stress Flashcards
what is stress
Stress is a state of physiological (biological) and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressor that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope.
what are the types of stress
Internal stressors: originate within the individual
EG: Personal problems, physical pain
External stressors: originate outside the individual from situations and events in the environment
EG: too much homework, being nagged by parents
what is acute stress
Short period of time
Body bounces back
Positives and negatives
Release of adrenaline, completion of task
Enhance problem solving ability and physical performance
BUT
Increased blood pressure
Can reduce motivation
what is chronic stress
Continues over a prolonged period of time
Can have negative physiological and psychological impacts
Social isolation
Long lasting health issues
Unsafe environment
Bullying
can be cumulative
What is the fight flight freeze response to stress
All three evolved as part of survival mechanism
fight — confronting and fighting off the threat
flight — escaping by running away to safety
freeze — keeping absolutely still and silent, avoiding detection
Fight-flight-freeze response – involuntary biological physical response to a sudden and immediate threat
It is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system
Explain the Lazarus and Folkman model of stress
A psychological process used to describe and explain individual differences in how people respond to stress
Primary appraisal
-benign positive
-irrelevant
-Stressful - harm/loss, challenge, threat
Secondary appraisal: can I cope with the threat?
-Approach
-avoidant
what parts of the brain are activated in stress
threats are detected by the amygdala then sent to the hypothalamus for processing
List positives and negatives to cortisol
+ Suppresses unneeded bodily functions (including the immune system)
+ energises the body by increasing energy supplies such as blood sugar and enhancing metabolism.
- Physical health problems; digestive problems, weight gain
- Makes the body vulnerable to disease & sickness due to long term impaired immune system functioning
What are the stages of General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)
- Alarm reaction
- shock
- counter shock
- resistance
- exhaustion
Define the Gut Brain Axis (GBA) with examples
The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication link between the CNS and the enteric nervous system via the vagus nerve
Ex 1. feeling sick in the stomach when stressed - the brain affecting the gut. Ex 2. an upset stomach affecting our psychological functioning - the gut affecting the brain
how does adrenaline get released
After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream.\
what is microbiota
Gut microbiota contributes to good gut health.
Important characteristics include diversity
Examples of keeping gut healthy is eating healthily and having good mental health.
Examples of having unhealthy gut is eating bad food and having bad mental health
What is the difference between cortisol and adrenaline
Cortisol: takes a while to activate, and lasts for longer.
Adrenaline: activates very quickly, only lasts for a short period of time
