Psych Chapter 13: Stress and Health

Stressors

Events that cause stress (e.g., exams, job loss)

Stress

Physical and psychological response to stressors

Chronic Stress

Long-term stress, harmful to health

Perceived Control 

Belief about how much control you have - determines how stressful something feels

Learned Helplessness

When repeated exposure to uncontrollable events leads to passive resignation.
Ex: dog receiving shocks with no escape stops trying.

Physiological Stress Reactions

HPA Axis, Fight-or-Flight, General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

HPA Axis

Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal glands: release cortisol and catecholamines (epi, norepi)

Fight-or-Flight

Automatic reaction preparing the body for danger 

General Adaptation Sydrome (GAS)

Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion: breakdown

PTSD

Chronic stress response after trauma: Flashbacks, avoidance, negative mood, hypervigilance

Mind Management

Threat vs. Challenge, Repressive and Rational Coping, Reframing, Stress Inoculation Training

Threat vs. Challenge

Threat: I can’t handle this. Challenge: I can take this on

Repressive Coping 

Avoiding the situation and emotions

Rational Coping

Acceptance, Exposure, Understanding

Reframing

Changing how you think about a stressor 

Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)

Teaching skills to deal with future stress

Body Management

Mindfulness, Relaxation, Biofeedback

Mindfulness Meditation 

Present-moment focus

Relaxation Therapy 

Muscle relaxation, slow breathing

Biofeedback

Using monitoring devices to gain control over bodily processes