Stress

Question 1

Eustress

Answer 1

Positive stress - provides us with motivation or energy to tackle an obstacle

Question 2

Distress

Answer 2

Negative stress - stress can be harmful especially is it continues for too long and makes us feel overwhelmed

Question 3

Fight-or-flight

Answer 3

Our bodies get ready to fight or to run away in response to stress - it gets us ready for action

Question 4

Acute stress

Answer 4

Short lived , our bodies usually return to a normal state fairly quickly

Question 5

Chronic stress

Answer 5

Stress that just doesn’t stop - depletes the resources of the body

Question 6

Stress

Answer 6

physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.
A persons response to a stressor, which is an event that provokes some sort of a reaction

Question 7

Factors that determine how people cope with stress

Answer 7

 Factors to do with the person
 Availability of social support
 Nature of the change

Question 8

Factors to do with the person

Answer 8

 Feeling in control – if we feel we can influence events - don’t feel helpless, less stressful. Sense of control reduces the threat of a situation. *reinterpret events, telling self as we do so that an event doesn’t mean anything. Having structured and organized life helps one feel in control.
 Our inner resources – health, fitness, ability to manage, understand and thing about feeling (internalized container), confidence, self esteem

Question 9

Availability of social support

Answer 9

 Types of support - tangible and practical support (can help share load), informational support (can provide info about options), network/community support (pull together to provide help) and emotional support (help deal with and think through feelings, male feel valued & boost self esteem & makes feel secured)
 Attachment and its importance in sustaining esteem – helps to feel secure and in control. Close supportive relationship – protective factor. When we form an attachment – provides us with security and safety.
 Containment – may need a container – allows space to think and can think more clearly and feel more secure

Question 10

Nature of the change

Answer 10

• speed at which change occurs - time to prep
• size and complexity of change - does it demand a lot
• importance of the change - will it affect life greatly
• whether new state has any meaningful connection wihwith previous state - will we have any experience with new state

Question 11

Cycle of adjustment

Answer 11

1) preparation - adequate prep = crucial to get ready for change or event. Anticipation can lead to anxiety (due to fears). Acknowledge feelings whether or not they appear socially acceptable.
2) encounter - actually begin to face change or event. Enter fight or flight response. Expectations affirmed or wrong. May feel anxious or helpless. Support is crucial at this point.
3) adjustment - adjust to new environment and learn new social rules of situation - come to know what is expected of you. Bad = feel like a misfit. Can grieve things they miss.
4) stabilization - things gone well = will know what is expected of you and perform adequately. Things will settle. Return to previous degree of functioning. Thing gone bad = feel like a failure, helpless, incapable

Question 12

Stressors

Answer 12

Individual stressors
Family stressors
Work stressors
Socio-cultural stressors

Question 13

Individual stressors

Answer 13

Individual factors and personality characteristics .
Ie. Men are more susceptible to develop callous feelings about coworkers and hence are more likely to experience work stress.
Or
Person who has high expectations in terms of academics will stress a lot about exams

Question 14

Family stressors

Answer 14

Family is a complex social system and stress in one family member is likely to affect other family members and the functioning of the family as a unit
Family support can also be a social buffer against stresses of daily life and can positively affect coping

Question 15

Work stressors

Answer 15

Work factors - workload, boss relationship, coworker relationship, type of work etc.

Question 16

Socio-cultural stressors

Answer 16

Affect on “context” - ie during apartheid being of colour was a stressor because you were discriminated against.

Question 17

Burnout

Answer 17

A syndrome of Emotional exhaustion, depersonalizations and reduced personal accomplishment

Question 18

Symptoms of burnout

Answer 18

Chronic fatigue
Increased susceptibility to illness and infection
Frequent headaches
Shortness of breath
Backaches
Stomach aches, gastro disturbances
Insomnia

Question 19

Effects of burnout

Answer 19

Emotional exhaustion - unable to give of themselves to others , detach self psychologically, emotionally distance self
Depersonalisation - develop cynical opinion of other people , expecting the worst of them and even disliking them. Eventually feel so guilty about this that they start to dislike themselves.
Reduced sense of personal accomplishment - develop sense of failure and inadequacy as they cannot relate to clients anymore , self esteem drops, depression can occur

Question 20

Strategies for managing stress and burnout

Answer 20

Individual interventions
Family interventions
Work interventions
Social interventions

Question 21

Individual interventions

Answer 21

• cognitive dimension - cognitive restructuring, systematic desensitization, thought-stopping, reframing, problem solving, reading, studying, going to seminars and workshops
• emotional dimension -