1. Stress and coping

2. Objectives Identify the basic elements of stress Identify events that cause stress Practice methods to reduce stress Evaluate defense mechanisms used to respond to stress

3. Emotions Feelings that involve physical and psychological changes “Fight or Flight” A physical response to emotions related to a challenge or threat

4. Fight or Flight Prepares body for aggression (fight) Prepares the body to escape a perceived danger (flight ) Learning to control emotions is a major task

5. Types of Emotions Anxiety – a vague unpleasant feeling that produces physical sensations. Often causes tension and increased heart rate. Often cannot identify the reasons for emotional distress.

6. Fear Result of specific and identifiable cause Physiological reactions similar to anxiety

7. Anger Inborn, instinctive An emotional reaction to loss

8. Aggression A combination of frustration, hate, and/or rage.

9. Perceptions of Control In control The perception that one has choices and is able to create a change in a psychological state or current life circumstances

10. Powerlessness The perception that one’s actions cannot effect changes in outcome. Long term feelings of powerlessness often lead to feelings of physical and mental fatigue which can lead to depression.

11. Hopelessness The perception that one’s needs have no potential of being met. Long term feelings of hopelessness can lead to depression.

12. Spiritual Distress Leads to one question. The meaning of life The meaning of suffering and pain The value of living.  Short Term spiritual distress is a type of personal introspection that promotes personal growth and development.  Prolonged spiritual distress leads to depression

13. Stress and Coping Stress – the subjective feeling of tension to perceived events. Coping – refers to how the mind deals with stress.

14. Coping mechanisms vary from person to person An event that stresses one person, might not be a stressor to another. Conscious behavior is usually based on the success of previous coping experiences.

15. Defense mechanisms Unconscious, operate automatically

16. Compensation Covering up weaknesses by emphasizing a more desirable trait or by overachievement in a more comfortable area. For example a high school student too small to play football might become a star tennis player Purpose- allows a person to overcome weakness and achieve success

17. Denial Is an attempt to ignore unacceptable realities by refusing to acknowledge them. For example: a mother, though told her daughter has terminal cancer, continues to plan for her daughter’s college entrance Purpose- temporarily isolates a person from the full impact of a traumatic situation.

18. Displacement Transferring emotional reactions from one object or person to another. For example: a b/f or g/f is arguing and he/she gets so upset that that slam their fist into a wall Purpose- allows feelings to be expressed at or through less meaningful objects or people.

19. Intellectualization When an emotional responses that would normally accompany a painful or uncomfortable incident is voided by use of academic or intellectual explanations that remove personal feelings from the incident. For example: pain over a best friends sudden death is reduced by saying, “ he wouldn’t have wanted to live and be disabled.” Purpose- protects a person from the emotional reality of loss.

20. Minimization Not acknowledging the significance of one’s behavior For example: a teenager says, “don’t believe everything my brother says, I wasn’t so drunk I couldn’t drive.” Purpose- allows a person to decrease of trivialize his or her own responsibility for their behavior

21. Projection Projects short comings or feelings onto others Example: a disgruntled college freshman, when called in to meet her advisor, believes that she is called on because the counselor doesn’t like her. Purpose- allows a person to deny the existence of shortcomings.

22. Rationalization Justification of certain behaviors with faulty logic and attribution of socially acceptable motive that did not, in fact, inspire the behavior. Example: a student cheats on an exam but blames the teacher for not making the material more understandable Purpose: helps a person cope with the inability to acknowledge inappropriate behavior.

23. Reaction Formation An individual acts exactly the opposite of how he or she feels Example: a teenager feels bitterness toward a girl who beat her out of a cheerleading position, but acts very sweetly and friendly when they see the other girl Purpose: a form of repression that allows feelings to be acted out in a more acceptable way (don’t be fake)

24. Regression Resorting to an earlier stage of life that is generally less demanding and responsible Example: an adult throws a temper tantrum when he can’t have his own way (I call this the take your ball and go home syndrome) Purpose: allows a person to return to a point in development when nurturing and dependency was acceptable

25. Repression An unconscious mechanism by which threatening thoughts, feelings and desires are kept from becoming conscious Example: a child who is verbally abused by her alcoholic mother cannot remember certain things about her childhood Purpose: protects a person from a traumatic experience until he or she has the resources of cope.

26. Effective coping mechanism A slight to moderate level of worry that engages adaptive activity to relieve mental distress.

27. Types of Behavior Maladaptive Behavior- a result of ineffective coping Psychotic behavior- the most severe manifestation of ineffective coping Caused by psychosis: a state caused by lack of contact with reality The mind unconsciously uses many defense mechanisms to deny, destroy and avoid reality when it can’t consciously cope and solve problems.