Stress and Stress Management

Question 1

what is stress determined by?

Answer 1

determined by the balance between environment demands and an individual’s resources to meet demands

Question 2

what is a stressor?

Answer 2

any physical or psychological event or condition that produces stress

Question 3

what is a stress response?

Answer 3

physiological changes associated with stress

Question 4

what is stress?

Answer 4

the collective physiological and emotional response to any stimulus that disturbs homeostasis

Question 5

what are 3 types of stressors? give examples of each.

Answer 5

1. environmental
   - climate, noise, pollution
2. physiological
   - training, medication, injuries
3. emotional

Question 6

what are 3 categories of stress?

Answer 6

1. acute: short term, single event
2. episodic: series of events
3. chronic: long term, always present

Question 7

what is eustress?

Answer 7

• good stress

- sharp, aware, alert

Question 8

what is distress?

Answer 8

• bad stress

- fatigued, slow, lack of focus

Question 9

what is ambiguous distress?

Answer 9

• problem cannot be defined
• harder to come up with solutions
• develop avoidance behaviours

Question 10

who is Hans Selye?

Answer 10

• first to discuss the link between stress and disease

- proposed the general adaptation syndrome

Question 11

what are the 3 phases of the general adaption syndrome?

Answer 11

1. alarm
   - flight or flight reaction
   - hormones released
2. resistance
   - new homeostasis characterized by increased resistance to stress
   - improved ability to cope with stress
3. exhaustion
   - if stress persists, life-threatening physiological exhaustion occurs

Question 12

what are the 3 major responses to stress?

Answer 12

1. physical/physiological response
2. emotional response
3. behavioural response

Question 13

what is a physical/physiological response to stress?

Answer 13

fight or flight response

Question 14

what is an emotional response to stress?

Answer 14

anxiety, depression and fear

Question 15

what controls behavioral response to stress?

Answer 15

somatic nervous system; a branch of the peripheral nervous system that governs motor functions and sensory information

Question 16

what is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 16

branch of peripheral nervous system that controls basic body processes

Question 17

what is the sympathetic division?

Answer 17

division of autonomic nervous system that reacts to danger/challenge by accelerating body processes

Question 18

what is the parasympathetic division?

Answer 18

division of the autonomic nervous system that moderates excitatory effect of the sympathetic division

Question 19

what is the endocrine system?

Answer 19

• system of glands, tissues, and cells that secrete hormones into bloodstream
• influences metabolism and body processes

Question 20

what are 4 key chemical messengers during the stress response?

Answer 20

1. norepinephrine
2. epinephrine
3. cortisol
4. endorphin

Question 21

what is norepinephrine?

Answer 21

a neurotransmitter released by sympathetic division to increase body functions

Question 22

what is epinephrine?

Answer 22

hormone secreted by inner core of adrenal gland

Question 23

what is cortisol?

Answer 23

• steroid hormone secreted by outer layer of adrenal gland

- stimulates glucose release

Question 24

what is an endorphin?

Answer 24

brain secretions that have pain-inhibiting effects

Question 25

what are 3 effects of catecholamines?

Answer 25

1. increased heart rate 2. narrows blood vessels 3. increases sweat production

Question 26

what is pheochromocytoma?

Answer 26

- caused by prolonged catecholamine exposure - neuroendocrine tumor of medulla of adrenal glands - results in: hypertension, cardiac disease, vascular disease

Question 27

what occurs what the HPA axis is stimulated?

Answer 27

- increased secretion of corticotrophin releasing hormone - increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) - increased production of cortisol

Question 28

what are 3 cortisol acute effects?

Answer 28

1. respond to emotion 2. raise blood sugar 3. increase psychomotor activity

Question 29

what are 3 prolonged cortisol effects?

Answer 29

1. increased appetite 2. interferes with menstrual cycle 3. irritability

Question 30

what are HPA imbalances responsible for?

Answer 30

responsible for neurobiology of mood disorders and functional illnesses

Question 31

what is the function of antidepressants?

Answer 31

regulate HPA axis functions

Question 32

what are 3 symptoms of allostatic load?

Answer 32

1. headaches 2. irritable bowel syndrome 3. chronic fatigue/insomnia

Question 33

what are 2 symptoms are physical stress?

Answer 33

1. appetite change | 2. insomnia

Question 34

what are 2 symptoms of emotional stress?

Answer 34

1. mood swings | 2. crying spells

Question 35

what are 2 symptoms of mental stress?

Answer 35

1. forgetfulness | 2. poor concentration

Question 36

what are the 2 basic responses to problems?

Answer 36

1. emotional response | 2. cognitive response

Question 37

what is an emotional response to problems?

Answer 37

- primary instinct, not thinking before speaking | - risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Question 38

what is a cognitive response to problems?

Answer 38

- analyze, problem solve, gain control | - comes with experience/age

Question 39

what are 2 basic strategies for stress management?

Answer 39

1. emotion-focused coping | 2. problem-focused coping

Question 40

what are 3 emotion-focusing coping methods?

Answer 40

1. relaxation techniques (yoga) 2. positive self-talk 3. laughter

Question 41

what are the 5 sleep stages?

Answer 41

- stage 1: transition to sleep - stage 2: light sleep - stage 3 and 4: deep sleep - stage 5: REM sleep

Question 42

what occurs in the first stage of sleep?

Answer 42

transition to sleep | - occurs one per night for approx. 5 minutes

Question 43

what occurs in the second stage of sleep?

Answer 43

light sleep - plays a role in increasing alertness and critical for motor learning - half of our total sleep time

Question 44

what occurs in the third and fourth stage of sleep?

Answer 44

deep sleep - metabolism and cortisol decreases - growth-hormone released - important for rebuilding the body

Question 45

what occurs in the fifth stage of sleep? (8 points)

Answer 45

REM sleep - body temp falls - brain blood flow rises - neurons fire at highest rate - eyeballs dart from side to side - body is paralyzed - when vivid dreaming occurs - important for transferring short-term to long-term memory and creativity - 25% of total sleep