Chapter 3 Managing Stress: Restoring MindBody Harmony

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Chapter 3Managing Stress Restoring MindBody
Harmony
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How Stress Occurs

• Stress occurs as a result of the interplay of
  environmental situations and life events and the
  mental, emotional, and physical reactions.
• Harm-and-loss situations Stress occurs because
  an important need is not met.
• Threat situations Perceived or interpreted as
  potentially causing harm or loss.
• Challenge situations Major life transitions that
  are opportunities for growth.
• Positive challenges create eustress negative
  challenges create distress.

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The Mental Component of Stress

• The appraisal of a situation as absolutely or
  potentially damaging to ones physical or
  psychological well-being or a threat to ones
  survival
• Believing that ones personal resources are
  insufficient

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The Emotional Component of Stress

• Consists of unpleasant emotions that arise from
  ones appraisal of a situation as harmful or
  threatening and ones resources for protection as
  limited

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The Components of Stress
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Factors Affecting the Experience of Stress

• Predictability
• Control
• Belief in outcome
• Social support

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The Fight-or-Flight Response

• The response activates coordinated discharge of
  sympathetic nervous system and portions of the
  parasympathetic nervous system and of hormones,
  especially epinephrine.
• Emotions arise in the limbic system, and
  subsequent physiological response is mediated by
  the hypothalamus.

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The Fight-or-Flight Response

• Fight-or-flight responses include
• Elevated heart rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• Constricted blood vessels
• Dilated pupils
• Alert, aroused state
• Liberation of glucose and fatty acids for quick
  energy

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Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

• Stressful thoughts activate secretion of
  corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) from the
  hypothalamus.
• CRF stimulates release of ACTH from the
  pituitary.
• ACTH stimulates releases of cortisol from the
  adrenal glands.
• Cortisol helps provide energy for responding to
  stress.
• Extended cortisol release suppresses the immune
  system.

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Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis
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How Stress Contributes to Illness

• Causes the mind to become worn down
• Weakens immunity
• Motivates unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to
  deal with stress

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Illness from Stress

• Emotions from stress change physiology
• Impairment of heart and immune function
• Trying to modify stressful emotions can foster
  unhealthy behaviors
• Smoking, drinking alcohol, other drug use
• Not engaging in health-promoting activities
• Regular exercise, proper nutrition, sufficient
  sleep

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General Adaptation Syndrome

• Prolonged stress produces a characteristic
  response called the general adaptation syndrome
  (GAS).
• Activation of GAS can lead to profound changes in
  vital body organs.
• Animals receiving mild electric shocks develop
  ulcers.
• Air traffic controllers have high incidence of
  ulcers and other gastrointestinal illness.

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General Adaptation Syndrome

• Three phases
• Stage of alarm A persons ability to withstand
  or resist a stressor is lowered by the need to
  deal with the stressor, no matter what the
  stressor is.

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General Adaptation Syndrome

• Stage of resistance The body adapts to the
  continued presence of the stressor by producing
  more epinephrine, increasing alertness and blood
  pressure, and suppressing the immune system if
  prolonged, the ability to resist is depleted.
• Stage of exhaustion When the ability to resist
  is depleted, the person becomes ill this can
  take months or years.

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General Adaptation Syndrome
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a
  serious, long-lasting psychological condition
  produced by stress.
• PTSD results from stress caused by involvement in
  war, living through a natural disaster, rape,
  physical assault, life-threatening illness, or
  any other traumatic experience.

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Diagnosis based on the following symptoms
• Flashbacks to the traumatizing event or recurrent
  thoughts and dreams of the experience
• Difficulty sleeping
• Outbursts of anger
• Being hyperalert and easily startled
• Little interest in daily activities
• Feeling cut off from others
• A sense of having a limited future

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Managing Stress

• Eliminate interaction with the stressor.
• Change beliefs and goals.
• Seek support from those you trust.
• Use a variety of strategies to cope with stress.
  
• Practice versatile coping and passive coping.

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What You Can Do About Stress

• We often contribute to our own stress.
• Be mindful to decrease the time your mind swirls
  around the stress in your life.