Running head: RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT
The Forms of Stress
Tamra Rehak
HWE415: Stress Management
Dr. McMahon
March 4th, 2018
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Abstract
Life presents people with a variety of stressors, from a variety of sources, which may be tolerated
for a number of years. An individual living with the symptoms of chronic stress may experience
changes to mental and physical health in ways such as illness, depression, disease, etc. Behavior
change theory and motivational strategies may be used to mitigate one’s stress response as well
as implementing stress coping strategies. Cultural differences have been shown to play a role in
stress and stress management as different races have differing physiological responses to stress.
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The Forms of Stress
Stress causes a variety of responses within human beings. Once a stressor impacts a
person, they will have one of, or a combination of stress induced responses. Such responses are
known as the physiological, social, and emotional effects of stress. Stress is also linked to a
higher likelihood of disease and illness among persons without coping strategies.
Stress Response
When a stressor is experienced, the brain responds by activating the amygdala which
sends a signal to the hypothalamus resulting in a flight or fight response. This activates the
automatic nervous system which consists of the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic
(rest and digest) systems (Greenburg 2017). These processes result in physiological, social, and
emotional stress responses.
The physiological response occurs in the body after a stressor has been experienced. The
sympathetic nervous system (fight) activates adrenal glands which excrete adrenaline (the
hormone epinephrine) into the blood stream. This results in the increases of heart rate, circulation
of blood to muscles and organs, and elevated blood pressure. Coinciding with these changes are
increased lung capacity and more rapid breathing to facilitate a higher level of oxygen delivery
to muscles and the brain. These physiological effects result in increased mental acuity, sharpened
perception, and an increased nutrient supply in the blood stream (Harvard Health, 2011).
Social Effects
According to Donald Lloyd of the University of Toronto, the majority of research conducted by
sociologists has linked mental health issues with matters such as socio-economic status, marital
status, sex, and occupation (Turner, 1995). Such environmental and status related stressors cause
individuals to exhibit changes in social behaviors. Of course, psychological and behavioral
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changes are not limited by the type of stress being tolerated by an individual. It is by one’s
expression of a decline in mood, or symptomatic indication of depression that identifies the
effect of stress upon an individual and their social interactions. Withdrawal, job performance,
suicidal ideation, are all gauges of social effect.
Emotional Response
The American Psychological Association recognizes that stress leads to a variety of
emotional responses. Emotional distress is made up of a combination of “anger or irritability,
anxiety and depression” (APA, n.d.). They go on to describe how muscular problems such as
heartburn, acid stomach, and muscular tensions further deteriorate an individuals emotional state.
Thus, emotional responses to stress affect one’s mental and physiological well being in a
negative capacity when left unmanaged.
Disease and Illness
Stress-induced immune dysregulation describes the processes affected by stress when
communicated between the central nervous system and the immune system. Examples of such a
condition include but are not limited to: immunity suppression, higher risk of viral infection,
diabetes, ulcers, plaque buildup in arteries, psychiatric illness, heart disease, depression,
schizophrenia, and tumor development (Salleh, 2008). “Overwhelmingly, it is psychological,
rather than physiological stress, which activates the stress response chronically enough to have
disease consequences. 4. The power of purely psychological states to alter stress-related
physiology implies that thought and emotion can make us sick” (Sapolsky, 2007).
Cultural Differences
A study by the Florida State University examined racial differences in the relationship
between late-life stress and health. By obtaining data from biracial samples of older adults,
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researchers were able to analyze the causality of perceived social support (PSS) and health. PSS
is the variable as stress while be perceived in varying amounts by the sample group. The study
concluded that PSS had a positive effect on health functioning and that Caucasians saw PSS
useful at low stress levels and that African Americans had a positive effect with PSS regardless
of their stress levels (Sheffler & Sachs-Ericsson, 2016).
Mitigation
Behavior change theory is an effort to improve a person’s stress responses through the
use of behavior modification. An example of behavior modification would be to encourage an
individual to modify their perceived threats, and to set expectations. Within a given time frame,
an individual could attempt to implement perceived expectations in the hopes of taking action
and carrying on with behavior directed at reducing their previous perceptions.
If I am anxious at work and its making me paranoid and sick, perhaps I could begin
meditating and when I’m comfortable, talk with my supervisor about how I feel. In this example,
A perceived threat is mitigated by modifying behavior and taking action. This then is a way of
lessoning the expression of stress response.
Discussion
Stress in its many forms, is capable of causing changes within a person’s mental and
physical health in ways such as illness, depression, disease, etc. Behavior change theory and
motivational strategies may be used to mitigate one’s stress response as well as implementing
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stress coping strategies. Cultural differences have been shown to play a role in stress and stress
management as different races have differing physiological responses to stress.
References
APA. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved from Stress: The Different Kinds of
Stress: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds.aspx
Greenburg, J. (2017). Comprehensive Stress Management. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Harvard Health. (2011, March 18). Understanding the Stress Response. Retrieved from Harvard
Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-thestress-response
Nixon, A. M. (2011). "Can work make you sick? A meta-analysis of the relationships between
job stressors and physical symptoms." . Work and Stress, 1-22.
Salleh, M. R. (2008, October). The Malaysian Journal Of Medical Sciences. Retrieved from Life
Event, Stress and Illness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/
Sapolsky, R. M. (2007). Stress, Stress-Related Disease, and Emotional Regulation. New York,
NY: Guilford Press.
Sheffler, J., & Sachs-Ericsson, N. (2016). Racial Differences in the Effect of Stress on Health and
the Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support. Retrieved from Journal Of Aging &
Health, 28(8), 1362-1381. doi:10.1177/0898264315618923:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=ee2c3d62-80d7-4004-b9d2-
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0a2691ed0aaa%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l
0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=118921262&db=ccm
Turner, R. W. (1995). The Epidemiology of Social Stress. Retrieved from American Sociological
Review: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2096348
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