running away from them
Freeze
- parasympathetic nervous system is dominant
- used when fleeing a situation or aggressive responses are likely to be ineffective
E.g - hiding from an attacker and being as quiet as possible
Role Of Cortisol
Cortisol - a hormone that is released in times of stress to aid the body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal
- Cortisol predominately benefits us in times of prolonged stress
- BUT, high levels of cortisol in our bloodstream for prolonged periods can be detrimental
- Cortisol suppresses the immune system, making us us more susceptible to colds and contagious illnesses
Role Of Cortisol Examples (Not In Real Life)
- heightened alertness
- increased energy
- increased ability to repair issue
- increased glucose for brain and body
- diversion of energy from non-essential functions
