What is Stress? Lesson 5 November 8th, 2010

Life changes of teenagers survey for the last 12 months Add up the points for changes that have occurred in the last 12 months Life Event Life Change points Getting Married 101 Being pregnant and unmarried 92 Experiencing the death of a parent 87 Acquiring a visible deformity 81 Going through a parent’s divorce 77 Becoming an unmarried father Becoming involved with drugs or alcohol 76 Having a parent go to jail for a year or more 75

Life Event Life Change points Going through a parents’ separation 69 Experiencing the death of a brother or sister 68 Experiencing a change in acceptance by peers 67 Having an unmarried pregnant teenage sister 64 Discovering you are an adopted child Having a parent remarry 63 Experiencing the death of a close friend 62 Having a visible congenital deformity Having a serious illness requiring hospitalization 58 Moving to a new school district 56 Failing a grade in school Not making an extra curricular activity 55 Experiencing the serious illness of a parent Breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend 53 Having a parent go to jail for 30 or fewer days

Life Event Life Change points Beginning to date 51 Being suspended from school 50 Having a newborn brother or sister Having more arguments with parents 47 Having an outstanding personal achievement 46 Seeing an increase in the # of arguments between parents Having parents lose his or her job Experiencing a change in parents financial situation 45 Being accepted at the college of your choice 43 Being a senior in High school Experiencing the serious illness of a brother or sister 41 Experiencing increased absence from home of mother or father owing to change in occupation 38 Experiencing the death of a grandparent 36 Having a third adult added to the family 34

Life Event Life Change points Becoming a full-fledge member of a religion 31 Seeing a decreasing in the number of arguments between parents 27 Having fewer arguments with parents 26 Having a mother who begins toe work outside the home

150 or less very little change 150 – 300 moderate change 300 + large change Changes good or bad can lead to stress in your life

What is Stress? Everyone experiences stress. The key is learning how to manage stress so that it doesn’t make you miserable or sick

How does stress develop? A new or unpleasant situation is presented to you This is known as a stressor The stressor may potentially cause a stress response The bodies reaction to a stressor Sweating increased heart rate, anxiety. When a stressor causes a stress response stress occurs. Stress The combination of a stressor and a stress response.

Stressors Stressors can occur in all areas of life Family life – parents or guardians fighting, divorce, siblings, School – becoming part of a social group, trying out for a team, tests and assignments, teachers pressuring you, fear of looking bad in front of other students. Stress can even come from not being able to get somewhere fast enough or simple situations in life If allowed to, the little stressors in life can add up.

Positive situations can also be stressful. Getting married Joining a high level sports team Getting into College or University Getting the dream job Why would these situations be stressful when they are good things

Stress is needed in life Stress motivates people to confront challenges, and accomplish things Ideal balance Being able to deal with stressors effectively without being overwhelmed.

The Stress Response Occurs due to a relationship between your brain and the rest of the body. Your brain senses a stressor and evaluates it No threat – no bodily response Threat - causes the following physical responses

physical responses More blood goes to the brain Heart beats faster and stronger Blood pressure increases Hearing improves

physical responses More blood goes to limbs Pupils open wider to allow more light in Adrenal glands secrete adrenaline

physical responses Mouth gets drier Breathing speeds up Sweating increases Muscles tense up

physical responses Why does this stress response occur? The changes are done to prepare the body to protect itself by either running or fighting. The increase in blood allows you to think faster The extra blood and oxygen increases the muscles ability to move quickly

physical responses When the above changes occur, other bodily functions may need to stop occurring Digestion – acts in an abnormal manner which could lead to Diarrhoea, constipation Less saliva production

physical responses These responses are to prepare you for a physical threat The body responds in the same manner for a nonphysical threat. Because you do not release the stress like you would in a physical threat by either running or fighting you can become physically ill.

The science of stress video

Stress can make you sick It is estimated that 60-80% of all physical and mental disorders are related to stress Not are caused by stress – but many are made worse by it When placed under stress for long periods of time, the immune system suffers which makes you more prone to sickness

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress Colds and Flu Due to weakened immune system Easier for germs and viruses to attack the body Takes longer for the body to recover from sickness Tension Headaches Caused by muscles in the head to tensing up which can lead to headaches

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress Backache Tension in back muscles can result in back pain TMJ Syndrome (Temporomadibular joint) The joint that connects the upper and lower jaw can cause problems with headaches, dental problems and pain in the joint This is due to clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth when stressed

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress Coronary Heart Disease Prolonged stress can lead to changes in your body that can lead to heart attack Increased cholesterol in blood stream Clogs arteries

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress High Blood Pressure The stress response increases blood pressure Increased blood pressure over extended periods of time can lead to ruptures in blood vessels in the brain (Stroke) Strokes can result in loss of speech, bodily movement and even death

High Blood Pressure video

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress Chronic Fatigue Prolonged stress can lead to feeling tired all of the time This is different than being tired from exercise This is a long-term loss of energy

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress Depression Prolonged stress can lead to burnout or exhaustion Depression is an advanced stage of burnout Prolonged stress can also lead to other injuries Unable to concentrate on high attention tasks such as driving a car.

Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress

Questions Define Stress C (1) A) Describe a situation when you could recall your body responding to a stressful situation. C (1) B) Was the threat physical or nonphysical? A (1) C) Did your body’s response benefit you in this situation or did cause more problems? A (1) 3. Name at least 4 disorders that are caused by stress or made worse by stress C (1) 4. Many businesses offer stress-management programs to their employees. How could a stress-management program increase a company’s profits? A (2)