Stress

 

Components of stress :

1) the external component : (stressor) involves :

a)environmental circumstances as natural disasters.

b)changing life events as losing a job

c)chronic conditions as crowding and poverty.

 

2)internal components :emotional and physical response of the body to stressor  (strain)

 

a)Alarm :fight & flight by release of adrenaline.

b)resistance:persistance of high levels of hormones to adapt.

c)Exhaustion :leads to depression

 

3)the interaction between the two components.

 

Physiological responses to stress:

1-Effort with distress

2--Effort without distress :joyous statewith successful coping and positive emotions.

3-distress without effort :found in depression

 

stress mediators :

they are factors capable of increasing or decreasing the effects of stress

 

1-Type A and type B behavior :

type A :competitive ,goal striving without joy ,impatient ,angry ,hostile ,take more activities thus increase no. of stresses)

2-type B: non competitive ,engoys the process as much as the goal ,patient ,little anger and hostility.

 

2-social support :

the greater the number of family and friends and the greater no. of group activities the longer one is likely to live.

 

3-personal control :having a sense of control makes it easier to deal with life every day problems. A loss of control makes stress even more difficult to handle.

Three concepts are essential to identify this issue

a)Locus of control

person locates responsibility for his successes and failures.

*people with internal locus :take the responsibility for what happens to them.

*people with an external locus believe that outside forces or chance or fate ,luck ,other people control their lives.

*so internals have an advantage because they believe they are in control of their own health

 

b)self-efficacy :person belief in his ability to succeed at a task to cope  (I can do) such as quitting smoking and control weight

 

c)Learned helplessness :

there is nothing you can do to make a difference , develop when people repeatedly fail in situations .*they don t try to succeed ,low self-esteem.

 

4-Hardiness : 3 characteristics

a)commitment :actively involved in work

b)control :sense or feeling of being able to influence events.

c)challenge :change as opportunity for growth rather than theat.

 

5-Exercise level:

can help reduce anxiety and depression and increase feelings of well-being.

 

6-Humor ,sense of humor

humorous videotapes

 

7-Spiritual support

perceiving support from god.

 

Some other methods for managing stress :

a)Medication

b)relaxation training :muscle relaxation techniques

c)distract oneself from stressful situation as reading ,recreation .