stress & you

what is stress?
any event that strains or
exceeds an individuals
ability to cope

Prepares body for emergency

Prolong stress can lead to
psychosomatic illness
Severe stress may mean trauma

Stress capacity

Stress load

sources of stress
life events - psychologically significant
events that occur in a persons life.

frustration- when we are not able to

satisfy a motive, frustration results.

conflict- the state in which 2 or more motives

cannot be satisfied because they interfere with one
another.

4 types of conflict
approach-approach conflict
an individual chooses bet ween t wo positive
goal or approximately equal value

avoidance-avoidance conflict
an individual must choose bet ween 2 or more
negative outcomes

approach-avoidance conflict
this arises when obtaining a positive goal
necessitates a negative outcome as well

multiple approach-avoidance conflict

this requires an individual to choose bet ween
alternatives that contain both positive and
negative outcomes

Pressure

the stress that arises from the

threat of negative events

environmental conditions
the aspects of the
environment in which we
live (temperature, air
pollution, noise, humidity,
etc.) can be source of
stress

how do we react to stress?

psychological & physical reactions

psychological reaction to stress

changes in
emotion,
motivation &
cognition

physical reaction to stress

impact of stress on our health

4 phases of stress reaction

STAGES

Acute Phase

Reaction
Phase

Repair Phase

Reorientation
Phase

Cognitive
effects

Emotional
Reaction

Behavior

Inability to think
properly

Disbelief,
consternation,
lack of
detachment

Irritability, anger,
Affects

One to six weeks

Fear,disturbing
thoughts about
survival

Denied feelings
may surface,
relief, guilt, grief

Anxious,
restless,
inability to
sleep

One to six
months

An interest now
taken in
everyday life

Hurting
continuous but
can be handled

Planning for
future

Duration

Minutes, hours,
days

Six months after

Griefs may not
Balanced view of
a distressing
yet be resolved
stressors
event
but accepted

Communication

Most reactions
diminish
gradually

stress response

S
t
r
e
s
s
o
r

Primary
Appraisal

Initial subjective
evaluation of a situation

Demands = ability

Stress Interpretations
Threat Appraisal:
perceived threats
Harm/Loss:
presence of damage & injury
Challenge Appraisal: presence of hope for rehabilitation

Appraisal

Secondary
Appraisal

dealing with stressful situation by one or both coping patterns

Problem-focused coping
gather information to solve problem
change own behavior
taking necessary actions

Emotion-focused coping
deal with emotional distress such as
seeking support & sympathy
avoid / deny situation

General Adaptation Syndrome

(GAS)
this refers to the mobilization of the body to ward
off threats.
GAS has three stage pattern characteristics: alarm
reaction stage, the resistance stage, & the
exhaustion stage

alarm reaction stage

the body mobilizes its stored resources
the bodys homeostasis is disrupted
the rapid mobilization of resources leaves the
individual temporarily less resistant to the
stress than originally

Resistance Stage

this occurs with continued exposure to the stressor

there is an increase in blood sugar level to sustain
energy & raise blood pressure
with no rest & relaxation, victim becomes prone to
fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability & lethargy
adaptation energy continues to get depleted

exhaustion stage
individuals resources become depleted
resistance to stress & infection is low
depletion of all energy takes place
death may ensue

GAS can be our best defense at times and our worst

enemy at other times
stress decreases the effectiveness of the bodys
natural fighting system
stress and depression directly influence immunity
because chronically elevated level of hormone
cortisol creates an imbalance in inflammatory
cytokines.

stress & health

physical reaction to stress

cerebral cortex in the brain
perceives stimulations as stressful

Limbic system is stimulated

(emotional arousal)

hypothalamus & pituitary

endocrine glands stimulated

sympathetic
nervous system stimulated

acute (left) & chronic (right) effects

as this abnormality continues in our body
blood pressure

hypertension

heart rate increases

coronary heart
disease

anxiety increases
stomach & intestinal
motility increases
basal metabolic rate
increases

stroke
anxiety disorder
peptic ulcer

factors that influence reactions

to stress
Prior experience with stress
Developmental Factors
predictability & control
social support
person variables

person variable
this refers to all characteristics of an
individual that are relatively enduring,
such as ways of thinking, beliefs, or
physiological reactivity to stress
the interpretation of the event determines
its stressfulness

what type of person are you ?

do you accentuate key words in speech and hurry the last few words in your
sentences?
do you always eat, walk, talk, and move rapidly?
do you get impatient and irritated when things do not move fast?
do you often attempt to do or think more than one thing at a time?
do you always try to move the topic of conversation to your interest?
do you have feelings of guilt when you relax?
do you frequently fail to take note of new things around you?

are you more concerned with getting things worth having rather than
becoming what is worth being?
do you suffer from a chronic sense of time urgency?
do you compete or feel compelled to challenge others?
do you engage in expressive gestures like pounding the table, etc in
conversation?
do we believe your fast pace is necessary?
do you rate lifes success in terms of numbers?

if the total number of YES is more than 7,

then you are more likely to be type A in
orientation. the higher the score is from
7-13, the stronger is the likelihood of your
being a type A

type A personality types exhibit

excessive competitive drive, are
aggressive, impatient, and always have
urgency of time
type B personality types do not have
urgency of time, are not competitive,
rather tend to be cooperative and
patient. they are the happy-go-lucky
kind of person

coping with stress

ineffective ways
withdrawal
aggression
self-medication
defense mechanism

Effective ways
remove stress from our lives
cognitive coping - reappraisal of
situation
managing stress

Stress Management Principles

it is not the stressor but the perception
of the stress by us which is important

we need to become aware

before considering change

let us make relaxation a part

of our life

we need to think first before

passing judgement

balancing our anger balances our life

we need to wipe out anxiety

before it wipes us out

enjoy balanced meals at regular times

and cherish the gift

let us start an exercise program and

keep exercising regularly

let us work on a plan, then the

plan will work on us

do it now!

lets all remember

attitude determines our behavior
it is up to each one of us as to how we
choose to react to any situation
effort & directed determination are required
for changing attitude
understanding the importance of attitude
and its impact upon behavior is more
significant than being factual, scientific, and
analytical