Stress
and
Health
We all experience stress but we
don’t all find the same situations
stressful.
Stress means different things for
different people, and everyone
has their own way of coping with
it.
Some people can even worry
themselves sick and some
research links stress directly to
illness and death
Stress
Stress has many definitions
but we will define it as…

the experience of being
threatened by taxing
circumstances either by
internal or external factors
Stress also depends on how
people appraise or evaluate
environmental events.
Types of Stressors
Stressors



Things that cause us stress
psychologically or physically demanding
events or circumstances that lead
to stress
linked to weight gain or physical illness such
as heart disease, anxiety, and depression
catastrophic events
major life changes
minor hassles
The Physiology of Stress
Hans Selye is the big daddy of stress
research
He came up with a stage theory for stress
What does this mean??
“General Adaptation
Syndrome”
Stage 1 - Alarm
The point we recognize something
is going on

maybe a threatening situation
The sympathetic nervous system
is activated
Heart rate increases, blood is diverted
away from other body functions to
muscles needed to react
Flight or fight response
Stage 2 - Resistance
The body remains
biologically ready and tries
to fight off the stress
Hormones are released to
maintain the state of
readiness
If the resistance stage lasts
too long the body can
deplete its resources
Stage 3 - Exhaustion
Exhaustion
The body returns to normal
state
Burn Out


We can be more vulnerable
to disease in this stage
especially if our resources
were depleted by an
extended resistance
stage
Remember !!!!
Selye’s three stages
ARE a GAS
ARE =
Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion
and
GAS = General Adaptation Syndrome
Measuring Stress
Holmes and Rahe designed a test to
measure stress
Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)



Used life-changing units (LCUs)
Changes in life like changing jobs, moving, or marriage
or death
The more LCUs the more stress and risks in health
SRRS
SRRS #2 – for
minors
Coping
Efforts to manage stress

Some are good and confront the
problem and some are destructive
like the use of alcohol and drugs to
escape the problems
Factors that improve
coping




Social support
Faith Factor
Optimism – positive psychology
Perceived control – internal locus
or external locus
Personality and Stress
Type A vs. Type B
Type A


known as stress junkies – highly competitive, aggressive,
and incapable of relaxation
at a higher risk for coronary heart disease
Type B

patient, relaxed, and easy-going
Type AB – for those who are mixed