4. Health, stress, coping

what is the definition of disease by Babylonians/Assyrians?

god's punishment

Ancient Greeks definition of health

Unity of body & spirit

Ancient Hebrews definition of health & disease

health = God's gift; disease = punishment

Sigmund Freud definition of health

Health influenced by emotions & mind.

true health

Balance between physical, mental, emotional, social well-being.

WHO (1946) definition of health

Complete physical, mental, social well-being, not just absence of disease.

RISKY BEHAVIOURS

Behaviours increasing disease, injury, death risk

What behaviours is risky?

1. obesity

2. hypertension

3. smoking

4. drugs & alcohol

5. lack of exercise

6. overeating

7. unsafe sexual behaviour

8. reckless driving

9. violence

Stress

source of psychological disorder

Effect of stress

Affects daily life & health

1. Depression

2. despair

3. anxiety

4. psychosomatic problems

Hans Selye of stress

Non-specific body response to change.

Lazarus & Folkman of stress

Psychological stress is a Person sees environment as taxing/exceeding resources, endangering well-being.

“To be totally without stress is to be dead” is from

Hans Selye

Definition of stress

Physical, mental, emotional, behavioural response when adapting fails.

• Comes from frustration/unbearable issues.

stages of General adaptation syndrome

1. Alarm

2. Resistance

3. Exhaustion

Physical stress symptoms (short term)

• headache

• sleep disorder

• fatigue

• skin problems

• sexual dysfunction

• cramps

psychological stress symptoms (short term)

• forgetfulness

• frustration

• anxiety

• depression

physical stress symptoms (long term)

• Hypertension

• lIver disease

• stroke

• diabetes

Psychological stress symptoms (long term)

• Dangerous behaviour

• abuse

• suicidal tendencies

STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS

1. Natural Disasters (wars, earthquakes)

2. Life Changes (death, marriage, divorce, job loss)

3. Daily Troubles (traffic, conflicts)

John Dollard & Neal Miller's 3 Conflict Types

1. Approach-Approach: Low stress

2. Avoidance-Avoidance: More stress

3. Approach-Avoidance: Most stressful

Friedman & Rosenman study of type of personality

1. Type A: competitive, impatient, aggressive, irritable

2. Type B: relax, patient, easy-going

Type A personality

High work involvement, urgency, anger-prone.

• higher heart disease risk

Type B Personality

Less anxious, more reflective, imaginative, creative.

• procrastinating

Defense Mechanisms in stress & coping strategies

Unconscious protection from anxiety by distorting reality.

Types of coping strategies

1. projection

2. regression

3. repression

4. rationalisation

5. displacement

6. sublimation

7. reaction formation

8. denial

Projection

Blame others for own traits

Regression

Child-like behaviour (thumb-sucking, nail bitting).

Repression

Suppress unacceptable feelings.

Rationalisation

creating reasons to justify actions that shouldn't happened in the first place.

Displacement

releasing anger to unrelated objects.

Sublimation

expressing emotions into acceptable outlets (drawing).

Reaction Formation

Express opposite feelings (hate pornography to suppress desire).

Denial

Reject reality of stressors

SELF-ADAPTING TO STRESS

1. Understand stress process & effects.

2. Identify sources

3. Recognize timing of stress

4. Practice appropriate coping

INDIRECT COPING METHODS

1. Confrontation: face the stress

2. Compromise: tolerate to achive goals

3. Resignation: used when other methods are not possible.

HOW TO MANAGING YOUR STRESS

1. Breathing relaxation

2. Progressive muscle relaxation

3. Visualization

4. Exercise

5. Positive thinking

6. Humor

7. Time management

8. Prayers

9. Counselling

BREATHING RELAXATION

1. Exhale completely

2. Inhale quietly through nose (4 sec)

3. Hold breath (7 sec)

4. Exhale through mouth with "whoosh" (8 sec)

5. Repeat 4 cycles

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

Tighten muscles → hold → release → affirm relaxation

VISUALIZATION

Mental imagery (pleasant, calming scenes) to create calmness

EXERCISES

• Reduces stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol).

• Boosts endorphins (natural painkillers, mood enhancers)

LAUGHS & JOKES

Laughter boosts immune system, relieves pain, improves mood.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Poor time management = high stress

• use ABC123 planning

PRAYING, MEDITATION

• Prayer provides peace & calm

• Meditation = focused concentration

• Reduces both positive & negative stress.

COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY

• Express stress to trained professional.

• help to identify root cause