Stress and physical health

stress

any challenging event that requires physiological, cognitive, or behavioral adaptation.

traumatic stress

involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to oneself or others and a reaction of intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

What is behavioral medicine

Behavioral medicine is a multidisciplinary field that investigates psychological factors in the symptoms, cause, and treatment of physical illnesses. It includes both medical and mental health professionals who specialize in promoting healthy coping through stress management, proper diet, regular exercise, and avoidance of tobacco use.

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What is the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)?

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) is a measure that assigns stress values to life events based on the judgments of a large group of normal adults.

* Term: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
* Concept: Three-stage model of the body's stress response.

* Stage 1: Alarm
* Description: Mobilization of the body in reaction to threat
* Stage 2: Resistance
* Description: Body is physiologically activated and prepared to respond to the threat
* Stage 3: Exhaustion
* Description: Occurs if the body's resources are depleted by chronic stress. The body is damaged by continuous, failed attempts to reactivate the GAS.

* Term: Illness behavior
* Concept: Behaving as if you are sick

how to cope?

Effective Coping: Involves ignoring some physical discomfort and living life as normally as possible, particularly when coping with chronic illness