Stress
Physical science defines stress as a pressure or a force. In psychology stress is similar. Stress is looked at as the arousal of one's mind and body in response to the pressures or forces placed upon them.
The pressures or forces are referred to as stressors. There are a multitude of stressors and we face many of them every day: driving in busy traffic, screaming kids playing on a playground, music that is too loud, several people talking to you at a loud party are just a few examples.
Not all stress is bad. Stress can drive us to do our best. Think about being in a sport's competition - the stress makes you a better competitor. Consider a time when you had a big project to do - the stress of it can make you do your best. Good stress is referred to as eustress and it is the motivation that propels us to do and be our best.
CSN and PNS
The type of stress that we usually think about is the negative stress and it is known as distress. Because most of the research has been done on distress, we will use the term stress to mean distress or the negative effects of stress.
The underlying feeling of stress is called anxiety. Anxiety is defined as a pervasive feeling of dread, apprehension and impending disaster. If you can remember back to the unit on the brain, there is a nervous system, called the parasympathetic nervous system that gets us ready for stress or what is called the fight or flight response.
Think of a time when you experienced stress and the anxiety that went with it.
What were some of the physical responses that your body had?
Earlier you learned about the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS).
The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
The PNS, which is made up of nerves and nerve networks, can be further divided into two different systems: the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
The somatic nervous system transmits sensory communication and is responsible for voluntary functions and action.
The autonomic system is responsible for controlling involuntary functions such as heartbeat, respiration, and blood pressure.
The autonomic nervous system and stress react with one another within the human body, causing anything from a fight-or-flight feeling to mental tranquility.
The human autonomic nervous system tries to alleviate stress to maintain hormonal and mental balance.
The autonomic nervous system and stress are constantly battling. The body naturally wants to remain calm and balanced, but everyday stressful life requires both the sympathetic and parasympathetic networls to work to ensure the person's overall physical and mental safety.
Stressors
As stated before, the events or situations that cause stress are called stressors. There are many stressors and what stresses one person may not stress another and what might stress you one day might not stress you another day. Some common stressors that affect many people are: frustration, life changes, and conflict.
We all experience frustration at being blocked from obtaining a goal. Some types of frustrations are being late for school due to traffic problems, doing the wrong homework assignment, time crunches of trying to get everything done in a day and not enjoying your classes or job.
These frustrations may appear minor but if you are unable to avoid the constant hassle that they render, stress may result.
Stressful Events
Life changes, even good ones, bring stress. Two researchers, Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, devised a Social Readjustment Rating Scale that applies point values for some stressful events that people face.
These events range from death of spouse to less minor events such as vacations and Christmas.
The researchers assigned point values for these events and the higher a person scores, the more prone they may be to the negative effects of stress.
Another source of stress is conflict which is being pulled in two or more directions by opposing forces.
Conflict
Psychology has identified three types of conflict.
- Approach-Approach
- Opposing Forces - All options are good, but we have to make a choise
- Example: Deciding what to order at a restaurant
- Approach-Avoidance
- Opposing Forces - One option is good, the other is not; but the bad one needs consideration.
- Example: Going out with friends or helping Dad clean the garage. He needs the help and will be more willing to let you have the car on the weekend.
- Avoidance-Avoidnace
- Opposing Forces - All options are unattractive
- Example: Getting your tonsils out or enduring the pain.
General Adaptation Syndrome
When we are forced to make decisions, there is always some stress.
Of course, the approach-approach conflict has the least amount of stress since all of the options are positive. The avoidance-avoidance has the most stress since all options could be considered negative.
Stress researcher, Han Selye (1976) found that different stress situations produced similar responses by the body. He called this response the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). The GAS has three stages; an alarm stage, a resistance stage, and an exhaustion stage.
The first stage is the alarm stage and it is the stage where the person perceives that there is something wrong.
The sympathetic nervous system kicks in and the body prepares itself for fight or flight. The body gets ready by producing hormones that make it more alert to the environment. The main hormones produced are adrenalin, noradrenalin, and corticosteroids and they prepare the body to face the stressors.
There is also an increase in heart rate, the pupils dilate, breath quickens, and the senses become alert and sensitve to stimuli. Fear and anxiety are also a part of this stage because these emotions help keep the person alert and able to focus on the immediate danger at hand.
The second stage is resistance: the physiological changes stabilize as coping begins (i.e. you begin to take action).
Physiological arousal is high, but begins to level off.
Though many stressors can lead to death, in the event a person survives the danger, without overcoming it, that person's body attempts to adjust to the new conditions as best it can.
Extra energy is invested in the immune system, and though the person may seem relatively calm, the body is working much harder while moving through the resistance stage than it does in a state of low or no stress.
The final stage is the exhaustion stage.
At this phase, the stress has continued for some time. Your body's ability to resist is lost because its adaptation energy supply is gone.
Often referred to as overload, burnout, adrenal fatigue, maladaptation or dysfunction. Here is where stress levels go up and stays up!
The adaptation process is over and not surprisingly this stage of the general adaptation syndrome is the most hazardous to your health.
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress can damage nerve cells in tissues and organs. Particularly vulnerable is the hippocampus section of the brain. Thinking and memory are likely to become impaired, with tendency toward anxiety and depression.
There can also be adverse function of the autonomic nervous system that contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other stress related illness.
Physical responses to stress reduce the functioning of our immune system. The immune system helps us avoid and fight off germs. When the immune system is compromised, as in the case of stress, we are more prone and open to illnesses. Think of the times that you have been stressed and the illnesses that may have resulted. Flu, headaches, and more serious diseases can result as a reaction to prolonged stress.
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