stress and the college student

define distress?

(bad)- harmful or unpleasent stress- flunking an exam, a breakup...health and performance declines under this type of stress

what are the two forms of stress?

- acute -chronic

personality engineering:

- adjust your attitude/ outlook toward the stressor: - accentuate the positive: reframe thoughts on the postitives, hardiness, self esteem

define chronic stress?

- caused by prolonged physical or emotional stress, "I cant take any more!" type of stress

social engineering: adjust the stressor itself:

- change jobs, drop a class, change roommates, move your office location, stop going to stressful places

personality engineering: develop new coping skills:

- creative problem solving -improve communication skills - assertiveness training -conflict resolution training - time management skills - support groups or networks -daily affirmation

coping mechanism:

- deep breathing -focus on the present - review situations - assertive behavior and communication - optimism and positive self talk - physical intervention ( healthy lifestyles and medical help)

the impact of stress on harmful behaviors:

- drug and alcohol use, loss of appetite or excessive eating, accident proneness, emotional outbursts.

define eustress?

- good- happy, pleasant events- marriage, hoildays. health and performance actually improves even when this type of stress increases

the impact of stress on illness:

- heart disease, cancer, stroke, asthma, headaches, skin rashes, ulcers, insomnia

stress can have measurable effects on the following systems?

- immune -cardiovascular -endocrine -brain

what are allostatic systems?

- respond specifically to protect the body. - these are the parts of the nervous system that control heartbeat, blood pressures, hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal glands, cardiovascular, metabolic and immune systems

define acute stress?

- the body's response to imminent danger (fight or flight)

stress can be:

-acute or chronic -eustress or distress - real or perceived -dealt with or suffered from

the impact of additional emotional responses:

-anxiety, boredom, anger, frustration, guilt, moodiness, depression, apathy, insomnia

what are some of our stress attackers?

-deadlines, traffic, people, bills,tests, jobs,relationships, worry = contemporary mental illness

what does alarm mean?

-fight or flight

dangerous coping strategies:

-use of tobacco products -use of hallucinogenic or 'escape' drugs - binge eating ( unhealthy eating habits) -workaholism -anger and violence -other unproductive outlets

what are the examples of stressors?

Physical stressors- illness, injury, cold, noise,heat Phychological or emotional stressors- deadlines, poverty, finals, work, parenthood

what are three stages of general adaptation syndrome?

alarm resistance exhaustion

define psychoneuroimmunology?

mind/body connnection

what is a risk factor for many diseases and disorders?

stress

what are stressors?

theses are the factors that cause our stress- can be unpleasant or pleasant; imagined or real