WEEK 3: MANAGEMENT OF STRESS Flashcards
What is stress?
“stress is the psychophysiological homeostatic imbalance that arises when there is an actual and/or perceived demand- capability mismatch between the individual and his/her environment”
Non specific response of the body to any demand) 4
Describe the 2 types of stress
*Eustress (positive stress)- helps
you achieve
*Distress(negative stress)
Describe the Yerkes Dodson curve.
Increased arousal result in increased attention and interest hence good performance, at optimal arousal, there is optimal performance, from there follows higher arousal which would result in poor performance because of high anxiety.
Define the following terms
*Stressor
*Stress response
STRESSORS.. Anything causing release of stress hormones. Can be internal /external
STRESS RESPONSE/REACTION
COPING METHODS …how individual manages/ reacts to stressor
Describe the emotional and mental stress and how people respond to them
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL STRESS
Relationship problems
Money
Work
Exams
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness
RESPONSES
WORRY
Jealousy
Fear
Anger
Depression etc
Describe the physical and environmental stress and how people react to them
Strenuous physical labor
Extreme temperature changes
Over-exercising
SOME RESPONSES
Aches
Poor Posture
Dehydration
Stress is individualized and subjective
Outline factors that influence the perception of stress
1) Individuals genotype
2) Upbringing
3) Personality
4) Environment
5) Circadian Rhythm fluctuation
What is the general adaptation syndrome?
the sequence of physical responses to stress that occurs in a consistent pattern and is triggered by the effort to adapt to any stressor
Describe the alarm phase
Sympathetic nervous system
Catecholamines - adrenaline, noradrenaline- released from adrenal medulla.
“Fright, fight or flight”
What happens when SNS is activated?
secretion of catecholamines
increased blood pressure
enhanced muscle tension
raised blood sugar
Describe the resistance phase
involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system
*b endorphin - relieves pain
*ACTH - results in release of cortisol to release energy stores and fight inflammation
Cortisol from adrenal
Growth hormone from pituitary
TSH- hyperglycemic effect –energy for cells to cope with stress
What happens in exhaustion phase?
Stress related illnesses occur.
Physiological changes
Adrenal cortex enlarges and hyper secretes.
Thymus, spleen, lymph nodes decrease or atrophy.
Ulcers in GIT
What can you do when stressed, broad changesone can make?
Change ones environment/lifestyle.
Change ones perception style.
Change biological response to stress
Describe the adaptive coping mechanism
active: problem-solving, reaching out for support
accommodative: changing our expectations to better fit the situation (there’s more on that in the post Is it Better to Have High or Low Expectations?)
emotional: regulating stress-related emotions
behavioral: taking actions to reduce stress, such as using breathing techniques
cognitive: changing the way we think about the stressor
Describe the maladaptive coping mechanism
substance use
rumination
physical escape (although deliberate removal from a situation may also be adaptive)
mental escape, e.g. through dissociation, numbing, or excessive daydreaming; however, dissociation can also serve an important survival function in the midst of traumatic events
procrastination
self-injury
binge eating
risk-taking behaviour
blame, self-blame, and self-criticism
safety behaviours (behaviours that temporarily relieve anxiety, but actually reinforce the perception that the stressor is a threat)
avoidance
