Psychbio Effects of stress

Types of stress

Acute, Chronic, Cumulative

Biological symptoms

Physical manifestations like headaches and fatigue.

Psychological symptoms

Emotional issues such as irritability and mood swings.

Social symptoms

Withdrawal from social activities and relationships.

Stress-brain loop

Cycle where stress affects brain function and vice versa.

Polyvagal theory

Explains three vagal states affecting emotional regulation.

Vagal states

Ventral, Sympathetic, Dorsal

Mental health continuum

A spectrum showing varying mental health states.

Chronic stress

Long-term stress impacting health and well-being.

Anxiety

Excessive worry affecting mental health and focus.

Acute Stress

Stress that lasts for a relatively short time.

Cumulative Stress

When a number of stressors occur at the same time or one after the other and the person has not had the opportunity or time to recover,

GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Cognitive Bias

Way of thinking that is faulty, resulting in a mistaken or irrational understanding of reality.

Catastrophic Thinking

Overthinking

Trauma

Has impact on various aspects of an individual's psychological, emotional, and physiological well-being.

Social Comparison

Is a proposal that humans measure their self-worth in relation to the people around them, playing a significant role in mental wellbeing.

Mentally Healthy

Manage emotions, enjoy life, good resillience

Mental Health Problem

Difficulty concentrating, loss of energy, social withdrawal

Mental disorder

Impacts everyday life, long lasting, diagnosable

Biological causes

The stress brain loop, GABA dysfunction

Psychological causes

Cognitive bias, catastrophic thinking

Social Causes

Trauma, Social comparison

Ventral Vagal

Safe, Social, Comfortable

Sympathetic

Fight or flight response

Dorsal Vagal

Immobilised, Collapsed, Dissociated

Steps in stress brain loop

Increase in hormones, Changes in the hippocampus, decreased regulation in cortisol levels