Unit 2 Flashcards
Chapters 5-7 and 9-10 (141 cards)
stress
a perception that environmental demands overwhelm one’s personal resources available to deal with them
how to respond constructively to stress:
- changing perceptions
- reducing, reframing, or renegotiation demands
- increasing personal resources to meet demands
- deploying personal resources more effectively
characteristics of stressful events
- uncontrollable
- unpredictable
- change/challenge capabilities or self concepts
the body’s response to stress
- must turn on, then turn off the stress response
- active sympathetic nervous system, then activate the parasympathetic nervous system to restore homeostasis
- problems if homeostatic balance is not properly restored or stress response stays active long term
Hans Seyle General Adaptation Syndrome
- series of physiological changes in response to stressful events
- alarm stage: initial symptoms the body experiences when under stress (fight-or-flight)
- resistance stage: body enters recovery phase but is still on high alert for a period of time
- exhaustion stage: result of prolonged or chronic stress; signs included fatigue, burnout, depression, anxiety, decreased stress tolerance
gender differences with stress
- “authoritarian control” originally identified, male subjects used (fight-or-flight)
- “tend and befriend” response often characteristic of females; theory that humans rely on taking care of young ones and connecting with others during stressful situations
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway
hypothalamus –> pituitary gland –> secretion of ACTH –> adrenal cortex –> corticosteroids
what happens in the brain in the face of stress?
- sensory input (see, hear, etc)
- amygdala: threat detected
- activated hypothalamus
- initiates the “fight-or-flight” response
sympathetic nervous system pathway response to stress
- nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that quicken the heartbeat and produce other changes experienced as arousal
- nerves can stimulate the body directly or indirectly, by stimulating the adrenal glands to release epinephrine and norepinephrine
emotional brain response to stress
- sensory information goes to the thalamus
- immediate response initiated via the fast path (thalamus to amygdala to response)
- longer pathway activates follow-up response (thalamus to visual cortex to amygdala to response)
DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing PTSD
- post traumatic stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal event
- the person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which they experienced, witnessed, or were confronted with an event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others
symptom categories of PTSD
- re-experiencing the trauma
- avoidance of things relating to the trauma
- reduced responsiveness (detached, dissociation, derealization)
- increased arousal, negative emotions, and reactivity
prevalence of PTSD
- 61% or men and 51% of women experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime
- about 4% of the population, aged 18-54 will experience symptoms of PTSD in a given year (5.2 million people)
- lifetime rates: 10% for women and 5% for men
history of PTSD
- Da Costa’s Syndrome/Soldier’s Heart
- Combat Fatigue/War Neuroses
- Myers’ ‘Shell Shock’
- Freud’s Hysteria
- Rape trauma syndrome
- Battered woman syndrome
- DSM-III Ptsd
- acute stress disorder: symptoms begin soon and last less than a month
- PTSD: onset and duration of symptoms variable
additional problems of PTSD
- attention and memory issues
- functional impairment (occupational conflicts, aggression, divorce, legal altercations, difficulties parenting)
course of PTSD
- onset: within 3 months or not until years later
- duration: varies, some people recover within 6 months while others suffer much longer
- pattern: periods of acute symptoms followed by remissions, some experience severe and unremitting symptoms, variable
associated comorbid disorders with PTSD
- major depressive episodes
- alcohol/drug abuse/addiction/dependence
- simple and social phobias (more in women)
- conduct disorders (more in men)
- in children: anxiety disorders and acting-out
PTSD symptoms in children
- generalized fears
- sleep disturbances
- posttraumatic play and reenactment
- lose an acquired developmental skill
- omen formation
post-trauma variables for PTSD
- rate of physical recovery
- social support
- involvement in work and social activities
pre-trauma variables for PTSD
- poor coping skills
- pre-existing mental-health problems
- poor social support
trauma-related variables for PTSD
- amount of physical injury
- potential life-threat
- loss of significant others
treatment for PTSD
- varies depending on type of trauma
- general clinical goals: end lingering stress reactions, gain perspective on painful experiences, and return to constructive living
process goals for PTSD treatment
- exposing the client to what they fear in order to extinguish that fear
- challenging distorted cognitions
- helping reduce stress in daily lives
- improving coping capacity
biological and genetics variables for PTSD
- abnormal levels of cortisol and norepinephrine
- system remains unstable, triggering symptoms, possible brain damage
- vulnerability may be passed on genetically