Chapter 3 Flashcards
nervous tension
Uncomfortable response to a negative event
Stress
general physical and emotional state that accompanies the stress response (can appear in both positive and negative situations)
- learning to cope with stress is a type of resilience
stressor
any physical or psychological event or condition that produces stress
stress response
physical or emotional changes associated with stress
What are the two body systems that control stress response
- nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves)
2. endocrine system (glands, tissues and cell management through hormones)
what is the nervous system composed of? What are the 2 types of controls
- voluntary control (ie. moving your arm)
2. involuntary control (ie. breathing)
autonomic nervous system
controls basic body processes; consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic division
- not under conscious supervision
parasympathetic division
moderates the excitatory effect of the sympathetic division, slowing metabolism and restoring energy supply
sympathetic division
reacts to danger or other challenges by almost instantly accelerating body processes by using norepinephrine
neopinephrine
neurotransmitter - released onto specific tissues to increase their function during increased activity - when released causes arousal in the brain
- commands body to mobilize energy where its needed
What triggers the endocrine system?
sympathetic division
endocrine system
glands, tissues and cells that secrete hormones into the bloodstream to influence metabolism and other body processes
hormones
chemical messengers produced in the body and transported in the bloodstream to target cells/organs for specific regulation of their activities
What happens to the body when cortisol and epinephrine are released?
- heart and respiration rate increase to speed O2 through the body
- hearing and vision become acuter
- liver releases sugar into the blood to boost energy
perspiration increases to cool skin - brain releases endorphins
cortisol
a steroid hormone secreted by the cortex (outer) of the adrenal gland (“hydrocortisone)
epinephrine
a hormone secreted by the medulla (inner) of the adrenal gland that affects the functioning organs involved in responding to a stressor (“adrenaline”)
endorphins
brain secretions that have pain-inhibiting effects
flight or fight reaction
- sir Walter canon
defence reaction that prepares an individual for conflict by triggering hormonal, cardiovascular, metabolic and other changes
homeostasis
state of stability and consistency in an individual’s physiological functioning
what division or system helps to calm the body down? (i.e.. back to homeostasis)
parasympathetic division
emotional and behavioural responses to stressors - what 2 things influence the magnitude if the stressor? if a person feels like they cant cope what happens?
- successful prediction and perception of control are 2 factors that can reduce the magnitude of the stressor
- everyone’s perception/reaction to stressors differ
- if an individual perceives a situation as exceeding their ability to cope, the results can be negative emotion/response (vice versa)
Common emotional responses to stressors
- anxiety
- depression
- fear
(partly determined by inborn personality or temperament)
effective behavioural responses to stressors
- talking
- laughing
- exercising
- meditating
- becoming more assertive
(we have control over this)
ineffective behavioural responses to stressors
- overeating
- expressing hostility
- tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use
(we have control over this)
somatic nervous system
branch of the peripheral nervous system that governs motor functions and sensory information, largely under conscious control
personality
the sum of behavioural, cognitive and emotional tendencies (affects how a person perceives and reacts to a stressor)
what is resilience related to and what are the 3 types?`
- resilience is associated with emotional intelligence and violence prevention
1. non-reactive resilience: person doesn’t react to a stressor
2. homeostatic resilience: may react strongly but returns to baseline function quickly
3. positive-growth resilience: person learns and grows from stress experience
what are reactions to stress influenced by?
- family and cultural backgrounds
gender role
culturally expected pattern of behaviour and attitudes determined by a person’s sex
what are some basic stress management strategies?
- meaningful relationships = social support
- productive contributions to family and community
- building life skills (ie. decision making, and communication skills)
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- coined by Hans Seyle in 1930s
- pattern of stress responses consisting of 3 stages; alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
GAS: Alarm
- first stage
- a sequence of events brought by the flight or fight reaction
- body is more susceptible to illness or injury (geared up to deal with a crisis)
- symptoms; a headache, indigestion, anxiety, disruptive eating and sleeping patterns
GAS: Resistence
- the body develops a new level of homeostasis that is more resistant to disease and injury
- people can cope with normal life and added stress
GAS: Exhaustion
- general exhaustion kicks in
- life-threatening physiological state
Allostatic Load and what is it dependant on?
long-term negative impact of the stress response on the body
- more likely to get sick
- dependant on; genetics, life experiences, emotional and behavioural responses to stressors
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
the study of interaction among the nervous, endocrine and immune systems
- stress through the actions of the nervous and endocrine system impair the immune system
Common sources of stress
- major life changes (divorce)
- daily hassles
- postsecondary stressors (academic, interpersonal, financial)
- Job-related stressors (money)
- social stressors
- environmental stressors
- internal stressors
burnout
state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion
Steps to manage stress
- increase social support
- improve communication skills
- develop healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits
- learn to identify and moderate individual stressors
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
portion of the sleep cycle which dreaming occurs
non rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep
involves deep sleep; non-REM sleep includes 4 stages of successively deeper sleep
sleep deprivation
a lack of sleep over time
insomnia
sleep problem involving the inability to fall asleep
- most common life style factors are high caffeine and alcohol intake before bed
sleep apnea
interruption of normal breathing during sleep
What “factors” can add to add to our stress level
ideas, beliefs, perceptions and patterns
insomnia syndrome
experiencing insomnia for at least 3 nights/week for minimum of 1 month and experiencing associated impairment or distress
what are some cognitive techniques for reducing stressing
- think and act constructively (think ahead and try to make it a positive experience)
- take control (concentrate on what is possible to control and do it )
- problem solving ( leads to more motivation, lower stress levels, and higher grades)
- modify expectations (lower exceptions = happier and less tress)
- stay positive
- sense of humour ( best medicine = relaxed after)
- focus on what’s important
relaxation technique
physiological state characterized by a feeling of warmth and quiet mental alertness (brain waves shift from beta to ALPHA rhythm)
relaxation technique
- progressive relaxation (deep muscle relaxation)
- visualization (imagery): daydreaming w/o guilt
- meditation
- tai chi
- yoga (Hatha practiced in Canada)
- deep breathing
- listening to music
- biofeedback
visualization
technique for promoting relaxation or improving performance that involves creating or re-creating vivid mental pictures of a place or an experience
meditation
technique for quieting the brain by focusing on a particular word or object or processes (breathing)
biofeedback
technique in which monitoring devices help a person become conscious of unconscious body processes (i.e. body temp, blood pressure) to exert some control over them
What are some counterproductive coping strategies
- tobacco use
- alcohol and drug use:
1. caffeine: increases cortisol levels and blood pressure, and can make you feel more stressed and disrupt sleep
2. Marijuana: able to raise stress and doesn’t induce relaxation
3. Opioids (morphine & heroin): mimic painkillers-very addictive - unhealthy habits
Creating a personal plan for managing stress
- identify stressors (keep track in a journal)
- design the plan (stress reduction technique)
- get help
what are some health problems related to stress
- CVD
- colds & other infections
- asthma/allergies
- cancer
- flare up of chronic diseases
- psychological problems
- digestive problems
- headaches
- insomnia
injuries
criticism of GAS
- assigns a limited roles to psychological factors - we know personality is a factor
- also suggests that people responds the same to stress
(cornerstone of the field of stress)
mindfulness video
- no longer present in the world bc we are so distracted
- 47% of the time our minds are lost in thought (potentially unhappy)
- meditation is learning how to be more mindful and be in the present moment
(balaneced, focused relaxation)
managing stress video
- take deep breaths when stressed
- survival technique
- physical reaction
- get exercise, talk to people, laugh and be in tune with nature
physical responses to stressors: how it happens - the process that includes from when the brain detects a threat… (hint 2 things happen at the same time)
- brain detects a threat: Neurochemical message sent to HYPOTHALAMUS which releases chemicals to PITUITARY GLAND which releases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into bloodstream
- ACTH reaches ADRENAL GLANDS which release CORTISOL and other key hormones into the bloodstream
AT THE SAME TIME:
Sympathetic nerves instruct ADRENAL GLANDS to release the hormone EPINEPHRINE (adrenaline) which triggers several bodily changes
(IE. increased heart rate and acute vision)
tend-and-befriend
- may depend on underlying biological mechanism(oxytocin - stress hormone)
- instead of flighting we bring people in and protective group (nurture) - common in women
The new science of stress video
- tracked 30000 in the USA for 8 years
- 43% increased risk dying for the people who believed the stress was bad for you
- stress makes you social: oxytocin (motivates you to seek support and talk to others) it can impact your cardiovascular area and repair damaged cells that were impacted by stress
