What do you do when you are really stressed out?

1
What do you do when you are really stressed out?

• Write down two things

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Health Psychology (Chapter 15)

• What is health psychology?
• Health and wellness
• Stress and coping
• Course Evaluation

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Definition

• Mind - Physical health
• Psychological - Physiological
• Case 12 year-old has neurofibromitosis
• Psychological ramifications for boy and family,
  depression, mortality
• Psychologist can provide counselling, coping with
  medical procedures
• Comorbid learning and behavior problems at school

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Health Psychology

• Maintenance of wellness
• Lifestyle, keeping people active and fit
• Prevention of illness
• Smoking, drinking, AIDS-risk
• Response to illness
• If here is no medical cause of pain, send for the
  psychologist!

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Stress

• Stressors are situations or events that threaten
  or challenge us
• Driving to Kentville is easy doing it in 6
  minutes is not
• Stressors can be negative (distress) or positive
  (eustress)
• Social Readjustment Rating Scale
• 43 life changes that lead to stress

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General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Stressor
Resources, Resistance
Base line
Resistance
Exhaustion
Alarm
Time
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Stages

• Alarm Fight or flight response
• Adrenaline rush, energy, corticosteroids
  (clotting)
• Resistance
• Energy used but not as rapidly, immune response
• Exhaustion Body cannot fight
• Infections, illness, sores

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Common Sources of Stress

• Work/ Education-related problems
• EAP Programs
• Bereavement and Loss
• Mortgage, Health insurance
• Poverty and Powerlessness
• Social safety net

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Biopsychosocial model
Psychological factors
Health, Wellness
Social factors
Biological factors
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What do you do when you are really stressed out?

• Write down two things

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Personality

• Threats have a cognitive component
• challenge vs. a crisis
• Primary appraisal How threatening is something
• e.g., sharp pain in head
• Secondary appraisal Coping
• Problem, emotion, and avoidance-oriented coping