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Psychological Strategies

There are a number of psychological or cognitive-behavioral approachesto stress reduction. What they all have in common is a focus on helping

you change your perceptions and attitudes toward stressful events. It isimportant to accept the idea that stress will be ever-present in your lifebefore you can unburden yourself from it. Like it or not, for everystressful situation that resolves or affects you less over time, a new onewill eventually crop up. Once you can embrace the inevitability of stress in

your life, you can proceed with dealing with the particular stressors in your life. Remember, too, that you may need help at some steps along theway. Sometimes talking with friends or family members can help you seethings from a new perspective. If you have a mentor, you might also wantto talk with him or her about some issues. For problems that just seem tostick around or that repeat over and over no matter want you do, youmight consider talking with a licensed professional such as a psychologist,psychiatrist, or social worker.

Hans Hugo Bruno Selye (Selye János, 1907 - 1982) was a Canadian endocrinologist of Austro -Hungarian origin.

His mother was Austrian; his father was Hungarian. He did muchimportant theoretical work on the non-specific response of the organismto stress . While he did not recognize all of the many aspects ofglucocorticoids , Selye was aware of their role in this response. Somecommentators considered him the first to demonstrate the existence ofa separate stress disease , the stress syndrome, or general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

His initial inspiration for GAS came from an endocrinological experimentin which he injected mice with extracts of various organs. He at firstbelieved to have discovered a new hormone but was proved wrong whenevery irritating substance he injected produced the same symptoms(swelling of the thymus, atrophy of the adrenal cortex, gastric andduodenal ulcers). This, paired with his observation that people withdifferent diseases exhibit similar symptoms, led to his description of theeffects of "noxious agents" as he at first called it. He later coined theterm "stress", which has been accepted into the lexicon of various otherlanguages.

To grossly oversimplify to the point of circular argument, Selyediscovered and documented that stress differs from other physicalresponses in that stress is stressful whether the one receives good orbad news, whether the impulse is positive or negative. He called negativestress distress and positive stress eustress . The system whereby thebody copes with stress, the hypothalamus-pituitary -adrenal axis]], wasalso first described by Selye.

People who suffer the loss of a loved one go through five stages ofbereavement, similar to those popularised by Elizabeth Kubler Ross in the1960s.

It's something everybody dreads, but it happens to most of us; the deathof a loved one. The initial shock and disbelief is followed by painfulemotions that can last months; even years and in some people never goesaway. Eventually though, for most people, painful emotions subside andthe wounds heal after about six months.

And while every person grieves in their own way, there's a similarity intheir reactions – they go through set stages, say researchers from YaleUniversity in the US.

They say that a person typically experiences emotions in the followingorder: disbelief, yearning, anger, depression, and acceptance. Generally,the process takes six months; though it can take longer for some people.

These stages are similar to the stages a person goes through when theyare dying. In the 1960s, Elizabeth Kubler Ross argued that a dying persongoes through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Aperson who is going through bereavement goes through the same process,but doesn't go through a bargaining stage, say the Yale researchers.

They interviewed 233 people living in New Haven, Connecticut, who'dsuffered a loss of a loved one from a natural death such as cancer orheart disease (not sudden unexpected traumatic death such as a car

accident or suicide). The researchers interviewed each person threetimes over a two-year period, usually at the person's home.

The initial reaction after the death was disbelief. This was followed by afeeling of yearning for the deceased, which peaked at about four months.Anger was next; this peaked at five months; and then depression, whichpeaked at six months after the death. Acceptance was the final reactionand this gradually increased over the two-year period.

The Elizabeth Kubler Ross stages have been criticised in the past by somebereavement counsellors as being too rigid. The researchers agree thatnot everyone goes through all five stages and in within this time frame.But the five-stage framework is helpful as a guide for bereavementcounsellors, palliative care health workers, friends and family tounderstand what a bereaving person is going through, they say.

If someone knows well in advance that a person is going to die and hastime to prepare, then there is less disbelief and more acceptance, say theresearchers.

Prolonged grief

For some people the depression doesn't lift – especially if the person hashad a very close and dependent relationship with the deceased. Ten tofifteen per cent of the people in the study were in this category – theystill felt a loss and yearning for a loved one more than six months laterand didn't accept the reality of the death.

People suffering from prolonged grief (sometimes called complicatedgrief) may have trouble working and may be at risk for other problems,such as high blood pressure, suicidal thoughts and excessive drinking andsmoking.

Prolonged grief is more likely to be experienced by people with poor socialsupport, who isolate themselves and hide and suppress their feelings. It'sless likely in those who open up, express their emotions, talk about thedeceased, and share memories with others.

Coping with Exam Stress

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Every year, students worldwide spend months worrying about upcomingexams, deadlines and finals. Here's how to avoid becoming one of themany students who let their worries and stress get the better of them.

Plan Ahead for Studying

It sounds simple, but one of the most common mistakes made by studentsis to leave everything until the last minute. If you've worked hardthroughout the year, then you will be as prepared as possible – but eventhen, if you only start studying the day before the exam then your brainwill only be able to process so much at once. Start revising early, and then

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by the time you've got two days to go until the exam, you'll feel like youknow most of your material already, instead of starting your panic at thatpoint.

Get Some Sleep

Many students survive on energy drinks, coffee and late nights duringexam periods. The truth is, however, that your brain is much more likelyto remember something you read or write while it is alert and awake;caffeine products are good for meeting deadlines, but when it comes toexams and revision, you'll need to be well-rested if you're going toremember it all.

Coping with Stress and Anxiety

Easy Techniques to Reduce Feelings of Anxiety, Stress and Fear ©

Stress relief and anxiety management includes listening to music,visualization, and distinguishing between reality and fantasy.

In daily life, stress and anxiety surrounds you: simply getting to work or

school, dealing with peers and colleagues, balancing the budget, andcommunicating with friends and family can increase feelings of anxietyand even fear. Some feelings of anxiety are normal and healthy; extremeanxiety can be physically and emotionally overwhelming.

When you learn to cope with stress and anxiety in a healthy, effectiveway you’ll not only breath easier, you’ll have better relationships and bemore productive at work. Coping with stress and anxiety can ease specificstressful situations, such as surgery.

Anxiety Information

The National Institute of Mental Health cites that 40 million people inAmerica suffer from anxiety disorders. Feelings of anxiety are not onlycommon and treatable – they’re inevitable.

Feelings of anxiety range from mild uneasiness to extreme terror. “Fearis the most powerful emotion,” says Michael Fanselow, a University ofCalifornia (Los Angeles) psychologist. It’s necessary for survival, and it’llkeep you alive and healthy unless it escalates to abnormal proportions.Appropriate fear and anxiety can help you perform well, keep you alert,and even help you deal with pain.

Physical Effects of Anxiety and Stress

You know how anxiety and stress changes your body. Unhealthy levels ofanxiety can cause intestinal problems, stomach pains, headaches, rashes,or flare ups of other chronic illnesses such as ulcerative colitis ormigraines. Insomnia and fatigue can also result – as well as psychological

struggles such as extreme debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, anddepression.

echniques to Reduce Feelings of Stress and Anxiety

Music. Be creative when you’re suffering with feelings of anxiety andstress. For instance, try music therapy: research shows that listening torelaxing music significantly reduces feelings of anxiety and fear beforeand during surgery. “Music therapy” doesn’t have to be complicated or

expensive. It can simply involve listening to your favorite relaxing musicbefore a stressful event.

Visualization of positive outcomes has also proved to reduce feelings ofanxiety and fear. When you focus on a desired outcome, you increase thechances of it happening ( The Secret involves visualization).

Distinguish between reality and fantasy. Real threats are verydifferent from perceived ones, or fantasy. For instance, feeling anxiousabout a meeting or exam you aren’t prepared for is a real fear that can bedealt with; feeling anxious about a hoard of birds attacking is a perceivedfear that likely won’t happen. Learning to reassure yourself of the realityof a situation can help you cope with anxiety and stress.

Anxiety medication. Medicating for anxiety and fear may be effective,but learning to cope with stress and anxiety naturally may be better inthe long run. Talk to your doctor about anxiety remedies such asClonazepam or Buspar, which are anxiety-reducing medications.