STRESS - PSYCH

Maladaptive Coping Definition

are negative ways of dealing with stress. Though these behaviours temporarily distract you from your stress, they eventually lead to physical and emotional harm.

Maladpative Examples

·        Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

·        Using drugs

·        Angry outbursts

·        Denying/ignoring the problem

·        Self – harm

·        Negative thoughts

·        Isolating yourself

·        Binge eating or eating in response to stress

Adaptive Coping Definition

empower you to change a stressful situation or adjust your emotional response to stress.

Adaptive Examples

·        Deep breathing

·        Exercise

·        Meditation

·        Positive thoughts

·        Taking a bath

·        Reading a book

·        Aromatherapy 

What is stress?

The non-specific response of the body to any demand for change. Not what happens to you but how you react to it

Name of Bad stress

Distress

Name of Good stress

Eustress

Distress description

The negative stress response, often involving negative affect and physiological reactivity: a type of stress that results from being overwhelmed by demands, losses, or perceived threats.

Eustress description

The positive stress response, involving optimal levels of stimulation; a type of stress that results from challenging but attainable and enjoyable or worthwhile tasks.

Effects of distress

triggers physiological changes that can pose serious health risks, especially if combined with maladaptive ways of coping

Effects of eustress

It has a beneficial effect by generating a sense of fulfilment or achievement and facilitating growth, development, mastery, and high levels of performance.

Examples of distress

• Living with chronic pain

from a progressive illness

like rheumatoid arthritis.

• Being unable to make your

mortgage payments and

thinking about losing your

home.

• Having someone at school,

work, or home deliberately

mistreat or ignore you

Examples of eustress

• Feeling nervous and excited

about meeting a person

you're attracted to for a first

date.

• Looking forward to

attending your graduation

ceremony.

• Training for your first

marathon.

• Planning for and going on a

vacation.

Who defined stress? what year was it?

Hans Selye (1936)

What are stressors?

Conditions of threat, challenge, demands, or structural constraints that, by the very fact of their occurrence or existence, call into question the operating integrity of the organism

Types of stressors

• Environmental

• Psychological

• Cultural

• Social

Enviornmental stressor examples

1. Cataclysmic events

2. Stressful life events

3. Daily hassles

4. Ambient stressors

Cataclysmic events

sudden catastrophes that demand major adaptive responses from all individuals directly affected by the event such as floods, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

Stressful life events

major incidents in the lives of people that typically require personal or social adaptive responses. E.g. change in family status or economic conditions.

Daily hassles

typical events of ordinary life that cause frustration, tension or irritation. Environmental events (e.g. noisy party) work issues (e.g. arguments), or interpersonal problems (e.g. arguments) are some examples.

Ambient stressors

background conditions, passing unnoticed unless they interfere with some important goal or threaten health.

Psychological stressors

Events or situations that challenge an individual's mental or emotional equilibrium. They are often subjective, varying significantly from person to person depending on their experiences, coping mechanisms, and personal resilience.

Who created the Social Adjustment Theory? What year was it created?

Holmes and Rahe, 1967

what is the social readjustment rating scale?

43 – item list of typically experienced life change events commonly used by researchers interested in the impact of stress on health and well-being

What is social adjustment?

refers to the amount and duration change in one's usual routine resulting from various life events.

What is the purpose of the social readjustment scale?

It was designed to predict the allostatic load (physiological cost) of the transient social adjustment required when certain life events occur.

Sample of the social readjustment scale

convenience sample (n = 394) of males (n = 179) and females (n = 215) who varied in age, class, education, marital status, religion and race.

Results of the social readjustment rating scale

Based on empirical work, Rahe found that a score of about 150 suggested that the respondent would remain healthy over the next 12 months while those falling ill over the same period were typically found to score >300

Role of cognitive appraisals in stress response

Who created General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)? What year/s was it?

Hans Selye, 1938;1983

What is General Adaptation Syndrome?

A process in which the body tries to accommodate stress by adapting to it.

What are some examples of the effects of chronic stress?

• Enlargement of the adrenal cortex

• Constant release of stress hormones

• Significant decrease in white blood cell count

• Bleeding ulcerations of the stomach and colon

• Death of the organism

What was the experiment that Selye undertook for GAS?

Selye's experiments were created to stess rats, which he then observed their physiological responses as a result of repeated exposure to stress

What were the stages of GAS?

1. Stage One: Alarm Reaction

2. Stage Two: Stage of Resistance

3. Stage Three: Stage of Exhaustion

What happens during the alarm reaction?

• Several body systems are activated

• Primarily Nervous + Endocrine system → Cardiovascular, Pulmonary and Musculoskeletal systems.

• All senses are put on alert until danger is over.

What happens during stage of resistance?

• Body tries to revert back to a state of physiological calmness/homeostasis by resisting the alarm.

• Perceived threat = homeostasis isn’t reached.

• Body stays active → less intensity than alarm stage but still enough to cause increased metabolic rate

in organ tissues.

• One or more organs working overtime → final stage

What happens during stage of exhaustation?

• One or more of the organs targeted by specific metabolic processes can no longer meet the demands placed upon it and fails to function properly.

• Can result in death of the organ, or possibly death of the organism.