Module 21 Health, Stress & Coping

INTRODUCTION Stress Anxious or threatening feeling that comes when we interpret or appraise a situation as being more than our psychological resources can adequately handle study of how the mind and body interact

APPRAISAL Primary appraisals refers to our initial, subjective evaluation of a situation, in which we balance the demands of a potentially stressful situation against our ability to meet these demands Three different primary appraisals irrelevant: mostly nonstressful positive: mostly nonstressful because it makes you feel good stressful: overtaxes your emotional and psychological recourses

APPRAISAL (CONT.) Primary appraisals Harm/loss means that you have already sustained some damage or injury elicits negative emotions, such as fear, depression, fright, and anxiety feel stressed more stressful, the more overwhelming the situation will seem

APPRAISAL (CONT.) Primary appraisals Threat means that the harm/loss has not yet taken place but you know it will happen in the near future elicits negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and anger event or situation seems especially stressful

APPRAISAL (CONT.) Primary appraisals Challenge means that you have the potential for gain or personal growth need to mobilize your physical energy and psychological resources to meet the challenging situation elicits positive emotions, such as eagerness or excitement usually less stressful than harm/loss or a threat appraisal

APPRAISAL (CONT.) Appraisal and stress level Galvanic skin response measure of how much a person’s hand sweats due to physiological arousal and not to normal temperature changes

APPRAISAL (CONT.) Same situation, different appraisals people do not agree on which situations are stressful level of stress depends not only on the kind of situation but also on the kind of primary appraisal one makes

APPRAISAL

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES Fight-flight response directs great resources of energy to the muscles and the brain can be triggered by either physical stimuli that threaten our survival or psychological situations that are novel, threatening, or challenging involves numerous physiological responses that arouse and prepare the body for action fight or flight

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Sequence for activation of the fight-flight response appraisal physically or psychologically threatening stimuli can trigger the fight-flight response and negative emotional feelings fear, rage hypothalamus simultaneously activates two stress-related responses: it triggers the pituitary gland to release a stress fighting hormone called ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) activates the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Sequence for activation of the fight-flight response sympathetic division activated by hypothalamus triggers a number of physiological responses Parasympathetic division activated by the hypothalamus returns the body to a more relaxed, calm state

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Sequence for activation of the fight-flight response fight-flight response increases heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, secretion of excitatory hormones, and many other responses prepares body to deal with impending threat

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.)

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Psychosomatic symptoms real, sometimes painful, physical symptoms headaches, muscle pains, stomach problems, and increased susceptibility to colds and flu cause, by worry, stress, and anxiety psychosomatic is derived from: psyche meaning “mind” soma meaning “body”

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.)

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Development of symptoms Genetic predisposition most of us inherit a tendency that targets a particular organ or bodily system for weakening or breaking down heart, blood vessels, stomach lining, or immune system different individuals who are in similar stressful situations experience different kinds of psychosomatic symptoms Lifestyles smoking, being overweight, not exercising, or taking little time for relaxing

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Development of symptoms Threat appraisals some of us are more likely to appraise situations as threatening elicit negative emotions trigger fight-flight response psychosomatic symptoms poor lifestyles and too many threat appraisals can damage or break down body organs that may have already been weakened

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) General adaptation syndrome Alarm stage initial reaction to stress and is marked by activation of the fight-flight response causes physiological arousal Resistance stage the body’s reaction to continued stress during which most of the physiological responses return to normal levels but the body uses up great stores of energy

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) General adaptation syndrome Exhaustion stage the body’s reaction to long-term, continuous stress, marked by actual breakdown in internal organs or weakening of the infection-fighting immune system

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Mind-body connection refers to how your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions can produce physiological changes that may be either beneficial or detrimental to your health and well-being Mind-body therapy based on the finding that thoughts and emotions can change physiological and immune responses uses mental strategies, such as relaxation, meditation, and biofeedback

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.) Immune system body’s defense and surveillance network of cells and chemicals that fight off bacteria, viruses, and other foreign or toxic substances psychoneuroimmunology study of the relationship among three factors central nervous system endocrine system psychosocial factors

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (CONT.)

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES Kinds of stress Hassles small, irritating, frustrating events that we face daily and that we usually appraise or interpret as stressful experiences Uplifts small pleasurable, happy, and satisfying experiences that we have in our daily lives Major life events potentially disturbing, troubling, or disruptive situations, both positive and negative, that we appraise as having a significant impact on our lives

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.)

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Situational stress Frustration the awful feeling that results when your attempts to reach some goal are blocked Burnout refers to being physically overwhelmed and exhausted, finding the job unrewarding and becoming cynical or detached, and developing a strong sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment in this particular job

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Situational stress Violence posttraumatic stress disorder a disabling condition that results from personally experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or from witnessing such an event, or hearing of such an event happening to a family member or close friend number of psychological symptoms recurring and disturbing memories terrible nightmares intense fear and anxiety

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Conflict the feeling you experience when you must choose between two or more incompatible possibilities or options Approach-approach conflict involves choosing between two situations that both have pleasurable consequences

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Conflict Avoidance-avoidance conflict involves choosing between two situations that both have disagreeable consequences Approach-avoidance conflict involves a single situation that has both pleasurable and disagreeable aspects

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Conflict Five styles of dealing with conflict Avoidance by avoiding or ignoring conflict, it will disappear or magically go away Accommodation hate conflicts and tend to please people and worry about approval Domination go to any lengths to win, even if it means being aggressive and manipulative

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Conflict Five styles of dealing with conflict Compromise recognize that others have different needs and try to solve conflicts through compromise Integration try to resolve conflicts by finding solutions to please both partners

STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES (CONT.) Anxiety unpleasant state characterized by feelings of uneasiness and apprehension as well as increased physiological arousal, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure

PERSONALITY & SOCIAL FACTORS Hardiness combination of three personality traits: control commitment challenge