Stress By: Riley JasmineChelseaNajah

The meaning of Stress Stress is the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging. Stress is the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

Walter Cannon Walter Cannon, a sophisticated psychologist, stated that the stress response is part of a unified mind-body system. Walter Cannon, a sophisticated psychologist, stated that the stress response is part of a unified mind-body system. He found that external factors such as, extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and emotion-arousing incidents all trigger an outpouring of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands. He found that external factors such as, extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and emotion-arousing incidents all trigger an outpouring of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands.

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Hans Selye, a Canadian scientist, researching a new sex hormone, came across some disappointing results. He began to look at his results in an entirely different perspective and wondered if there are nonspecific reactions of the body to damage of any kind. Hans Selye, a Canadian scientist, researching a new sex hormone, came across some disappointing results. He began to look at his results in an entirely different perspective and wondered if there are nonspecific reactions of the body to damage of any kind. He began to use electrical shock, surgical trauma, and immobilizing restraint. He began to use electrical shock, surgical trauma, and immobilizing restraint. He began to see that each response was very general and he called this general adaptation syndrome (GAS). He began to see that each response was very general and he called this general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

GAS continued… GAS: Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. GAS: Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Phase 1: The person would experience an alarm reaction due to the sudden activation of your sympathetic nervous system. Your heart rate accelerates. Phase 1: The person would experience an alarm reaction due to the sudden activation of your sympathetic nervous system. Your heart rate accelerates. Phase 2: Now you begin to fight the challenge, or resistance. Your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high, and your begin to suddenly secrete hormones. Phase 2: Now you begin to fight the challenge, or resistance. Your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high, and your begin to suddenly secrete hormones. Phase 3: This phase occurs if the stress is persistent and may eventually deplete your body’s reserves, also called exhaustion. You become more vulnerable to illness, and in severe cases, collapse and death. Phase 3: This phase occurs if the stress is persistent and may eventually deplete your body’s reserves, also called exhaustion. You become more vulnerable to illness, and in severe cases, collapse and death.

Stress’s long-term effects:  Large amounts of stress in one’s life can lead to physical deterioration. Studies show that when people endure stress for long periods of time, DNA pieces called Telomeres, get too short, the cell can no longer divide, and ultimately dies. This helps explain why people with severe stress seem to look aged.  When stress disperses the hormones too much, the hippocampus may become shrunken which leads to a lack of remembering explicit memories.

How to measure stress: Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) Created by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. Created by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. Measures stress using Life-Changing Units (LCUs). Measures stress using Life-Changing Units (LCUs). Ex: Making a career change would be counted as more LCUs, than moving to a new apartment. Ex: Making a career change would be counted as more LCUs, than moving to a new apartment. The greater the change in life, the higher the score on the SRRS. These changes can be both positive and negative. The greater the change in life, the higher the score on the SRRS. These changes can be both positive and negative. People with higher scores are more susceptible to gain stress- related diseases, than those with lower scores. People with higher scores are more susceptible to gain stress- related diseases, than those with lower scores.

How to measure stress (cont.)… Researchers have developed more intelligent tests to measure stress. Researchers have developed more intelligent tests to measure stress. These tests account for individual perceptions on the degree of stress certain events trigger. These tests account for individual perceptions on the degree of stress certain events trigger. Whether the stress is pleasant or unpleasant. Whether the stress is pleasant or unpleasant. Ex of pleasant stress: Worrying about a Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Ex of pleasant stress: Worrying about a Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. These tests are more precise than the original SRRS. These tests are more precise than the original SRRS.

Handling Stress: Coping- alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods. Coping- alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods. Problem-Focused Coping Problem-Focused Coping The attempt to relieve stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor. The attempt to relieve stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor. Ex: If you and a family member are not getting along, you confront them and try to work things out with them. Ex: If you and a family member are not getting along, you confront them and try to work things out with them. Emotion-Focused Strategy Emotion-Focused Strategy The attempt to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction. The attempt to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction. If you are very stressed out about the argument, you reach out to friends to help address our own emotional needs. If you are very stressed out about the argument, you reach out to friends to help address our own emotional needs. We tend to use problem-focused coping when we feel we have control over the situation. We tend to use emotion-focused strategies when we believe we cannot change the situation. We tend to use problem-focused coping when we feel we have control over the situation. We tend to use emotion-focused strategies when we believe we cannot change the situation.

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