Stress and Health Ch 17 Notes

What is Stress? Arousal of one’s mind and body in response to demands made upon them Forces organisms to adapt, to cope, to adjust Different sources of stress 2 types –Eustress: positive stress, can be sign that a person is taking on a challenge or trying to reach a goal: eustress when participating in class activities –Distress: intense pressure/anxiety that can have severe psychological and physical effects

Stressor Stressor: event/situation that produces stress –What may be a stressor for one person may not be for another When stressors pile up, we have difficulty coping, so we must learn to recognize some of the causes of stress

Causes of Stress Frustration: being blocked from obtaining a goal –Ex: keeping an appointment Daily Hassles: everyday frustrations –8 main types: household, health, time- pressure, inner-concern, environmental, financial, work, and future-security Life Changes: –Ex: moving, death in the family –Many are positive and desirable changes –Tend to happen less frequently

Conflict Being pulled in 2 or more directions by opposing forces or motives 4 types of conflict: –Approach-approach: choosing between 2 equally attractive options –Avoidance-avoidance: choosing between 2 equally unattractive options –Approach-avoidance: whether or not to do something when part of the situation is attractive but the other is not –Multiple Approach-avoidance: choice between alternatives that both have good and bad aspects

Personality Types Type A: –Always on the go, put pressure on themselves and are constantly under stress –Highly driven, competitive, and impatient –Always feel rushed and pressured because they operate at full speed and become annoyed when there is a delay –Generally quick to become angry –Studies show they run a much greater health risk than Type B people (greater danger of coronary heart disease) Type B: –More relaxed –More patient, do not become angry as easily –Typically less driven than Type A people –Often earn less money than Type B people but Type A people pay the price for their success

Responses to Stress People with different types of personalities respond to stress in different ways Factors that influence the effects of stress: –Self-Efficacy Expectations: beliefs people have that they can accomplish goals they set for themselves –Psychological Hardiness: helps people withstand stress –Sense of Humor –Predictability: ability to predict a stressor reduces amount of stress it causes because can brace yourself for the stressor –Social Support: presence and interest of other people helps people cope with stress

Physical Effects of Stress General Adaptation Syndrome: 3 stages –Alarm Reaction: fight-or-flight reaction –Resistance Stage: if alarm reaction mobilizes the body and the stressor is not removed Attempt to find a way to cope with stressor to avoid being overwhelmed by their negative reactions to the stressor Body tries to regain its lost energy, repair damage, and restore balance Feel enough of strain to feel some physical symptoms –Exhaustion Stage: severe stressors persist No longer secreting hormones Muscles become worn out Resources available to combat stress become depleted, people reach breaking point Develop health problems (even death)

Stress and the Immune System Can cause the immune system to function less effectively Social support makes the immune system function better

Psychological Factors and Health Headaches: most common stress-related problem –Direct result of feeling tense –Types: Muscle-tension headache: most common Migraine headache Heart Disease: ½ of deaths in US each year caused by heart disease –Many risk factors, including stress Cancer: individuals with weakened immune systems by physical/psychological factors appear to be more likely candidates than others

Coping with Stress Defensive Coping: may involve socially unacceptable behavior, running away from one’s problems, or self- deception –Substance abuse –Aggression –Withdrawal –Suicide –Defense Mechanisms Active Coping: changing environment/situation to remove stressors or changing one’s response to stress so that the stressors are no longer harmful –Changing stressful thoughts –Relaxation –Exercise