Module 1 - Coping with Stress, Loss, and Grief

exhaustion stage

the third stage of the GAS, characterized by weakened resistance and possible deterioration "If you are constantly going back and forth between the alarm stage and the resistance stage, you may reach exhaustion. This can happen if you live in an environment where you have too many high-stress demands all at once and you don't spend adequate time in the resistance stage. When this happens, the body is no longer able to deal with stress and begins to break down. For instance, if a competitive athlete does not allow the body to enter the resistance stage (also called the recovery stage), then they are more likely to experience burnout or injuries. Those who enter the exhaustion stage are more likely to experience the negative effects of stress listed previously."

Which of the following is NOT a common disease or disorder related to long-term distress?

increased energy levels "All of the following are known consequences of lifelong distress, except increased energy levels. The opposite is typically true, because chronic fatigue is a common physiological effect of distress."

Acting childish to get your way is a healthy way to deal with stress.

False

Projection is when you blame others for something they did not do.

True

Positive coping strategies

1. Exercise. It releases chemicals in the brain that naturally improve health. 2. Art therapy. Sometimes taking a moment to literally draw out your thoughts can help you express things in a way you otherwise couldn't have. 3. Humor. When you are upset or angry, sometimes it's better to just laugh. During a stressful or difficult situation, it can be helpful to turn to a humor file (mental or actual) of things you find funny. 4. Music. Listen to it, perform it, dance to it, or use it in any other way that helps you. Music is great because there is a song for every emotion, and music can communicate emotion in ways that words alone cannot. 5. Read. Taking time to escape from your world into another can be helpful. 6. Write. Writing down the things that are stressful to you can help you visualize what is going on in your life. Going back and reading what you wrote can help you determine whether the things that were bothering you were as big a deal as you were making them. 7. Talk. Expressing what is bothering you to someone you trust can be a great way to deal with difficult events. Oftentimes that someone will have a different perspective that isn't fueled by emotion, and as a result, they can give practical advice. 8. Relax and meditate. Taking a moment to breathe and relax before facing a difficult event or performance can help you control your emotions and prepare you mentally and emotionally for what is about to happen.

Which of the following are examples of negative coping strategies or defense mechanisms? Select all that apply.

1. Michael has started arguing with his parents a lot because he's upset about being bullied at school. "This is an example of displacing your feelings about one situation or person onto another, unrelated situation or person." 2. Anna spends most of her free time editing and posting pictures on Instagram instead of doing her homework, because she feels she's better at photography than at schoolwork. "This is an example of compensation; Anna dedicates her time to achieving in her hobby rather than working to get better at her weakness." 3. Greg plays video games for several hours at a time because he doesn't want to start working on his college applications, which are due the next week. "This is an example of suppression; Greg is ignoring the fact that important applications are due the next week, choosing instead to focus on his video games."

Negative coping strategies

1. Substance abuse and self-harm are coping strategies used to try to escape, whether physically or mentally, from what is going on in life. 2. Displacement is transferring feelings about one person or situation to another person or situation. For example, you fight with your best friend at school and then yell at your sibling for no reason when you come home. 3. Regression is reacting to difficult situations in a childish or immature manner. For example, your teacher tells you to be quiet, so you decide to shoot spit wads at him or her. 4. Denial is refusing to accept reality. For example, your boyfriend breaks up with you, but when people ask you how things are going, you tell them that you are still together. 5. Suppression involves being aware of a problem but choosing to ignore it. For example, you have a huge test on Monday, but instead of studying, you go outside to play. 6. Compensation is making up for weakness in one area by seeking high achievement in another. An example situation would be when you aren't very good at school, but you love the guitar, so you spend all your time working on that instead.

How can poorly managing your stress impact your physical health? Choose all that apply.

1. You may develop sleep problems, like insomnia. 2. You are at a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. 3. You may get sick more often than usual. 4. You may experience discomforts, such as backaches and headaches. "Living with a high amount of unmanaged stress can lead to diseases and disorders, including, but not limited to, headaches, colds and flus, asthma, backaches, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, insomnia, and depression."

Which of the following is a healthy way to deal with stress or other difficult emotions, as discussed in the course? Choose all that apply.

1. exercising 2. progressive relaxation and meditation 3. talking out your feelings with someone you trust "Some examples of positive coping skills include exercise, art therapy, humor, music, reading, journal writing, talking about your feelings, and relaxation or meditation."

Although the same event could cause distress in some individuals and eustress in others, which of the following would be more likely to cause distress? Select all that apply.

1. getting in a car crash "This more closely resembles distress, as it's not aiding in your performance or preparation of something; an event like this may create even more stressors like financial concerns or physical injuries." 2. arguing with a close friend "The stress associated with interpersonal conflict is often very negative because you may be concerned about losing a friendship or because feelings getting hurt. 3. learning you failed a course "This example more closely resembles distress, because excitement, motivation, or encouragement in preparation for something is not typically present."

Which of the following would be a normal reaction to the loss of a loved one? Choose all that apply.

1. understanding that even though the loved one is gone, we can still remember the good times 2. experiencing an extended period of sadness that interferes with your daily activities 3. denying the fact that the loved one passed away 4. getting angry at others for not preventing the event from taking place "These are all examples of different stages of grief, specifically denial, anger, depression, and acceptance."

Coping strategies

Coping strategies are the defense mechanisms we use against stress, anger, grief, and other unpleasant emotions. Like stress, these other emotions can be positive or negative.

Anger is the most important stage in the grieving process because it will allow you to get out all of your frustration.

False

Coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms solve our problems.

False

Grief is sorrow that lasts for an extended period of time whereas depression is only temporary.

False

The things that I say to others and also the way that I treat others does not influence how they feel about themselves.

False

Which statement about the exhaustion phase of general adaptation syndrome is true?

It occurs when you spend a lot of time going back and forth between the alarm and resistance stages.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion. "This syndrome has three physiological stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion."

Depression

Stage four of the grieving process when the grieving person feels sad, lonely and helpless. "This stage is when you begin to face the reality of what is taking place. Sadness is a normal part of the grieving process, and it is OK to express that emotion. However, if your sadness keeps you from your daily activities for an extended period of time, seeking help might be a good idea. An example of the depression stage would be when your grandmother passes away and you are sad because you will miss her very much."

Bargaining

Stage three of the grieving process is an attempt by the grieving person to gain more time by promising something in return. "This is when, to avoid reality, you try to compromise and make promises to change the outcome of an event even though you have no influence or control over the event. For example, you promise to be the best child ever if your parents choose to stay together and not divorce."

Anger

Stage two of the grieving process when the grieving person expresses hostility. "why me?" "Extreme frustration and even rage are normal when you cannot control the situation you a re in. For example, if you are diagnosed with a chronic disease, you get angry at the doctor because you feel that the disease is his or her fault."

Acceptance

The person faces the reality of the loss and experiences closure. "This is traditionally the last stage of grief and is where you learn to cope with the loss and move forward. Acceptance does not mean that you no longer feel pain or sorrow for your loss but rather that you understand that life must go on. For example, your dog dies, and even though you miss him and are sad he is gone, you remember the fun times you had playing with him."

Kate is dealing with a lot of stress in her life and begins to experience the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). The first stage is _______.

alarm

"To express deep sadness because of a loss" is to grieve. After you experience a loss, the journey to recovery or functioning normally again is known as the grieving process.

There are five main stages in the grieving process.

A good portrayal of the use of a positive coping strategy in a stressful or upsetting situation is that Mark goes to the batting cage after doing poorly in an interview for a job he really wanted.

True

Even though coping skills are essential to reducing stress and dealing with difficult emotions, they don't solve our problems; they just give us time to process. Eventually we need to go back and address our problems.

True

Which of the following statements about the grieving process is TRUE?

You can experience the stages of grief in a different order than someone else who experienced the same traumatic event. "Because the grieving process is unique for each individual who experiences it, the order of the stages may vary from person to person."

What is a side effect of not having enough eustress?

boredom

________ is where they completely reject the thought or feeling.

denial

Which of the following is a healthy way to deal with stress.

exercising

All of the following are physiological changes that take place in the alarm stage of general adaptation syndrome, EXCEPT ________.

muscle relaxation "Muscles actually tighten in a stressful situation, making muscle relaxation the correct answer."

The Alarm Stage of GAS

organism recognizes stress, begins to respond. Fight or flight and sympathetic nervous system engages "The first stage is called the alarm stage. Your heart rate increases and your blood vessels constrict, which causes your blood pressure to increase. Your muscles begin to tighten, and your hearing and vision are heightened. All this is to prepare you for action, to help you see and hear the threat and react appropriately. The hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is released. Epinephrine is known as the "superhuman" hormone because it allows our bodies to do things they normally couldn't do."

Denial

psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people refuse to believe or even to perceive painful realities. "denial during grief is when you completely reject the idea that something is wrong. For example, if your dad were diagnosed with cancer, your (denial) reaction would be to say that it is impossible and that the doctors are wrong."

Another name for the resistance stage of general adaptation syndrome is the ________ stage, because ________.

recovery; your body is trying to return to the normal state it was in before the stressful event occurred

Match the following negative coping strategies with their corresponding term. regression: ________ suppression:________ displacement: ________

regression - reverting to immature behavior suppression - aware of feelings, but try to hide them displacement - taking your anger out on someone that has nothing to do with the problem

The Resistance Stage of GAS

second stage; body functions normalize while responding to the stressor. The body attempts to cope with the stressor. "After almost getting into an accident, you pull over and take a moment to catch your breath. You start to breathe deeply and begin to tell yourself that everything is OK. Maybe you are shaking a little bit, or maybe you begin to freak out a little. Your pupils begin to return to the appropriate dilation, your hearing goes back to normal, and your heart rate and blood pressure return to their normal levels. All this fits into the second stage, resistance, which is when your body tries to go back to normal after a stressful event."