Stress and Illness Flashcards
what is stress?
Stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure
what is a stressor?
The threat, event or change is commonly called a ‘stressor’
How do we respond to stress?
- Physical response:
Best-known acute stress response ‘fight or flight’
- Release of stress hormones > helps concentration and ability to react
- BP and heart rate increase > immune system and memory are sharper
what happens when your body is constantly facing stress?
By priming your body for action, you are better prepared to perform under pressure.
When short-term stress is over, your body goes back to normal.
However… if the stressor remains, if you repeatedly face stress and your body is constantly producing higher levels of hormones, it doesn’t have time to recover
what determines how stressful a stressor will become?
How an individual thinks about a stressor and interprets it determines, at least in part, how stressful that stressor will become
what are appraisals?
Appraisals of potential stressors are often influenced by controllability and predictability. More stressful when they are considered uncontrollable and unpredictable
what is a primary appraisal?
Primary appraisal - involves estimating the severity of a stressor and classifying it as either a threat or a challenge.
what is a secondary appraisal?
Secondary appraisal - assessing a threat, and estimating the resources available for coping with the stressor.
what is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
what is the ABC of CBT?
A- activating event
B- beliefs
C- consequences
What are unhelpful thinking habits?
- mental filter
- judgements
- mind reading
- emotional reasoning
- prediction
- exaggerating negative and minimizing positives
- comparing and despair
- catastrophising
- critical self
- black and white thinking
- should and musts
- memories
