Stress: Causes and Effects Lecture PDF

STRESS: -CAUSES. -EFFECTS. Dr. Zamzam Ahmed A t the end of the presentation the learner will be able to Define stress recognize severity of stress Stages of stress Ability to differentiate between positive and negative stress Describe signs & symptoms of stress Causes of st...

STRESS: -CAUSES. -EFFECTS. Dr. Zamzam Ahmed A t the end of the presentation the learner will be able to Define stress recognize severity of stress Stages of stress Ability to differentiate between positive and negative stress Describe signs & symptoms of stress Causes of stress Managing stress Coping strategies of stress  what we mean by stress? Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel Threat, Frustration, Pressures and conflict. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. DEFINITION: A conscious or unconscious psychological feeling or physical situation which comes as a result of physical or mental 'positive or negative pressure' to overwhelm adaptive capacities. Severity of stress There are many different kinds of stress. However, based on research studies about the types of stress in psychology, stress can be divided into three primary types: 1.Acute stress. 2.Episodic acute stress. 3.Chronic stress.  1. A cut e st ress Acute stress results from your body’s reaction to a new or challenging situation. It’s that feeling you get from an approaching deadline or when you narrowly avoid being hit by a car. We can even experience it as a result of something we enjoy. Like an exhilarating ride on a roller coaster or an outstanding personal achievement. Acute stress is classified as short-term. Usually, emotions and the body return to their normal state relatively soon.  2. Episodic acute stress Episodic acute stress is when acute stresses happen on a frequent basis. This can be because of repeatedly tight work deadlines. It can also be because of the frequent high-stress situations experienced by some professionals, such as healthcare workers. With this type of stress, we don’t get time to return to a relaxed and calm state. And the effects of the high-frequency acute stresses accumulate. It often leaves us feeling like we are moving from one crisis to another.  3. Chronic stress Chronic stress is the result of stressors that continue for a long period of time. Examples include living in a high-crime neighborhood or constantly fighting with your life partner. This type of stress feels never-ending. We often have difficulty seeing any way to improve or change the situation that is the cause of our chronic stress. fight-flight-freeze response  Amygdala sending signals Threat Hypothalamus fight stimulates or sympathetic flight nervous system Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) parasympathetic freezing nervous systems Major categories of stress ◦ Daily Life ◦ Major Life Events ◦ Internal Stressors ◦ Daily Life ◦ They are the minor stressors which are short-term or less severe such as events or problems including traffic, peer/work relations, time pressures. ◦ They can cause feelings of sickness, and lack of sleep and concentration ◦ Major Life Events ◦ They are either positive or negative, which create major emotional changes or require amounts of adjustments. ◦ They include personal crisis (health issues, death in family, divorce, financial problems). Major age related transitions such as marriage, child birth, career or retirement  EX ◦ THE LIFE EVENTS SCALES FOR STRESS Life Event Value ◦ ü Death of spouse 100 8.885 ◦ ü Divorce 73 ◦ ü Death of close relative 63 ◦ ü Marriage 50 ◦ ü Fired from job 47 ◦ ü Pregnancy 40 ◦ ü Relationship difficulties 39 ◦ ü Change in finances 38 ◦ ü Death of close friend 37 ◦ ü Son/daughter leaving home 29 ◦ ü Trouble with in-laws 29 ◦ Internal Stressors ◦ Lifestyle choices: Caffeine, Lack of sleep’ Overloaded schedule ◦ Negative self: Pessimistic thinking, Over analyzing ◦ Mind traps: Unrealistic expectations, All or nothing thinking ◦ Personality traits: Perfectionists ◦ Chronic worry ◦ Rigid thinking Components of Stress ◦ Threat ◦ Frustration ◦ Pressures ◦ conflict Threat is the fear of being harmed physically or emotionally e.g. Worrying of not being invited in the party Being afraid to walk after dark Frustration refers to when the demands are not met e.g. Not able to complete assignment on deadline because sister is using the computer Pressures having to measure up to an expectation or standard e.g. To compete at higher level to get top rank because of high expectations from parents Conflicts occurs when two or more needs oppose e.g. Friend want to go to party as well as want to come to your home Effects of stress BEHAVIOUR Eating too much/little Food cravings Sudden anger outbursts Substance abuse Increased tobacco consumption Alienation I Frequent crying Relationship problems General Adaptation Syndrome "STAGES OF STRESS"  STAGES OF STRESS ALARM STAGE Primary stage The sympathetic nervous system 2 and adrenal glands is activated. oct RESISTANCE STAGE The stress hormones continues to released s 3 EXHAUSTION STAGE Completely tired and drained , EXHAUSTION Hormones release. c Result: heart diseases, blood The body continues to fight physical symptoms. pressure and ulcers fight –flight acut stress pay Yams  y Classification of stress Positive stress Negative stress is called Distress is called Eustress Chronic stress Acute stress Cause anxiety Mental alertness Can be short or long term Motivation & focuses energy Decreases performance High efficiency death of spouse or being It is short term neglected Increases performance  Signs & symptoms of stress EMOTIONAL COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS Inability to concentrate Irritability/moodiness Memory problems end Agitation/inability to relax Pessimism Overwhelmed Anxiety Loneliness Depression/ BEHAVIOURAL Constant worrying PHYSICAL unhappiness SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS Eating more/less Aches/pains Sleeping too much/little Diarrhea/constipation Isolation Nausea/dizziness Substance abuse Accelerated pulse rate Nervousness – nail-biting, Frequent colds pacing tree What causes stress? Family history: People who have a history of mental health issues in the family may usually have problems with anxiety. Stressful events: Stress at the workplace, loss of a loved one, or troubled relationships, can also trigger symptoms of anxiety. Health issues: Ailments such as thyroid problems, asthma, diabetes or a heart disease can also cause anxiety. People suffering from depression can also develop symptoms of anxiety disorders. Personality factors: 85 8 Sometimes, people with certain personality traits such as perfectionists or people who like to be in control, develop anxiety- related issues.  Model of stress 2 ◦ Models of stress: (A) The Stimulus-Based Model of Stress Eff ◦ It proposed that life changes (LIFE EVENTS) or (STRESSORS), either positive or negative, need are stressors that tax the adaptation capacity of an individual, causing physiological and psychological strains that lead to health problems. ◦ 2(They developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS). They hypothesized that people with higher scores in the SRRS, -that is major life changes-are more likely to experience physical or mental illness. ◦ There is some supporting evidence to this, but the correlation is fairly low. Moreover, this theory was criticized as ignoring the cognitive aspects of the effects of stress. ◦ Models of stress (B)The Response-Based Model of Stress ◦ This model emphasizes the common physiological consequences of stressful situation. ◦ It is similar to the “Fight or Flight” response, which occurs in situation that perceived as very threatening. ◦ The response is a physiological one in which arousal of the sympathetic nervous system results in many physiological and somatic changes and finally disruption of homeostasis. Can happy events cause stress?  Stress Relief Strategies 1. Body relaxation exercises - breathing techniques - guided imagery 2. Physical exercise -yoga -work out routine 3. Medication 4. Counseling -psychotherapy -Life coaching  COPING STRATEGIES OF STRESS: Healthy Ways Unhealthy Ways Distance yourself from the source Smoking of stress. Substance abuse Directly attempt to change the Procrastinating source of stress. Isolation Take responsibility for the situation Catastrophic Thinking Challenge previously held beliefs Taking out your stress on others that are no longer adaptive. Toxic positivity Maintain emotionally supportive Overworking relationships. ABC strategies to control stress ◦ Awareness ◦ Balance ◦ Control ◦ A= AWARENESS: ◦ What causes you stress? ◦ How do you react? ◦ B = BALANCE: ◦ There is a fine line between positive /negative stress. ◦ How much can you cope with stress before it becomes negative? ◦ C = CONTROL: ◦ What can you do to help yourself combat the negative effects of stress? Stress Management Techniques ◦ Stress Management Techniques There are 3 ways to manage stress: ◦ Change your thinking ◦ Change your behaviour ◦ Change your lifestyle ◦ Change Your Thinking A person can change his thinking through: Re-framing to Positive thinking Re-framing is a technique to change the way a person looks at things in order to feel better about them. There are many ways to interpret a certain situation. So, pick the one you like ◦ Change Your Thinking ◦ Reframing: o Re-framing does not change the external reality, but helps you view things in a different light and less stressfully. (Challenge your Beliefs & put it in right perspectives) ◦ Change Your Thinking ◦ Positive Thinking: Forget powerlessness, dejection, despair, failure ◦ Stress leaves us vulnerable to negative suggestion so focus on positives; ◦ Focus on your strengths ◦ Change Your Thinking ◦ Change Your Behavior ◦ Be assertive ◦ Get organized ◦ Ventilation ◦ Humor ◦ and distraction ◦ Change Your Lifestyle Diet : Light Diet ◦ Exercise: Do it regularly ◦ Sleep: Have enough sleep ◦ Leisure: Have time for yourself ◦ Relaxation: Daily for at least 5-10 Minutes self talk ◦ Strategies To Reduce Stress follow a written plan, set goals and follow through ◦ Do the most important things first. That way, even if you don’t finish the list, you get the most important things done ◦ you may think you are the only person in the world who is experiencing stress, the fact is that everyone experiences it sometime ◦ Talk to someone: Find someone you trust, discuss the problems and look for solutions). o Visualize: Sit comfortably and think of a favorite place. Imagine yourself in a successful situation. o Breathe: Sit quietly, and breathe deeply and slowly. Continue for five or six breaths. It is calming and the extra dose of oxygen increases the brain’s thinking ability Difference between defensive mechanism and coping strategies DEFENCIVE MECHANISM IN STRESS: Repression Reaction formation Projection Rationalization Intellectualization Displacement Regression Sublimation Identification Compensation Denial Fantasy Reference: C. (n.d.). Stressors: Coping Skills and Strategies. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6392-stress-coping- with-lifes-stressors Stress and your health: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Stress and Your Health: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003211.htm Stein, D. J., Hollander, E., & Rothbaum, B. O. (Eds.). (2009, August 17). Textbook of Anxiety Disorders. Thank You! Appendix:  fight-flight-freeze response The reaction begins in your amygdala, the part of your brain responsible for perceived fear. The amygdala responds by sending signals to the hypothalamus, which stimulates the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system drives the fight-or-flight response, while the parasympathetic nervous system drives freezing. How you react depends on which system dominates the response at the time. In general, when your ANS is stimulated, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone Can happy events cause stress? Some of these situations are often thought of as happy events. For example, you might feel expected to be happy or excited about getting married or having a baby. But these events can bring big changes, and you might experience new or unusual demands. So they can still feel very stressful. This can be difficult to deal with, especially if you also feel pressure to be positive.