StressStress

By: RileyBy: RileyJasmineJasmineChelseaChelsea

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The meaning of StressThe meaning of Stress

Stress is the process by which we Stress is the process by which we perceive and respond to certain perceive and respond to certain events, called events, called stressorsstressors, that we , that we appraise as threatening or appraise as threatening or challenging.challenging.

Walter CannonWalter Cannon

Walter Cannon, a sophisticated Walter Cannon, a sophisticated psychologist, stated that the stress psychologist, stated that the stress response is part of a unified mind-body response is part of a unified mind-body system.system.

He found that external factors such as, He found that external factors such as, extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and emotion-arousing incidents all trigger an emotion-arousing incidents all trigger an outpouring of the stress hormones outpouring of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from the epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands.adrenal glands.

Selye’s General Adaptation Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye, a Canadian scientist, researching Hans Selye, a Canadian scientist, researching a new sex hormone, came across some a new sex hormone, came across some disappointing results. He began to look at his disappointing results. He began to look at his results in an entirely different perspective results in an entirely different perspective and wondered if there are nonspecific and wondered if there are nonspecific reactions of the body to damage of any kind.reactions of the body to damage of any kind.

He began to use electrical shock, surgical He began to use electrical shock, surgical trauma, and immobilizing restraint.trauma, and immobilizing restraint.

He began to see that each response was very He began to see that each response was very general and he called this general adaptation general and he called this general adaptation syndrome (GAS).syndrome (GAS).

GAS continued…GAS continued… GAS: Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response GAS: Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response

to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.exhaustion.

Phase 1: The person would experience an Phase 1: The person would experience an alarm alarm reaction reaction due to the sudden activation of your due to the sudden activation of your sympathetic nervous system. Your heart rate sympathetic nervous system. Your heart rate accelerates. accelerates.

Phase 2: Now you begin to fight the challenge, or Phase 2: Now you begin to fight the challenge, or resistance. resistance. Your temperature, blood pressure, and Your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high, and your begin to suddenly respiration remain high, and your begin to suddenly secrete hormones.secrete hormones.

Phase 3: This phase occurs if the stress is persistent Phase 3: This phase occurs if the stress is persistent and may eventually deplete your body’s reserves, also and may eventually deplete your body’s reserves, also called exhaustion. You become more vulnerable to called exhaustion. You become more vulnerable to illness, and in severe cases, collapse and death.illness, and in severe cases, collapse and death.

Stress’s long-term Stress’s long-term effects:effects:

Large amounts of stress in one’s life can lead Large amounts of stress in one’s life can lead to physical deterioration. Studies show that to physical deterioration. Studies show that when people endure stress for long periods of when people endure stress for long periods of time, DNA pieces called Telomeres, get too time, DNA pieces called Telomeres, get too short, the cell can no longer divide, and short, the cell can no longer divide, and ultimately dies. This helps explain why people ultimately dies. This helps explain why people with severe stress seem to look aged.with severe stress seem to look aged.

When stress disperses the hormones too When stress disperses the hormones too much, the hippocampus may become shrunken much, the hippocampus may become shrunken which leads to a lack of remembering explicit which leads to a lack of remembering explicit memories.memories.

How to measure stress:How to measure stress:

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) Created by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe.Created by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. Measures stress using Life-Changing Units (LCUs). Measures stress using Life-Changing Units (LCUs).

Ex: Making a career change would be counted as more Ex: Making a career change would be counted as more LCUs, than moving to a new apartment.LCUs, than moving to a new apartment.

The greater the change in life, the higher the The greater the change in life, the higher the score on the SRRS. These changes can be both score on the SRRS. These changes can be both positive and negative.positive and negative. People with higher scores are more susceptible to gain People with higher scores are more susceptible to gain

stress-related diseases, than those with lower scores.stress-related diseases, than those with lower scores.

How to measure stress How to measure stress (cont.)…(cont.)…

Researchers have developed more Researchers have developed more intelligent tests to measure stress.intelligent tests to measure stress. These tests account for individual These tests account for individual

perceptions on the degree of stress certain perceptions on the degree of stress certain events trigger.events trigger.

Whether the stress is pleasant or unpleasant.Whether the stress is pleasant or unpleasant. Ex of pleasant stress: Worrying about a Nobel Ex of pleasant stress: Worrying about a Nobel

Peace Prize acceptance speech.Peace Prize acceptance speech. These tests are more precise than the These tests are more precise than the

original SRRS.original SRRS.

Handling Stress:Handling Stress:

Coping- alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods.Coping- alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods. Problem-Focused CopingProblem-Focused Coping

The attempt to relieve stress directly, by changing the stressor The attempt to relieve stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.or the way we interact with that stressor.

Ex: If you and a family member are not getting along, you confront Ex: If you and a family member are not getting along, you confront them and try to work things out with them.them and try to work things out with them.

Emotion-Focused StrategyEmotion-Focused Strategy The attempt to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor The attempt to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor

and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction.reaction.

If you are very stressed out about the argument, you reach out to If you are very stressed out about the argument, you reach out to friends to help address our own emotional needs.friends to help address our own emotional needs.

We tend to use problem-focused coping when we feel we We tend to use problem-focused coping when we feel we have control over the situation. We tend to use emotion-have control over the situation. We tend to use emotion-focused strategies when we believe we cannot change focused strategies when we believe we cannot change the situation.the situation.

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