Stress Management- Midterm Chapters 1-6

Social Support Theory

Stress occurs when there is not enough social support available to respond to the event effectively.

Hypothalamus

activates the autonomic nervous system

Pituitary Gland: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

activates the autonomic nervous system

Myocardial Infraction

artery ruptures and a part of the heart dies from lack of oxygen

Endocrine System

comprised of hormones that regulate physiological functions

Oxytocin

contracts the walls of the blood vessels

Autonomic Nervous System

controls such body processes as hormone balance, temperature, and width of blood vessels.

Cerebellum

coordinates body movements

Walter Cannon

first to describe the body's reaction to stress

Glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol)

increases blood glucose for energy, prepares the body for fight or flight.

Mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone)

increases blood pressure by increasing sodium retention and decreasing urine production

Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)

increases heart rate and constricts blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

increases heart rate, muscle tension, and how hard the heart pumps flood

Thyroxin

increases metabolic rate, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and provides energy

Vasopressin (ADH)

instructs the kidneys to retain water

Hippocampus

part of the brain that signals the presence of stress.

Diencephalon

regulates emotions and includes the thalamus and hypothalamus

Medulla oblongata

regulates heartbeat, breathing, and other similar physiological processes

Pons

regulates sleep

Thalamus

relays sensory impulses from other parts of the nervous system to the cerebral cortex.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

responsible for conserving energy

Sympathetic Nervous System

responsible for expending energy

Cerebral Hemorrhage

rupture of a blood vessel in the brain

Other hormones involved in the stress response: Prolactin

secreted by anterior pituitary. High levels not associated with pregnancy/birth/nursing have effects.

Other hormones involved in the stress response: Vasopressin

secreted by posterior pituitary involved in renal function and water volume.

Other hormones involved in the stress response: Endorphin

secreted by the pituitary- regulates pain perception and reproduction

Stress Mangament Goals

-Do not eliminate all stress. •Use stress as a motivator for peak performance. •Identify the useful, stimulating, and welcoming aspects of stress. -Limit the harmful effects of stress. •There is an optimal amount of stress—not too much and not too little—that is healthy and prophylactic.

Cerebral Cortex (gray matter)

-Frontal lobe: associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. •Parietal lobe: associated with movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli. •Occipital lobe: associated with vision. •Temporal lobe: associated with perception and recognition of sounds, memory, and speech.

Kinds of Psychosomatic Disease: Psychogenic

-Physical disease caused by emotional stress. -Does not include an invasion of disease-causing microorganism involved.

Kinds of Psychosomatic Disease: Somatogenic

-Results from the mind increasing the body's susceptibility to disease-causing microbes or natural degenerative processes.

Stress is used as:

-Stimulus -Response -Whole spectrum of interacting factors. -Stimulus-response integration

Lymphocytes

-T cells: identify the invading substance and destroy it. •Helper T cells: stimulate the production of killer T cells and B cells. •Killer T cells: puncture membrane of invaded body cells; kill cells and the invader. •B cells: produce antibodies that neutralize the invading substance or tag it for attack by other cells. •Suppressor T cells: halt the immune response when the invasion becomes contained. •Memory T and B cells: remain in the bloodstream and lymphatic system to respond quickly to future attacks by the invading substance.

The Brain

-Translates the psychological and sociological stressors perceived by the mind. •The brain instructs the rest of the body on how to adjust to the stressors.

Autogenic Training

A technique that involves a sensation of heaviness, warmth, and tingling in the limbs.

Vasopressin/Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) and Oxytocin

ADH and oxytocin are produced by the pituitary gland. •ADH acts on the kidneys to decrease urine production, resulting in more water being retained in the blood. •Oxytocin results in contraction of the walls of blood vessels. •Together, the physiological changes resulting from the secretion of vasopressin and oxytocin increase blood pressure.

Adrenal Medulla

Activated through a direct nerve connection from the posterior portion of the hypothalamus. Secretes two catecholamines. •Epinephrine (adrenaline). •Norepinephrine (noradrenaline). •Effects remain ten times longer than adrenal corticoids.

Simonton

Added a component to the standard cancer therapy: It consists of visualizing the beneficial effects of the therapy upon the malignancy.

Hypothalamus activates two stress reactivity pathways.

Autonomic Nervous System and Endocrine System

Distress

Bad things to which one must adapt and that can lead to a stress reaction. •Example: Death of a loved one.

Obesity

Body mass index of 30 or higher. Neuropeptide Y and its receptors play a role in the growth of human fat cells. •Released from certain nerve cells during stress. In mice, stress and high-fat and sugar diet lead to a metabolic syndrome-like condition. •Metabolic syndrome in humans is linked to abdominal obesity and diabetes.

Allergies, Asthma, and Hay Fever

Body's defense against an antigen. •Antigen: Foreign substance irritating to the body. Antibodies: Substances produced by the body to fight antigens and stimulate the release of chemicals. •Histamine causes tissues to swell, mucous secretions to increase, and air passages in the lungs to constrict. Relationship between stress and allergic reactions. •Reduced number of T-lymphocytes. •Secretion of cortisol. •Decrease in the body's ability to withstand an antigen.

Fight-or-Flight Response

Body's stress reaction that includes an increase in: heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol

Temporomandibular (TMJ) Syndrome

Caused by bruxism. •Clenching or grinding of the teeth due to stress. Treatment: .•Wearing an acrylic mouthpiece. •Stress reduction techniques such as biofeedback.

Tension Headaches

Caused by muscle tension accompanying stress. •Muscle tension may affect the forehead, jaw, or neck. Treatments include: •Medication. •Heat on tense muscles. •Massage.

Stress and Serum Cholesterol

Cholesterol: •Accumulates on the walls of the blood vessels. •Blocks the flow of blood to various parts of the body. Stressful events can increase serum cholesterol levels. Stress management helps increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol.

Cancer

Chronic stress results in a chronic inability of the immune response to prevent the multiplication of mutant cells. Experimental treatment includes: •Maintaining a positive attitude. •Visualization therapy.

Definition of Stress

Combination of a stressor, stress reactivity, and strain.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Condition that develops in people who: •Have experienced or witnessed an extreme psychological or physical event that is interpreted as distressing.

Allostatic Load

Cumulative biological wear and tear that results from responses to stress that seek to maintain body equilibrium.

Temporomandibular (TMJ) Syndrome

Develops due to an interference with the smooth functioning of the jaw. Sufferers may have: •Facial pain. •Clicking or popping sound when opening or closing their mouths. •Migraine headaches. •Earaches and ringing in the ears. •Dizziness and sensitive teeth.

Hypertension

Excessive and damaging pressure of the blood against the walls of the arterial blood vessels.

Gender Differences in Reactivity: MALES

Exhibit more of a fight-or-flight response. •Use social groups less.

Gender Differences in Reactivity: FEMALES

Exhibit nurturing activities designed to protect themselves and others in coping with stress. •Use social groups more.

High levels of Prolactin not associated with pregnancy/birth/nursing may have the following effects:

Females: menstrual irregularities, infertility, decreased libido, mood swings, headaches and/or visual problems over time, osteopenia and osteoporosis. Males: decreased libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), Headaches and/or visual problems

Ulcers

Fissures or cuts in the walls of the stomach, duodenum, or other parts of the intestines. Causes. •Stress results in an increase in hydrochloric acid in the intestinal tract and the stomach. •During stress, norepinephrine causes capillaries in the stomach to constrict, thereby reducing mucosal production. •H. pylori, a bacteria, inflames the gastrointestinal lining and stimulates acid production, or both. •Antibiotics rather than histamine blockers are prescribed for ulcers. •Ingestion of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Hardiness Theory

Focuses on one's attitude toward stressful events. Hardiness: Buffering between stress and the development of illness and disease.

Adrenal glands release glucocorticoids during stress.

Glucocorticoids: Regulate metabolism of glucose and are detected by the hippocampal cells. •Stress causes damage to the hippocampal cells.

Eustress

Good things to which one must adapt and that can lead to a stress reaction. •Example: Job promotion.

Friedman and Rosenman

Identified the relationship between stress and coronary heart disease.

The Endocrine System

Includes all the glands that secrete hormones. •Hormones travel through the circulatory system to various targets. Alters the function of other bodily tissues. Four pathways. •Adrenal cortex. •Adrenal medulla. •Thyroid gland. •Pituitary gland.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Includes three stages of stress reaction: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion.

Stress and Other Conditions

Increased risk of miscarriage. Sports injuries. •Stress-injury model: During sports events that are inherently stressful, the athlete's: •History of stressors, personality characteristics, and coping resources contribute interactively to the stress response. •Caused by negative life events and absence of social support.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inflammation and swelling in various body joints. •May be caused by the faulty functioning of the immune response. Some people are hereditarily susceptible. Involves an autoimmune response. •Autoimmune response: Physiological response in which the body turns on itself. Stress can precipitate arthritic attacks.

Adrenal Cortex

Influenced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Adrenal cortex secretes glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. •Primary glucocorticoid is cortisol. •Cortisol provides energy for action. •Primary mineralocorticoid is aldosterone. •Aldosterone increases blood pressure to prepare for action. •Blood pressure is measured as systolic and diastolic.

Progressive Relaxation

Involves contracting and relaxing muscle groups throughout the body. Called neuromuscular relaxation.

Stroke

Lack of oxygen to the brain resulting from a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel. •Called apoplexy. Signs and symptoms. •Impaired motor function and speech, paralysis, blurred vision, and headache. Has been related to high blood pressure, diet, and stress.

Stressors Facing Younger College Students

Lifestyle change. •Assuming domestic responsibilities. •Finding same-sex and opposite-sex friends. •Achieving competence. •Managing emotions. •Becoming autonomous. •Establishing identity. •Freeing interpersonal relationships. •Clarifying purposes. •Developing integrity. Grades •Teachers place more emphasis on grades than on learning. •Self-worth is associated with grades. Course overload: Having too many courses or courses too difficult to complete well during one semester. Finances. •Tuition and books, living expenses, student loans, and credit cards.

Subcortex

Lower part of the brain responsible for various physiological processes necessary to stay alive.

White Blood Cells Phagocytes Macrophages

Macrophages: surround and engulf invading substances and summon helper T cells.

Coronary Heart Disease

Major risk factors include: •High serum cholesterol. •Hypertension. •Cigarette smoking.

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Network of nerves that connects the mind and the body. Provides the neural connections that are needed for the processing and learning of information and the ability to pay attention to the correct task. •Excessive arousal of the cortex results in stressful responses. •An under-aroused cortex results in difficulty in learning, poor memory, and little self-control.

Strain

Outcome of stress reactivity. May be physical, psychological, or behavioral. •Physical strain: Tension headaches. •Psychological strain: Agoraphobia. •Behavioral strain: Alcohol abuse.

Hot Reactors

People who react to stress with an all-out physiological reaction: •Suffer from chronic anger or anxiety. •Have high blood pressure. •Are susceptible to heart attacks.

Coronary Heart Disease

Physiological mechanisms that explain the relationship between stress and coronary heart disease. •Type A behavior pattern and hostility. •Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood volume, and accelerated heart rate. •Production of plasma homocysteine. •Cardiovascular reactivity. •Blood pressure morning surge. •Increased platelet activation. •Increased catecholamine levels. •Prolonged neuroendocrine responses. •Variability in heart rhythm.

When does stress occur?

Stress occurs when a situation requires more resources than are available. Daily hassles are more stressful than major events.

Simeons

Related evolution to psychosomatic disease.

Categories of Symptoms of PTSD

Reliving the event. •Flashback episodes, where the event happens again and again. Avoidance. •Emotional numbing, detachment, lack of interest, and avoiding people or places. Arousal. •Difficulty concentrating, startling easily, hypervigilance, feeling irritable, and having trouble sleeping.

Stress decreases the white blood cell count and makes a person prone to disease.

Research has provided evidence for: •Disease-prone personality. •Depressed, angry/hostile, and anxious. •Cancer-prone personality. •Unassertive, over patient, and avoiding conflicts. •Coronary heart disease-prone personality. •Angry, hostile, and aggressive.

The Gastrointestinal System

Responsible for digestion. Reduces saliva production and increases hydrochloric acid production due to stress. •Results in the development of ulcers. Stress alters peristalsis, the rhythmic movement of food. •Can result in diarrhea, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome.

Migrane Headaches

Result from the constriction and dilation of the carotid arteries of one side of the head. Prodrome: Constriction phase of a migraine headache. •Called preattack. When the dilation of the carotid arteries occurs, chemicals stimulate adjacent nerve endings, causing pain. Involve one side of the head and usually last about six hours. Caused due to emotional stress and tension. Relaxation techniques include biofeedback, meditation, and autogenic training.

Thyroid Gland

Secretes thyroxin due to the influence of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. •Increases: •Basal metabolic rate. •Free fatty acids. •Gluconeogenesis. •Gastrointestinal motility. •Rate and depth of respiration. •Heart rate. •Blood pressure. •Anxiety. •Decreases feelings of tiredness.

Relaxation Response

Series of bodily changes that are opposite of the stress reaction.

Stressor

Stimulus with the potential for triggering the fight-or-flight response. Types: Environmental, psychological, sociological, and philosophical.The human body has evolved to respond to stressors with an immediate action. •Alters the physiology for greater speed and strength.

The Muscles

Stress results in bracing or tensing. •Bracing: Unnecessary muscle tension. •Leads to the: •Development of muscle pain and aches. •Contraction of smooth muscles that control the contraction of internal organs. •Persistent stress in the cardiac muscles .•Leads to the death of cardiac muscle cells and a loss of contractility of the heart.

Wolff, LeShan, and Engel

Studied illness, disease, and stress.

Hans Selye

Studied the physiological responses to stress. Proposed general adaptation syndrome.

Treatment of PTSD

Talk therapy: Aimed for a patient to perceive the fear more realistically and as less of a threat. Medication: Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep medicines. Exposure therapy: Exposes the patient to the event that precipitated PTSD. •Virtual reality exposure therapy.

Stress Reactivity

Term for fight-or-flight response. Includes: •Increased muscle tension, heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration. •Change in respiratory rate and brain waves. Effects are based on the duration and the degree of one's physiological reaction.

The Skin

The skin's temperature and ability to conduct electrical currents are both affected by stress. •Stress causes increased perspiration and vasoconstriction. •Vasoconstriction changes the color of the skin. Galvanic skin response (GSR) .•Electrodermal response or the electrical conductance of the skin. •Major part of a lie detector test.

The Cardiovascular System

Transports blood between the body cells and organs. Stress causes the release of oxytocin and vasopressin. •Both hormones constrict blood vessels, which leads to increased blood pressure. Heart responds to stress with increased force of contraction. Serum cholesterol and free fatty acids increase the risk of heart disease.

Cancer

Unbridled multiplication of cells. •Leads to tumors and organ damage. Caused by ingested and inhaled carcinogens and viruses. •Carcinogens: Cancer-causing agents. T-lymphocytes reduce during stress. •T-lymphocytes: Part of the immune system that destroys mutant cells.

Cerebral Cortex

Upper part of the brain responsible for thinking functions.

Other hormones involved in the stress response: Glucagon

a pancreatic hormone, helps regulate carbohydrate trafficking

Changes Caused by Catecholamines

•Acceleration of heart rate. •Increase in force at which blood is pumped out of the heart. •Dilation of coronary arteries. •Dilation of bronchial tubes. •Increase in the basal metabolic rate. •Constriction of the blood vessels in the muscles and skin of the arms and legs. •Increase in oxygen consumption.

Backaches

•Affect people's abilities to do physical and cognitive work. •Caused by muscular weakness or muscular bracing. •Contractions are found in people who are competitive, angry, and apprehensive. •Risk factors: Perceived work stress, mental distress, and depression.

Blood Pressure

•Blood pressure is measured as systolic or diastolic. •Normal: 120/80 m m Hg. •High blood pressure: 140/90 m m Hg. •Increased blood pressure may be related more to lifestyle than age. •More men than women are hypertensive. •Lowest incidence of hypertension occurs in white women.

Causes of Hypertension

•Excessive sodium intake. •Kidney disease. •Cushing's syndrome. •Obesity and lack of exercise. •Use of oral contraceptives. •Cigarette smoking. •Stress.

Characteristics of a Cancer-Prone Person

•Holds resentment and is unforgiving. •Uses self-pity. •Lacks the ability to develop and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships. •Has a poor self-image.

Psychosomatic Disease

•Involves both the mind and the body. •Referred to as psychophysiological. •Can be diagnosed. •Manifested physically.

The specific effects of stress on immunity have also been researched.

•Negative moods decrease S-I g A levels and make people more susceptible to disease. •Positive moods increase S-I g A levels and enhance immunosuppressive effects.