Chapter Outline

WHAT IS STRESS?

• Dr. Hans Selye, known as the "father of stress", defined it as "the nonspecific response of the human organism to any demand made upon it."

• It's the way your mind and body react to any demand (i.e., new, threatening, or exciting situation, pleasant or unpleasant) made upon them.

• Nonspecific means that the body reacts the same regardless of the cause.

• Stressors are factors causing stress and can be real or imagined and of different types (physical or emotional).

• Good stress is termed eustress (Christmas, birthdays, getting a new puppy).

• Bad stress is termed distress (breakup of a relationship, flunking an exam).

• Optimal stress is a point at which stress is intense enough to motivate us to perform optimally, yet not intense enough to cause the body to overreact.

• A certain amount of stress is beneficial for health and achievement. Too much exhausts the body's ability to adapt and stress illnesses may appear.

THE STRESS RESPONSE - A THREE STAGE PROCESS

• Dr. Selye called the entire stress response the General Adaptation Process (GAS) - today it is simply called the Stress Response.

• STAGE I is termed the fight-or-flight (or alarm reaction).

• All stressors provoke the fight-or-flight response to some degree and cause physiological responses to occur. The body prepares to cope with the stressor.
• Body's reaction: increased adrenalin, heart rate, and fats in the blood, blood pressure, muscular tension, cholesterol, HCL, respiration, blood clotting mechanisms, perspiration, and urination; all senses primed; digestion ceases.
• Cavemen relied on the fight-or-flight response for survival. Today we don't rely on it so much. We see it only in cases of "super human" acts (a person lifts an automobile off an injured individual at an accident scene).

• STAGE II is termed Stage of Resistance. In this stage the body actively resists and tries to cope with the stressor. The longer the body must resist or stay in the "on guard" stage, increases the harmful effects caused by the stressor (headaches, anxiety attack, high blood pressure).

• STAGE III is termed Stage of Exhaustion. This is when adaptation energy is exhausted and signs of alarm reaction reappear and the body or body part gives out. Death may result.

• We usually adapt to stress and make adjustments in order to cope before this final stage.

PERCEPTION AND CONTROL

• We are all different and each of us perceives stressors in a different light. The same stressor may be seen as threatening to one and not to another. (How do you perceive public speaking?)

People who handle stress best tend to control their lives and look for active solutions to their problems.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF STRESS

• Stress is normal. It's part of being alive. Today, stress has increased dramatically. Stress overload can lead to psychosomatic diseases (CHD, stroke, ulcers, migraines, cancer, allergies, asthma).

• When stress is prolonged it can depress the immune system and lower the body's resistance to disease.

MEASURING YOUR STRESS

• Self-assessments such as the Life Event Stress Test have been developed to measure the number of stressful events in one's life. This test is found in Table 8.2. what is your score?

• This test is an effective tool when used to anticipate life events you can control.

DAILY HASSLES AND UPLIFTS

• Daily hassles are those events or interactions in one's daily life that are bothersome, annoying or negative (traffic jams, parking tickets, losing things). The average person is more likely to be nibbled to death by hassles as to be overwhelmed by tragedies.

• Daily uplifts are the positive events or interactions in one's daily life that make us feel good or happy (relating well to spouse, lover or friends; payday; receiving a letter or phone call). Uplifts may protect from stress disease.

TYPE A BEHAVIOR AND STRESS

• When Type A individual exhibits personality traits of hostility and anger an increased risk of heart attack occurs. Type A behavior (competitive, ambitious, driven, impatient, workaholic) may lead to hostility, anger, and cynicism and eventually heart attack.

• People exhibiting hostility and anger in response to stress produce extra stress hormones that have a damaging effect on the cardiovascular system.

THE HOT REACTOR

• Hot reactors can be either Type A or B (relaxed, noncompetitive, patient). They exhibit extreme reactions to daily stress.

• Systolic blood pressure can blow up to 300 in the face of ordinary, mundane stess (road rage -being cut off in traffic).

TYPE A BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

• Even the most severe Type A's and hot reactors can learn to modify their behavior and successfully control their reaction to stress in a more healthful way. No one is born with this response to stress.

THE STRESS-RESISTANT HARDY PERSON

• Some people, who in spite of stress-packed lives, seem insulated from the negative effects of their hectic pace. Who are they these hardy, effective copers?
• They are Type A's but have been relabeled Type C's.

• Type C's are optimists with strong immune systems and possess five unique traits for adapting to life's stress. Called the Five Cs:

• Control - opposite of helplessness, planners, list makers.
• Commitment - opposite of alienation, they have meaningful involvement with family, community and job.
• Challenge - perceive change as a challenge and opportunity not a threat.
• Choices in Lifestyle - they make lifestyle choices that enhance health and reduce stress.
• Connectedness - they have a sense of connectedness to others and have close friends.

BUILDING SKILLS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT

• Dr. Herbert Benson discovered that the relaxation response is the body's innate defense mechanism against the harmful effects of the inappropriate elicitation of the fight-or-flight response and that it can be produced with effort and training in relaxation techniques.

• The five skills and strategies involved in stress management include:

• Strategy #1 Exercise - regular exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress, mental and physical tension, anxiety, and aggressive feelings. It increases the release of endorphins, brain chemicals that produce a relaxed state.
• Strategy #2 Relaxation Techniques - these include meditation, autogenic training and imagery, Jacobson's progressive relaxation, abdominal breathing, Hatha yoga, massage, and biofeedback training.
• Strategy #3 Lifestyle Change - This involves the impact of diet (reducing caffeine, sugar, and sodium); learning time management skills; eliminating alcohol, illegal drugs, and cigarettes; getting plenty of sleep; developing satisfying relationships; learning when to seek the help and support of others; and balancing work and play.
• Strategy #4 Reframing - means to consciously reinterpret a situation in a more positive light (also learning to laugh more).
• Strategy #5 Create a Memory Bank - take five minutes of every day to savor the special experiences of your life.