Managing Stress Flashcards
3 types of way with copying with stress
Drug therapies, biofeedback and stress inoculation therapy
Types of drug therapies
Benzodiazepines and beta blockers
Benzodiazepines
Most common types Librium and Valium
- enhance the neurotransmitter GABA which has quieting effect on the brain neurons
- benzodiazepines react with GABA sites
- opens channels allowing ca2+ ions to enter neurone
- ca2+ makes neuron less responsive to other NT that would excite the neurone
- allows individual to feel calmer and less anxious
Beta blockers
- Reduced over activity in the sympathetic division of the ANS
- reduce heart rate and blood pressure in cardiovascular system
- beta blocker act on the sympathetic NS
- reduce activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline = key agents in the sympathomedullary response
- bind to receptors on the heart and blood vessels
- receptors are not stimulated and noradrenaline and adrenaline has no effect in increasing heart rate and blood pressure
- fight or flight response does not occur
Drug therapy research support
Kahn et al
- followed 250 patients over 8 weeks
- found BZs significantly superior to placebo
- meta analysis of studies focusing on the treatment of social anxiety found that BZs more effective at reducing anxiety than other drugs
Evaluation of drug therapies
Strengths
- using drugs to reduce stress takes very little effort or time for the user
- much easier than stress inoculation therapy eg require a lot of effort, time, motivation for patients
- reduces heart rate and blood pressure rapidly showing they have a life saving effect in people with life threatening hypertension
Weaknesses
Addiction
- lead to physical dependency even in low doses of BZ show marked withdrawal symptoms when stop taking them eg problem sleeping
- recommission only used for short period of time
Side effects
- eg tiredness and increased aggressiveness
- fully informed consent gained before prescription as bbs not intersecting with brain activity there are no serve side effects
Treating symptoms not cause
What is stress inoculation therapy form of
CBT
What did meichenbaum suggest about SIT
- ppl should develop a form of coping before the problem arises and inoculate themselves against the disease of stress
Main assumptions of SIT
- people experience stress because of the way the negatively internet situations and this has an effect on negative thoughts
- SIT poeple learn technique to cope with present and future stress
- aim to change clients emotional and behavioural response before they become anxious
3 stage process of SIT
Conceptualisation
- client identify stressors their unusual response and the success of these responses
- challenge some of these client interpretations
Skill acquisition and rehearsal
- develop and practise coping skills to be used in stressful situations
- tailored to the client and both cognitive and behavioural
Application and follow through
- apply newly acquired skills to increasingly difficult situations in the real world
- may use imagery, modelling and role playing
- the therapist may provide support and further training when necessary as this is an ongoing therapy process
Evaluation of SIT
Strengths
- Deal with stressor directly = teaching ppl how to identify stress and Devon effective techniques
- also provide a patient with a tool that can be used in the future
- individual needs and that can be properly tailored to the person
Weaknesses
- time consuming and not easy Which requires a skilled practitioner making it expensive and lots of commitment from ptp so may not be for everyone
unsuitable for certain member
- requires certain level of intelligence or education to enable client to effectively to communicate their problems and their perception to the analyst
What is biofeedback
- deals with bodies physiological response to stress
- indivial learns to exert voluntary control over involuntary behaviours being made aware of what is happening in ANS
4 stages of biofeedback
Relaxation
- client taught techniques on how to relax
- effect of reducing activity of sympathetic NS and parasympathetic NS
- adrenaline/noradrenaline no longer produced
- lower heart rate and blood pressure
Feedback
- client attached to machines eg EMG/EEG provides information about activity of ANS eg breathing pattern and heart rate
- client practise relaxation techniques whilst seeing feedback
- client aims to hear see a change in feedback and respond by relaxing
Operant conditioning
- relaxation techniques successfully decreases heart rate breathing rate
- acts as a reward for client and reinforces it = likely to repeat behaviour
Transfer
- learn skills for real life
Supporting evidence for biofeedback
Lemaire et al
- 40 staff physicians (23 men and 17 women) from various medical practises were recruited
- physicians in the intervention groups were instructed to use a biofeedback based stress management whereas those in control didn’t
- stress measured using scale developed to capture short term changes in global perception of stress for physicians
Found:
- mean stress score declined significantly for the intervention group but not for control groups
Conclusion
- demonstrated biofeedback based stress management tools may be simple and effective stress reduction strategies for physicians
Evaluation of biofeedback
Strength
Continued popularity
- popular for not only stress but migraines, asthma’s other dieses
- bradley - found ptp who underwent biofeedback has significantly fewer headaches than those who only practise relaxation techniques v suggest biofeedback might be superior to relaxation only
However
- reduction in symptoms might be due to a placebo effect ptps might think the methods is more effective because of the presence of sophisticated machines
Better than drug therapies
- Doesn’t just treat symptom but the problem as well
- non invasive and does not alter the body perman as drugs would do
- treat children cannot be treated with drugs or SIT as it would be more mentally challenging
Weaknesses
- requires effort from patient and requires a specialist
