Understanding Stress and General Adaptation Syndrome

• Stress is a combination of threatening demands and those that tax our resources.
• Stress is also a perceived threat that strains or exceeds resources, or the body's reaction to emotionally disturbing or threatening events.

Nature of Stress

• All individuals experience stress in some capacity.
• A life without stress is equivalent to death.
• Life naturally progresses over a series of obstructions.
• Stressful elements are mostly kept in check, failure to do so can result in harmful effects on physical or psychological health.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• Alarm Phase: Initial phase where the experience is very stressful.
• Resistance Phase: Adaptation occurs as one gets used to the stressor.
• Exhaustion Phase: The individual can no longer cope, leading to potential health issues like hypertension, MCI, depression, or suicide.

Sources of Stress: Environmental

• Military personnel/Airmen deployed in harsh terrain, along with their spouses, experience environmental stress.
• Exposure to extreme heat or cold can be a source of stress.
• Noise, altitude, and chemicals contribute to environmental stress.
• Rain or drought can also induce environmental stress.
• Laborers and construction workers are exposed to environmental stressors.

Sources of Stress: Occupational

• Heavy truck drivers face occupational stress.
• Cardiac and brain surgeons experience high-stress work environments.

Sources of Stress: Social

• Social isolation can be a significant source of stress.
• A difficult marriage can lead to social stress.
• Experiences of death and retirement can induce stress.
• Social friction and interpersonal demands can create stress.

Sources of Stress: Physiological

• Chronic illness causes physiological stress.
• Excessive physical demands from one's job can result in stress

Sources of Stress: Psychological

• Personality types (Type A & B) can influence stress levels.
• Paranoia, anxiety disorders, OCD, and IBS are linked to psychological stress.

Symptoms of Stress

• Mood changes include irritation, depression, and aggression.
• Thinking patterns are dominated by negative thoughts.
• Maladaptive behaviors like excessive smoking, drinking, or self-harm may arise.
• Physiological disturbances include sleep problems, weight changes, appetite issues, and libido changes.
• Diseases such as gastrointestinal, heart, or autoimmune disorders can manifest.

This material covers the nature of stress as a combination of threatening demands and the body's reaction to emotionally disturbing events. It also covers the General Adaptation Syndrome's alarm, resistance, and exhaustion phases. Environmental sources of stress, such as those experienced by military personnel, are also mentioned.