Stress and the effects on the human body

stress

challenges that affect us physically or emotionally by exceeding our coping abilities and resources

stressors

external demands that cause stress

coping strategies

ways to manage and deal with stress

cause of stress

an adjustment that applies mental and physical pressure onto someone resulting in mixed reactions depending on the situation and how someone copes.

stress tolerance

how much stress you can handle without becoming impaired or seriously damaged.

characteristics of stressors

severity, chronicity, timing, how closely it affects our own lives, expectancy, how controllable it is.

crisis

sudden and intense moment(s) of stress.

fact about stress 1

the amount of stress we experience early in life makes more receptive to stress in the future

resilience

after experiencing a potentially traumatic event, being able to function well with minimal symptoms and be “okay”

allostatic load

the biological cost of stress on the human body.

fact about stress 2

no two people have the same pattern of stressors and they don't affect them in the same way.

fact about stress 3

with more optimism, social support, increased self-esteem and better psychological control, people can tolerate stress better.

responses to stress

SAM ( fight or flight reaction ), HPA production ( causes cortisol to be produced and helps in emergencies )

adjustment disorder

maladaptive response to a common stressor

PTSD ( posttraumatic stress disorder )

a disorder that is caused by the exposure to an actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence.

symptoms of ptsd

distressing memories, recurring dreams, dissociate reactions, sound smell or sight that triggers a physical or emotional reaction and avoidance in every kind of way to anything that may be triggering to the patient.

acute stress disorder

a disorder that eventually leads to PTSD

treatment for stress-related disorders

prevention and preparation ( preparation by providing coping skills for possible emotional responses. )

EDMR

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing