1. Chapter 14 Stress, Health, and Wellness

2. Living with Stress Most anything is capable of producing stress
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Most anything is capable of producing stress
Stress is the physical and emotional response to events that threaten or challenge us
3 main types of stressors
Cataclysmic events
Personal stressors
Daily hassles
LO 14.1

3. Living with Stress
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LO 14.1

4. Stress Stress brings on physical ramifications
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Stress brings on physical ramifications
Heart beats faster
Breathing becomes more rapid and shallow
Produce more sweat
Our internal organs churn out a variety of hormones
These symptoms wear down our immune system and leave us open to disease
Common cold, heart disease, headaches, strokes
LO 14.1

5. Handling Stress – Prepare
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Ready yourself physically
The stronger you are physically, the less toll stress will take on you
Vigorous exercise produces endorphins, providing a natural feeling of happiness
“Runner’s high”
Exercise can help our bodies naturally cope with stress
Reduce caffeine intake
Deal with obesity
LO 14.1

6. Handling Stress – Organize
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Identify your stressors
School-related?
Relationship-related?
Work-related?
Simply listing stressors will give you a sense of control and help you devise strategies for dealing with them
LO 14.1

7. Handling Stress – Work
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A variety of tactics can help you deal with your stressors:
Take charge of the situation
Don’t try to change the unchangeable
Look for the silver lining
Use social support from friends and family
Relax, using techniques such as meditation or progressive relaxation
Escaping is not coping and doesn’t relieve stress
LO 14.1

8. Handling Stress – Evaluate
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How are your coping tactics working?
If one does not work, try another
Do not become paralyzed and unable to deal with the situation
Find the right combination of strategies to deal with the situation
LO 14.1

9. Handling Stress – Rethink
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Place stress in perspective
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Put your circumstances into perspective
Make peace with stress
A life with no challenges would be boring
LO 14.1

10. Depression and Suicide
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Usually, depression is a normal reaction to distressing circumstances
For some, depression is more than fleeting (longer than 2 weeks) and can leave them feeling sad, hopeless, tired and worthless
Major depression can ultimately lead to suicide
LO 14.1

11. Depression and Suicide
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Suicide warnings may include:
School problems
Self-destructive behavior
Change in appetite
Withdrawal from friends and peers
Sleeping problems
LO 14.1

12. Depression and Suicide
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Suicide warnings may include:
Signs of depression such as tearfulness or psychological difficulties such as hallucinations
A preoccupation with death, an afterlife, or what would happen “if I die”
Putting affairs in order
An explicit announcement of suicidal thoughts
LO 14.1

13. Responding to Death and Grief
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Death of a loved one is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life
Our reactions usually follow a typical pattern
Shock, denial, reality of the death, enormous sadness, depression and yearning for the loved one that has passed away
In time, we return to our lives and can even become as happy as we were before
LO 14.1

14. Responding to Death and Grief
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How to maintain your mental health and academic standing when a loved one dies:
Expect to feel intense grief and sadness, but know that it will not last forever
Talk to others about your feelings
Voice your recollections of the person who has just died
Let your college officials know of your situation
LO 14.1

15. Keeping Well Eating Right
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Eating Right
Eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables and grains
Avoid processed foods
Avoid foods high in sugar and salt
Avoid high fat and high cholesterol foods
Don’t eat until you are stuffed
Schedule three regular meals a day
Be sensitive to the various contents of food
Beware of eating disorders
If you wish to lose weight, follow a sensible diet – fad diets don’t work
LO 14.2

16. Keeping Well Make exercise a part of your life
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Make exercise a part of your life
Choose a type of exercise that you like
Incorporate exercise into your daily schedule
Make exercise a group activity
Vary your routine
LO 14.2

17. Keeping Well Get a good night’s sleep Exercise more
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Get a good night’s sleep
Exercise more
Have a regular bedtime
Use your bed for sleeping and not as an all-purpose area
Avoid caffeine after lunch
Drink a glass of milk at bedtime
Avoid sleeping pills
Don’t try to force sleep upon yourself
LO 14.2

18. Drug Use and Abuse Nicotine Quitting is difficult, but not impossible
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Nicotine
Quitting is difficult, but not impossible
Remain smoke-free one day at a time
Visualize the consequences of smoking
Exercise
Use nicotine patches or nicotine gum
Avoid being around people that are smoking
Use social support
Reward yourself
Join a quit-smoking program
Keep trying
LO 14.3

19. Drug Use and Abuse Alcohol Widely used on college campuses
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Alcohol
Widely used on college campuses
Is a depressant
50% of male students and 40% of female students have engaged in binge drinking
Nearly 20 million people in the United States are alcoholics
Heavy drinking damages the liver and the digestive system
LO 14.3

20. Drug Use and Abuse Illegal Drugs
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Illegal Drugs
1/3 of college students have admitted to using illegal drugs in the past year
Drug use has short- and long-term health risks
Give thought to why you would want to escape from reality and why you would use drugs to do so
Consider the legal consequences of drug use
Random drug tests are frequently a part of the hiring process and of employment
LO 14.3

21. Drug Use and Abuse
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Addiction presents a serious problem of always needing to obtain the drug to achieve the next high
Be observant of signs of addiction and seek help
College health services, counseling centers, mental health centers, drug treatment centers, government hotlines
LO 14.3

22. Sexual Health and Decision Making
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One in five people in the United States is infected with a sexually-transmitted infection
Avoid STIs by:
Knowing your sexual partner well
Preventing the exchange of bodily fluids
Use condoms
Being faithful to a single partner
LO 14.4

23. Sexual Health and Decision Making
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Avoiding pregnancy
Abstinence is only 100% effective if you practice it 100% of the time
Birth control methods include:
Birth control pill
Implants
Intrauterine device
Diaphragms and cervical caps
Condoms or a cervical sponge
Injections or polymer ring
Sterilization
Emergency contraception
Withdrawal or douching (ineffective)
LO 14.4

24. Sexual Health and Decision Making
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Date rape
Forced sex in which the rapist is a romantic acquaintance
1 out of 8 women on college campuses report having been raped
Rape is less about sex and more about power
Rohypnol, or “the date rape drug,” is sometimes used
Date rape incidents can be reduced by setting limits, being assertive, understanding that no means no, communicating and understanding that drugs and alcohol cloud judgment
LO 14.4