CAUSES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL

STRESS AND COMMON STRESS

RELATED DISORDERS

PUJA SHAH
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST (GOLD
MEDALIST) & HYPNOTHERAPIST
BARODA
STRESS
DEFINITION &
TYPES OF STRESS
• DEFINITION:
Pattern of responses.
Physiological response
Fight or flight response

• TYPES OF STRESS:
Eustress: positive stress
Distress: negative stress
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE
STRESSORS
 DEFINITION:
Events-stress response.

 CATEGORIES OF STRESSORS:
1) Physical:
Exertion, lack of sleep etc.

2) Environmental:
Natural Events.
STRESSORS
3) Psychological:
Frustration:
Blocking of need/desire.

Conflict:
Two or more conflicting needs or desires.
STRESSORS
Pressures:
To achieve some specific goals.

4)Social:
Related to Society.
EFFECTS OF STRESS
I. EMOTIONAL EFFECTS
EMOTIONAL EFFECTS
• Mood swings
• Abnormal behavior
• Decreasing confidence
II.PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
• Slowing of digestive system
• Irregular and fast breathing
• Coldness in hands and feet
• Vomiting
• Burping
III.COGNITIVE EFFECTS
COGNITIVE EFFECTS
High stress can lead to:

• Inability to make decisions

• Faulty decisions
• Poor concentration
• Reduced short term memory capacity etc
IV. BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS
V. HEALTH EFFECTS
HEALTH EFFECTS
• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Helplessness
• Hopelessness
• CHD
HEALTH EFFECTS
• High B.P.
• Diabetes
• Psychosomatic Disorders
• Immune system
• Suicidal tendencies
• Adjustment disorder
BURN-OUT
• Job burnout is a special type of job stress — a state of physical,
emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about your
competence and the value of your work.
• Burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to:
a. physical and emotional exhaustion
b. cynicism and detachment
c. feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment
PSYCHO-NEURO-
IMMUNOLOGY
• The relationship and communication between mind, nervous system,
endocrine system and immune system.
• Thoughts, emotions, moods (mind)
• Neurons and chemicals of brain (nervous system)
• Hormones (Endocrine system)
• Body’s immune defences ( Immune system)
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY
Diseases Probable Causes
Hypertension Long standing unsolved emotional problem

Knee problems Stubborn ego and pride, inflexibility

Migraine and headaches Dislike of being driven in life

DEPRESSION
For clinical depression, you must have five or more of the following
symptoms over a two-week period, most of the day, nearly every day.
At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or a
loss of interest or pleasure:
• Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty or tearful (in children
and teens, depressed mood can appear as constant irritability)
• Significantly reduced interest or feeling no pleasure in all or most
activities
• Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or
increase in appetite (in children, failure to gain weight as expected)
DEPRESSION
• Insomnia or increased desire to sleep
• Either restlessness or slowed behaviour that can be observed by
others
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt
• Trouble making decisions, or trouble thinking or concentrating
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
• There can be psychosocial causes like a loss, such as the death of a
loved one, a marital separation, separation from family, retirement,
loss of activity, remaining idle, stressful life events or a financial loss.
• It may follow an illness such as glandular fever or influenza, an
operation or childbirth (also called post-partum depression).
• Genetic influences, influence of certain seasons like winter,
personality factors such as high level of introversion, negative beliefs
for oneself and the world, low social support, cultural differences etc.
GENERAL COPING SKILLS
 COPING SKILLS
• Identify the source
• Being Aware
• Time management
• Hobbies of your interest
• Laughter therapy
• Pets
• Recognizing things that you cannot change
LAUGHTER THERAPY AND
PLAYING WITH PETS
 COPING SKILLS
• Outlook
• Loved ones
• Compose Mantra
• Positive visualizations
• Green tea
• Change from soft drinks to-???
• Acceptance
• Gardening
GARDENING AND DRINKING
GREEN TEA
CREATIVE VISUALIZATION
COPING SKILLS
• Prayer
• Self compassion
• Big picture
• Routine
• To-do list
• Positive self talks
• Progress
PRAYER
 COPING SKILLS
• Exercise
• Relaxation techniques
• Music
• Enough sleep and good food
• Over-expectations
• Change
• Anger-control
• Prioritizing
EXERCISE
RELAXATION
COPING SKILLS
• Stop procrastinating
• Assertive
• Socializing
• Humor
• Social service
• Satisfaction
• Consult a psychologist
• Psychological therapy
• Medication
• Happiness is a choice.
WHY MEDICATIONS?
Neurotransmitters are chemicals which send message from one neuron
to another. When there are some problems, message transmission gets
disturbed, thoughts are also negative. Medicines help a person’s
neurotransmitters to think/act/feel in a positive way. It helps a person
to function more effectively in all areas of his life, think in a rational
way, and deal with problems. Medicines take 3-4 weeks to settle and
start functioning effectively, and its total duration can be short or long.
It is very advanced and effective. It is necessary to take medicines when
there is moderate to severe depression or suicidal tendencies or other
disorders. A psychiatrist can take this decision. On improvement
counseling etc can be started.
COUNSELING
CAUTION
• Always take expert opinion of a psychologist rather than taking any
direct action in any of the above situations.
• You can just do the screening, while detailed analysis and therapy lies
in the hands of the Psychologist.
 RIGHT FOOD
Fruits and Vegetables & Balanced diet
RIGHT FOOD
Vitamin C and Calcium
RIGHT FOOD
• B-complex:
B1 & B2
B3
B6
B12
Veg. Tablets

• Whole grains
WHAT NOT TO EAT
• Excessive salt
• Excessive sweet food
• Caffeine
• Junk food
• Items made from maida
• Excessive oily food-taken frequently
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs
 CASE STUDY I FOR STRESS
Woman, 40 years, married, husband who works in an MNC, and 1 son
who is in grade 10. She complains: that even though of her feeling
weak, she does all the work, and above that, takes out juice for her
son, but he drinks later after 1 hour, so nutrients get destroyed.
Husband doesn’t take her out for roaming and shopping, and the maid
comes late everyday despite of her telling the maid so many times. So,
the work gets delayed. She tells “No one listens to me, no one has time
for me, and son doesn’t understand my feelings. I am frustrated”. As a
result, she eats less, sleeps less, and cannot take decisions, fast
breathing, stomach upset, perspiration and fast heart rate etc
WHAT SHOULD SHE DO?
• Accept
• Check out, why son, drinks late
• Observe husband’s schedule and work load
• Talk with maid.
• Observe your generalized statements
WHAT SHOULD SHE DO?
• Be happy and thank God for wonderful family who cares for you.
• Change yourself with less expectations
• Exercise
• Talk to a counselor
 CASE STUDY II FOR STRESS
• A Male, 40 years old, staying in a nuclear family with wife; housewife,
and a daughter who is 10 years old; in school. He works as an
employee in a company and his working hours are 10-7. He doesn’t
express his feelings, suppresses everything, feels frustrated when
things are not finished by extreme perfection and thus, delay in work.
He feels less valued. Without actual assessment, he feels that he does
more work than his colleagues, so he gets less salary with more work
and his colleagues get the same in less work. At home too, he feels
frustrated as he feels things are not in order according to his
expectations; he can’t spend more time with family (although his
family doesn’t feel so, on asking them).
CASE STUDY II CONTD.
As a result, he has:
Inconsistency in eating food-sometimes more & sometimes less than
normal
Lack of patience and more anger
Sinus
Disturbed sexual relationship with wife
High B.P.
Disturbed sleep
Guilty
 CASE STUDY II CONTD.
Backache
Frequent stomach upset
Faulty decisions at work place and home-leading to arguments
 CASE STUDY II CONTD.
WHAT SHOULD HE DO?
• Express feelings in healthy way
• Be assertive
• Focus on progress rather than extreme perfection
• Value yourself
• Do what you like
• Prioritize the work and finish the work
• Do exercise
WHAT SHOULD HE DO?
• Check out at work place and home about the actual situation before
feeling frustrated
• Do relaxation for calmness, anger, faulty decisions and B.P.
• Work on expectations
• Acceptance
• Consult a Psychologist for Social skills (and a Physician for B.P. and
lifestyle changes)
ANXIETY
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
FEAR AND ANXIETY
ANXIETY
 DEFINITION:
Worry about possible threat or danger.

 PANIC ATTACKS: ( 4 or more within 10 minutes)

• Palpitations
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling of choking
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Nausea
• Feeling dizzy
• Feelings being detached from self
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of dying
• Numbness
• Chills or hot flushes
COPING SKILLS FOR ANXIETY
CASE STUDY FOR ANXIETY
A 65 years old male, Retired Director Inspector General of Police (DIG),
living with his wife, faced anxiety. He was retired since 3 years. In his
career he had a lot of respect, a lot of work and fought on border
twice. After retirement he faced loss of work and loss of high respect
like his career. He life was changed, with him living all alone with his
wife and his children were married, staying at different places. He had
back ache since 30 years due to slight injury, but its pain was
manageable in his career. After retirement, the pain was intolerable
owing to bed rest. He didn’t do any activity or communication with his
relatives or friends and didn’t walk/do exercise post retirement. He
couldn’t accept the change and complained about it.
CASE STUDY FOR ANXIETY
CONTD.
As a result, he faced:
• Panic attack
(shortness of breath, nausea, chest discomfort, feeling dizzy, fear of
dying); because of: Dispute/when wife went out.
• More back pain
• Frequent bouts of crying
• Disturbed sleep
• Feeling of helplessness
• More thoughts
WHAT SHOULD HE DO?
• Doing something of interest-laptop, watching cricket or making
tea/grocery
• Recognizing things he can’t change and accepting them gladly.
• Relaxation-hypnotherapy, meditation, yoganidra etc
• Physiotherapy for pain
• After feeling better, doing exercise
• Communicate with loved ones
• Music
• Joining club after being mobile
WHAT SHOULD HE DO?
• Following a routine
• Feeling independent and using positive self talk
• Talk to a counsellor.
TESTS
• Beck’s depression Inventory
• Beck Anxiety Inventory

• (THESE TESTS CAN BE CONDUCTED AND PERFORMED ONLY BY A

PSYCHOLOGIST.)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• VINOBA ASHRAM, GOTRI

• Dr. Bharatbhai Shah.

• Dr. Viralbhai.
HELPLINES IN BARODA
• Counseling centre, Department of Psychology,MSU: 9824514033
• Ambalal Sarabhai foundation: 0265-2314381
• Race Course Medical Centre : 0265-233 8977
• SSG Hospital: 0265-2424848/2428266/2423122
• Dr. Palan ( M.D. & hypnotherapist): 0265-2335854
• Dr. Yogesh Patel (Psychiatrist): 0265-2788717
• Nimeshbhai ( Life style management and naturopath):
9978910767/9173378985
• Puja Shah: 9429535595
 THANK YOU
--------------------------
ANY QUESTIONS?