Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is stress?
Nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it;
the arousal, both physical and mental, to situation or events that we perceive as threatening or challenging
What is a stressor?
Trigger or stimulus that prompts a stressful reaction
What is eustress?
Pleasant, desirable stress
What are the major sources of stress?
- Life changes
- chronic stressors
- hassles
- frustrations
- conflicts
What are life changes?
- Cross cultural
- Social readjustment rating scale
Define chronic stressors
–Ongoing arousal in which the parasympathetic system cannot activate the relaxation response
–War, bad marriage, poverty, ill health, intolerable political climate, bad season for the Steelers
–Constant state of perceived threat
What are Hassles?
–Small problems of daily living that accumulate
–Significant major life events sometimes create more hassles
What is frustration?
–Unpleasant tension, anxiety, and heightened sympathetic activity resulting from a blocked goal
–The more motivated we are, the more frustration we experience when our goals are blocked
What is conflict?
Anytime you have opposing or incompatible actions, objections, or ideas
What are the effects of stress?
Sympathetic part of autonomic nervous system is activated - Heart rate increases, blood pressure increases, respiration quickens, muscles tense
What is the general adaption function?
–Three stage alarm system - Alarm, resistance, exhaustion
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Sympatho-adreno-medullary (SAM) & Hypothalamic pituitary Adrenocortical
controls reactions to stress and regulates many body processes, including digestion, the immune system, mood and emotions, sexuality, and energy storage and expenditure.
Hypothalamic pituitary Adrenocortical Axis
Stress sets off neurons in the hypothalamus to release a hormone known as corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH is then transported to the pituitary gland (another part of the brain) which then secretes another hormone, adrenocorticotropic
•How does stress affect our immune system?
–Increased cortisol levels initially help us fight stressors, but if these levels stay high, our immune system is suppressed
–We become susceptible to disease
•How does stress affect cognitive functioning?
Cortisol can prevent the retrieval of existing memories as well as laying down new
Define effects of cancer
–Cells rapidly divide and form a tumor
–Usually the immunes system checks the uncontrolled growth and attacks abnormal cells
–Stress causes adrenal glands to release hormones that suppress immunes system
What are effects of heart disease from stress?
Stress causes release of epinephrine and cortisol which increases heart rate and release fat and glucose to give muscles quick availability
What is Health Psychology?
Study of how biological, psychological, and social factors interact in health in illness
What is coping?
an attempt to manage stress in some effective way
How do we appraise events?
•Primary appraisal – deciding if a situation is harmful, threatening, or challenging
•Secondary appraisal – assessing our resources and choosing a coping method (emotion or problem focused)
–Emotion focused coping – managing one’s emotional reactions to a stressful situation
–Problem solving coping – dealing directly with a stressor to decrease or eliminate it
What are the best resources for stress management?
–Health and exercise
•Minimizes anxiety and depression, relieves muscle tension, improves cardio function
–Positive beliefs
•Hope and positive self-image reduces anxiety
–Social Skills
•Anxiety is lessened by knowing how to communicate our needs and desires and decrease hostility in tense situations
–Social Support
•Help take care of our health, make us feel important, provide stability to offset changes in our lives
–Control
