1. What is Stress?
Lesson 5
November 8th, 2010

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 150 or less very little change
150 – 300 moderate change
300 + large change
Changes good or bad can lead to stress in your life

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

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

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

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. The science of stress video

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. High Blood Pressure video

26. 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

27. 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.

28. Diseases and Disorders Related to Stress

29. 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)