Unit 13 Stress and
Therapy
Class Presentations
Stress
Definition- A person’s reaction to his or her
inability to cope with a certain tense event or
situation.
Example- If you have a lot of homework or
projects and feel overwhelmed you are feeling
stress.
Distress
Definition- Stress that stems from
acute anxiety or pressure.
Example- If a person is driving
slow in front of you and you’re
in a hurry to get somewhere that
would be distress.
Eustress
Definition- Positive stress, which results
from motivating strivings and
challenges.
Example- knowing you have a project
due and being stressed that you
haven't done it and then that stress
motivates you to get it done.
Unit 13 Stress and Therapy
Conflicting situations
By: Madison Edwards and Ariana
Watkins
Approach-Approach
• Approach-Approach conflict
is when an individual must
choose between two
attractive alternatives.
• Approach-Approach Conflict is
a psychological conflict that
results when a choice must be
made between two desirable
alternatives.
Merriam Webster
• Example: Do I want to tryout for basketball or history
academic team.
Avoidance-Avoidance
•
•
•
Avoidance-Avoidance conflict occurs
when an individual confronts two
unattractive alternatives.
Avoidance-Avoidance
conflict is a psychological
conflict that results when
a choice must be made
between two undesirable
alternatives Medline Plus
Example: Should I get
a job at McDonalds or
Burger King.
Approach-Avoidance
Definition: A type of conflict situation in which the individual
wants to do something but fears or dislikes it at the same
time. (P.415)
Examples: You are invited to a party but
your stomach is pain. You really like parties
but you are afraid your pain my get worse
later on that night.
Double Approach-Avoidance
• Definition: Choose between two or more
alternatives, each of which has attractive and
unattractive aspects. (P.415)
• Examples: If a woman wants to work late but also wants to meet her
friend for dinner. If she works late she will finish her project but might
have to walk home late in the night. Same as the other way around.
Bethany Cole
Grayson Harper

Primary Appraisal
Refers to our immediate evaluation of a
situation.
 Can we meet the expectations of this situation? Can
we handle the challenges of this situation?
 3 ways to appraise a situation- irrelevant, positive,
and negative.
• Ex: Teacher gives a pop quiz, you can evaluate it as
good and think you can pass, but you can also
evaluate it as negative because you haven’t looked at
your notes.
Secondary Appraisal

Deciding how to deal with a stressful situation.
 An individual evaluates the situation and decides on
a way to cope.
• Ex: You evaluate the situation as positive because you
have looked at your notes, so now you decide to just
try your best on the quiz.
Hassles

Common stressors that
are relatively minor and
occur on a daily basis.
• Ex: Being late for class
because people were
standing around in the
hallway so you couldn’t
get past.
Uplifts

Small positive event that can protect against
stress.
 Psychologist claim that uplifts have the opposite
effect of hassles. They reduce stress and protect a
person’s health.
General Adaptation
Syndrome
Rachel Yarbrough and
Victoria Lartey
What is General Adaptation
Syndrome?
General adaptation syndrome is a
term used to describe the body's
short-term and long-term reactions
to stress.
Three stages of stress:
Alarm
Resistance
Exhaustion
Alarm:
The alarm stage of general adaptation
syndrome prepares the for fight or flight. This
causes increase in:
 heart rate
 breathing quickly
 muscle tension
 pupil dilation
Person becomes very alert and sensitive to
stimuli.
Example of Alarm:
A hiker who
confronts a
rattlesnake on a
mountain trail
freezes in his
tracks, is suddenly
aware of every
sound around him,
and tries not to
panic.
Resistance:
In the resistance
stage of general
adaption
syndrome a
person finds
means to cope
with the stressor.
Example of Resistance:
The mountain hiker caught in a bad storm can
use his knowledge of the mountains to
shelter himself from the storm to keep
himself safe.
Exhaustion:
If exposure to the stressor continues the
individual reaches the stage of
exhaustion. The adrenalin of the fight
or flight instinct have reached their
limit and can no longer function.
Example of Exhaustion:
Man does hard labor
all day in the factory
where he works. He
gets over heated and
becomes delusional.
Psychology
physical reactions to stress
By: Caroline Clark and Hannah Hopper
Physical Reactions to Stress
• The body is able to make many different physical reactions
to stress. These happen because many times the immune
system is weakened and makes it easier for the spread of
infection or disease.
• Example: If it is almost exam week and a person develops a
cold, that cold can be attributed to all the stress of preparing
for the exams. Their body is most likely struggling to keep
up their immune system.
What can cause physical reactions
to stress?
• Feelings and emotions are two of the main things that
contribute to changes in your physiological body.
• Psychosomatic symptoms are very commonly seen and occur
because of stress.
• Several psychosomatic symptoms may include: headaches,
stomachaches, muscle pains, or rapid heart beat
Symptoms of Emotional Stress
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Difficulty breathing
Insomnia
Sweating
Dryness of mouth
Migraines
Arthritis
Asthma
Heart disease
Stressful situations have the ability to lower a persons
immune system, making them prone to sickness
• Immune system: the bodies natural defense against infection
The Immune System
Pathogens attack the body’s cells. The
pathogens begin to grow and multiply causing a
weaker immune system >>
How to Handle Stress:
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid caffeine
Practice deep breathing
Exercise
Eat healthy foods
Don’t panic about your loss of sleep (it will only make it worse)
Sources
http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/facstaff/pdf/care/Managing%20Physical%20Reacti
ons%20of%20Stress.pdf
•
Understanding Psychology text book
Emotional Reactions:
 Is the most common physical reaction to a
sudden stressor.
A child participating in a talent show may be anxious when
they are called to the stage to perform.
 Anger occurs often
due to repeated
frustration.
An adult running late
for work may
become angry when
the driver in front of
them is going 5 mph
below the speed
limit.
A women who is
home alone may
be frightened to
hear noise from
her bathroom.
 Fear is usually the
result of a stimulus
presenting real or
imagined danger.
Cognitive Reactions To Stress:
 Usually difficulty
concentrating, thinking
clearly, and poor
decision making.
 Ex. Being so nervous
and stressed about a
test that you cant even
settle down and study
for it.
 Or being so excited to
tell someone
something that you
cant find your phone,
or think of their
number.
So…
 Emotional reactions to stress is how you feel
when stressed and how your emotions
react.
 Cognitive reactions to stress is how your
brain or you thinking react to good or bad
stress.
• Many short-term behavioral changes that
results from stress
• Develop nervous habits such as trembling,
pacing, or smoking
• Shaky voice, tremors, strained
expressions, or changing in posture
• May loose interest in eating, grooming, or
bathing
• Some might tend to over eat
• Some people show aggressions by
beating on family members
• In dangerous situations people will risk
their own life for others
• Attitudes of cooperation that override
individual differences and disagreements
• Best way to deal with frustration
• If a woman is on a bus that is stuck in
traffic she might get off and walk to her
destination
• Listen to music
• Do your favorite activity
•
•
•
•
•
Can lead too…
Alcoholism
Drug Addiction
Chronic unemployment
Attempted suicide
• You appraise situation as physically
threatening
• Your thoughts activate the hypothalamus
• The sympathetic nervous system
stimulates a variety of physical responses
to prepare the body for the stressful
situation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Heart rate increases
Blood pressure increases
Digestive system shuts down
Pupils dilate
Hair stands up on end
Muscles tense
By: DeVonda Holmes
December 5, 2012
Mrs. Dorman
2nd period
Very likely to have coronary artery disease,
often followed by heart attacks.
Often affects people in their 30s or 40s.
 Always prepared for fight or flight
 Free-floating hostility
 Extremely irritable
 Impatient
 Extremely competitive
 Self-critical
 Usually strive towards goals without
feeling or sense of pride.
 Overreact everything.
 Tend to have high blood pressure
 Constant sense of urgency
 multi-task
 Hard workers
NOTE:
Psychologists disagree about the definition
of Type A personality and its relation to
heart disease.
People who do not have Type A pattern
Almost never have heart attacks before the
age of 70.
 Relaxed
 Patient
 Do not easily become angry
 Creative
 Imaginative
 Philosophical
Cited Sources
•
•
•
•
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YGm0POOKmgM/TRCAI1g1XeI/AAAAAAAAATg/cRzkP5npMZU/s1600/T2.gif
http://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-a.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/type-a-personality-description.html
http://www.psych.uncc.edu/pagoolka/typea-b-intro.html
Psychological coping
strategies
Dakwan Hughes
Definition
The
behavioral and cognitive efforts made
be individuals in attempting to deal with
stressful situations.
Summary:



Life is stress; stress is life.
People respond to stress in different ways. Know
yourself and your signs of over-stress.
Learning and practicing healthy coping skills will
help avoid/manage “stress emergencies”.
Types of coping
Positive appraisal: reframing a situation to see
it in a positive light
 Problem-focused or approach coping: when
efforts are directed at solving or managing
the problem that is causing distress.
 Emotion-focused or avoidant coping: coping
that is directed at managing or reducing
emotional distress.
 Meaning-focused coping: involves searching
for meaning in adversity and drawing on values,
beliefs, and goals to modify the meaning given to
and personal response to a stressful situation

Active coping
strategies
Anthony Jessen & Brandis Price
Hardiness

Def: the personality traits of control,
commitment, and challenge that help us reduce
the stress we feel.

Control: feeling that we have the ability to affect the outcome of the
situation.
Commitment: establishing and pursuing our goals
Challenge: we actively confront and solve problems instead of
feeling threatened and powerless because of them



Ex: W61hen confronted with the assignment of giving a speech in
public, you approach the assignment as a positive experience
(challenge), believe that you can prepare and give a good speech
(control), and prepare for and practice your speech (commitment).
Controlling Stressful Situations
There are several ways which we can control
exposure to stressful events and reduce stress
levels.

Escape or withdrawal, when possible , can be an effective coping
strategy. When avoiding an event is not practical, control its timing

Having a study schedule to prepare for exams
Exiting an uncomfortable event
Hanging out with people who have the same interests as you
instead of trying to “fit-in”


Problem Solving

Sometimes neither avoiding or spacing events
is possible.

Problem solving involves a rational analysis of the situation that will lead to
an appropriate decision (negative setback into positive challenge)
A senior has an exam on the same day as his college application is due,
the student may plan out the remaining days and complete the application
while studying for his exam.
When you have a family issue, instead of ignoring it you may go step-bystep to solve it so both of you are happy.


Explanatory Style

Martin Seligman (1991) describes two different
styles of thinking.

Optimist sees the positive side of things.
Pessimist always sees the negative side.
Studies have shown that pessimists usually die younger than
optimists
After a hard loss, the optimist will say, “what happened, happened”
and look forward to the next week. The pessimist will keep dwelling
on the loss.



Relaxation

Many techniques of relaxation have been
developed especially to cope with stress.

Progressive relaxation: lying down comfortably and tensing then
releasing the tension in each major muscle group in turn
Meditation: a focusing of attention with the goal of clearing one’s
mind and producing an “inner peace”.
Both were developed by Dr. Edmond Jacobson.



Many techniques of relaxation have been
developed especially to cope with stress.

Progressive relaxation: lying down comfortably and tensing then
releasing the tension in each major muscle group in turn
Meditation: a focusing of attention with the goal of clearing one’s
mind and producing an “inner peace”.
Both were developed by Dr. Edmond Jacobson.


Biofeedback

Biofeedback: a technique for bringing specific
body processes, such as blood pressure and
muscle tension, under a person’s conscious
control.

While hooked up to an electronic device measurements are taken
of specific processes he or she wants to regulate which are then
played back in the form of sound or visual patterns.
If you want to regulate your blood pressure you would need to
concentrate on what relaxes your body and lowers blood pressure.
The visual patterns are what allow you to know that its working.

Humor

Laughing actually releases the tension of pentup feeling and can help you keep a proper
perspective of the situation.

It is common for people to result to laughing in very stressful
situations.
A person may break out in hysterical laughter during the trying
times following the death of a loved one. This laughter help to deal
with the intense emotional pain of a loss.

Exercise

Physical exercise is another constructive way to
reduce stress.

Exercise provides an outlet for physical arousal, and it may burn off
stress hormones.
Running and swimming are the best ways to both lower stress
levels and improve cardiovascular and respiratory fitness.

Support groups and professional help
Groups that operate beyond ordinary personal
networks can help people with specific stressrelated problems.
Examples:



Alcoholics Anonymous
Weight Watchers
Crisis prevention centers
Training
New, unfamiliar, or dangerous situations can be
stressful because we are unsure we can deal
with it.

Training to prepare for such a situation can ease the stress.
Exposure to moderate stressors in a relatively safe but challenging
environment allows a person to gain experience and confidence in
coping.
Example:
A person who I nervous about going to a friend’s country club
because she does not want to play tennis might take a few tennis
lessons.
Improving Interpersonal Skills




Developing skills in dealing with others is one of
the best ways to manage stress.
Advantages:
Increased self-confidence and self-esteem
Less chance of loneliness or interpersonal conflict
Development of social support system
Who Are Therapists?
Diorah Raimundi
2nd Period
Kinds of Therapists
• Therapist: A person trained in methods of
treatment (bodily, mental, behavioral)
• Psychologists: Treatment of psychological
disorders in hospitals
• Psychiatrists: treatment of abnormal
behavior, prescribes medicine
• Counselors: Gives advice
What Makes A Good Therapist?
• One that’s psychologically healthy
– One that’s anxious, defensive or withdrawn
wont see the patients problems clearly
• One that shows empathy
– Needs to be able to give the patient confidence
that he’s caring and understanding
– Empathy: capacity for warmth and
understanding
• One that’s experienced in dealing with
people and their complexities
Group Therapies
• Group Therapy: patients work together
with the aid of a leader to resolve
interpersonal problems
• Gives patients a chance to see how others
are also struggling with similar problems
• Helps a large number of people at a low
cost
• Therapist makes suggestions, clarifies
points and keeps activities under control
Family Therapy
• Family Therapy: focuses on interactions
between family members
– Untangles a twisted web of relationships that
led to emotional suffering
• Therapist points out what’s happening
from an objective viewpoint and suggests
ways of improving communication and
fairness
Self-Help groups
• Self-Help Groups: voluntary groups of
people who share a problem and are often
without the involvement of a professional
• Come together to discuss difficulties and
provides each other with support and
possible solutions
• Alcoholism, overeating, drug addiction,
child abuse, ect.
• AA
Psychoanalysis
By Victoria Lartey and
Rachel Yarbrough
What is it?



Psychoanalysis is therapy aimed at making patients aware of their unconscious
motives so that they can gain control of their behavior.
It is based on the observations that individuals are most likely unaware of that
influence their emotions, relationships and behavior.
Example: Amy’s father left she and her mother soon after she was born.
Through the years she developed major trust issues towards the opposite sex,
so much so that every time she was about to get married, she would leave the
man at the altar but couldn’t come to terms as to why. The therapist would then
help her realize that she is this way due to what her father did.
Where did it come from?

Based on the theories of Sigmund Freud. According
to him, psychological disturbances are due to anxiety
caused by hidden conflicts among the unconscious
components of one’s personality.

Example: Freud’s theory of
personality (previously learned)
The Purpose of this Therapy



To help patients aware of the unconscious impulses, desires,
and fears that are causing the anxiety.
If the patients can understand their unconscious motives, they
have taken the first step towards gaining control and freeing
themselves of their problems (insight).
Example: Going to a Psychoanalyst
to know the reason behind your severe
panic attacks
Humanistic Therapy
By: Caroline Clark and Hannah Hopper
What is Humanistic Therapy?

Humanistic Therapy focuses on the value, dignity, and worth of each
person; healthy living is the result of realizing one’s full potential.

This method of therapy works with present (rather than past)
occurrences and attitudes with a goal of client growth and
fulfillment.
Client-Centered Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy is a type of
Humanistic Therapy.


Client-Centered therapists assume that their
clients are basically good and that they are
capable of handling their own lives.
One of the goals in this type of therapy is to help
the person recognize their own strengths and
confidence.
Techniques of Client-Centered
Therapy include:

Nondirective Therapy– The free flow of images and ideas, with no particular
direction
 Therapist does not direct the session
 The topic they discuss is entirely up to the client
Cont..

Active Listening
– Empathetic listening; a listener acknowledges,
restates, and clarifies the speaker’s thoughts
 Therapist picks out main points in the clients rambling
explanations

Unconditional Positive Regard
– A therapist's consistent expression of acceptance of
the patient, no matter what the patient says or does.
 No embarrassment, reservation, or anger
– Example: A patient is embarrassed about their issue with drug
abuse and not being able to maintain a job but the therapist
accepts them and give them only positive feedback.
Final thoughts

Client-Centered Therapy has helped make
therapists aware of the importance of
developing supportive relationships with their
clients.
Cognitive Therapy
Lucas Wilson
&
Jaraun Brooks
What is Cognitive Therapy?
• Cognitive Therapy is using thoughts to
control emotions and behaviors.
• It focuses on changing the way people
think.
Why Use Cognitive Therapy?
• Irrational or uninformed beliefs,
expectations, ways of thinking can distort
our behaviors, attitudes, and emotions.
• By changing these patterns of thinking, a
person can improve their way of life.
Different Types of Cognitive
Therapy
• Rational-Emotive
Therapy ( RET)
Albert Ellis (1973)
• Beck’s Cognitive
Therapy
Rational-Emotive Therapy
• Helps to change unrealistic
assumptions about oneself and
other people
• For emotional problems involving
an individual’s assumptions
being unrealistic
• Goal is to correct these false and
self-defeating beliefs
Ellis liked to teach that behaviors are
the result of the ABCs. He claimed that
it was not the event that caused trouble,
but the way the person thinks about the
event (beliefs).
• Example: A man seeks therapy
after a woman leaves him
because he can’t stand the fact
that he’s been rejected. He
feels that his life is miserable
and empty without her. He is
demanding that the woman
must love him and insists that
things must go his way. In the
therapist’s view, the man is
causing himself depression by
defining his feelings as need
rather than desire. His faulty
thinking is based on
unreasonable attitudes, false
premises, and rigid roles for
behaviors.
RET Continued
Rejection is unpleasant
but not unbearable. Since
the goal is to correct
these false and selfdefeating beliefs, the
therapist will use
techniques to teach the
man to think in realistic
terms.
•
•
•
•
Techniques
Role Playing – allows
him to see how his beliefs
affect his relationships
Modeling –
demonstrates other ways
of thinking and acting
Humor – underlines
absurdity of his beliefs
Homework – the man
would need to ask
woman out who are likely
to reject him, so that he
can cope with things not
going his way
Beck’s Cognitive Therapy
• Aaron T. Beck introduced this form of therapy. It
is similar to the Rational-Emotive Therapy but
the main difference is the focus on illogical
thought processes. Beck has therapists
encourage clients to engage in test of their own
beliefs, by using persuasion and logic to change
negative thinking patterns.
Beck’s Cognitive Therapy
Continued
• An example is, if a client
believes that “I never have a
good time,” the therapist might
point out that this is a
hypothesis, not a fact. Then
the therapist might ask the
client to test the hypothesis by
looking at the evidence
differently and the times in her
life when she actually had a
good time. The therapist goal
is to demonstrate that her
automatic thinking may be
incorrect and that things are
not as bad as they seem
Behavioral Therapy

Changing undesirable behavior through
conditioning techniques.
 Goal of the therapy is to change a behavior, not
where the behavior came from.
 There are different ways of behavioral therapy such
as…
 Counterconditioning- pairs stimulus with a new
desirable behavior. For example, snakes trigger the
fear of snakes, so the therapists will pair a snake with
something good to get a better behavior.
Behavioral Therapy
 Modeling- the patient learns by
watching another.
 Aversive conditioning- make
certain acts unpleasant so they
will not be repeated.
 Operant conditioning- behavior is
either rewarded or punished, by
adding rewards or taking them
away, and adding punishment or
taking away punishment.
 Flooding- therapist exposes the
client to feared object to the
patient.
Biological Therapy
Grant Edwards
Psychology
Second Period
Biological Therapy
Definition: uses methods such as
medication, electric shock, and surgery to
help people with psychological disorders.
Drug Therapy (which is the most widely used
method) - There are four kinds of drugs that can be
used:
1.Antipsychotic drugs (reduces agitation, delusions
and hallucinations);
2.Anti-depressant drugs (relieves depression);
3.Lithium (counteracts bipolar disorder); and
4.Anti-anxiety drugs (sedatives or mild tranquilizers).
Drugs only treat the symptoms; however, they do not
cure the disorder.
Doctors can decide which treatment is
appropriate for each patient, such as:
•Drug Therapy
•Electroconvulsive Therapy
•Psychosurgery
Electroconvulsive Therapy
(ECT)
--which is commonly known as shock
treatment. It is used for severe depression,
acute mania and some forms of
schizophrenia.
Psychosurgery
--an operation that destroys part of the brain
to make the patient calmer and lessens their
symptoms. A common name for this type of
operation is called a “lobotomy.”