Stress Management Exam 1
What are the main sources of work-related stress?
- Accidents - Absenteeism - Employee turnover - Diminished productivity - Direct medical, legal, and insurance costs
What are the 3 leading causes of death in 15-24 year olds?
- Accidents - Homicide - Suicide
What are some sources of stress in later maturity/old age?
- Ageism - Retirement - Lack of social support - Losing partners/peers
What are some manifestations of stress?
- Anxiety - Depression - Habit patterns (relying on coffee, eating too much or too little, sleeps more or sleeps less, relying on illegal substances, etc.) - Accident proneness - Anger
What are some sources of stress during middle adulthood?
- Family development - Juggling multiple projects/roles - Creating a meaningful life (What do I want to get out of this life? Do I want to make a change?) - Health concerns - recognizing mortality
What are the "Four F's"?
- Fight - Flight - Fright - F*ck
What are some sources of stress in young adulthood?
- Friendships and social networks - Selecting a life partner - College and stress - Career selection
What do the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine do in the presence of stress?
- Increase the heart rate - Raise the blood pressure - Accelerate the rate of respiration - Dilate bronchial tubes - Inhibit digestive activities
What are the physical signs of stress?
- Increased heart rate - Increased muscle tension - Cold/sweaty hands & feet - Increased cortisol and glucose - Increased respiration - Increased blood pressure - Increased body temp. - Decreased blood flow - Decreased immune system efficiency - Decreased saliva (cottonmouth) - Digestive problems - Pupils dilate
What are the various life stages?
- Infancy - Early Childhood - School Age - Adolescence - Early Adulthood - Young Adulthood - Mid Life - Later Maturity - Old Age
What are some ways to manage stress?
- Monitoring changes - Lifestyle changes - Conflict resolution - Relaxation - Massage - Coping with anxiety - Managing anger - Overcoming fear - Cognitive restructuring - Treatment of illnesses
What are some side effects of alcohol use?
- Poor academic performance - Brain and liver damage - Dysfunctional peer group - Birth defects - Impotence or erectile dysfunction - Impaired judgment & diminished motivation - Irritability & mood swings
What are some ways of preventing stress?
- Small changes (creating a more consistent sleep schedule, healthier eating habits, relaxation/meditation) - No "magic" solution - Personalize a program - Develop a plan
What are the 3 stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?
1) Alarm - acute physiological response to stress 2) Resistance - body mobilizes two combat stress 3) Exhaustion - resources depleted, resistance breaks down
What are the 3 major developmental stages of transactional model of stress?
1) An individual faces a challenging event or potentially threatening task. 2) The person determines first the nature of demand (primary appraisal), as well as the resources and skills available to cope with the demand (secondary appraisal). 3) Based on the previous appraisals, the person initiated a strategy to cope with the situation in the most effective way possible.
What are the kinds of stress?
1) Distress = bad stress 2) Eustress = good stress 3) Neustress = neutral stress
What are the four conditions that separate good stress from bad stress?
1) Extent of uncertainty - Too many unknown factors increase stress levels. 2) Amount of relevant information available 3) Amount of control - Too much control over a situation means no surprises. 4) Interpersonal conflict
What are some of the major effects of hippocampus atrophy that occur with sustained stress?
1) It can create severe depression that reappears unrelated to any stressor. 2) Soldiers or abused children who experience post traumatic stress have been found to have smaller hippocampus tissue than those who have not experienced it. 3) Cushing's Syndrome is a form of cancer that excretes excess quantities of glucocorticoids, affecting al the usual suspects: memory, blood pressure, sexual functioning, the immune system. 4) There is a higher risk of permanent impairment after a stroke.
What are the four stages of stress management and prevention?
1) Life Situations/Chronic stressors - You will not have a choice about whether you are subjected to the stressors but you can choose, to some extent, how you respond to them. 2) Perception and evaluation - Your perception of a situation or a chronic stressor also depends on your personality type, your resilience, life experience, health status, and mental and emotional resources. 3) Stress response - The magnitude of the responses from the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems depends on the perception of the response. 4) Consequences - Stress responses can range from behavioral consequences such as accidents to physiological consequences such as a heart attack or ulcer.
What are some myths about aging?
1) Most old people suffer memory problems that interfere with their ability to recall basic information. 2) It is more difficult to cope with stressful events with age. 3) Older people decline in physical functioning to the point where they must become dependent on others 4) There is a universal deterioration in cognitive functioning and creativity 5) Older people feel powerless and controlled by circumstances beyond control.
What are some principles of stress management?
1) Prevention is more effective than management. 2) Small changes can lead to big effects. 3) Don't count on a magic solution for solving all your stress problems. 4) Tailor a program to your own schedule and means. 5) Develop a comprehensive plan for stress prevention and management.
What are the 3 categories of lymphocytes?
1) T cells 2) B cells 3) natural killer cells (NK)
What is the sequence of reactions that the body follows in the face of a stressor?
1) The brain perceives danger. 2) The first pathway is directed to the muscles, resulting in immediate tension that might be useful for actions such as sprinting, ducking, kicking, punching, biting and screaming. 3) If the threat continues beyond a few minutes, the hypothalamus triggers a series of events to prepare the body for the second phase of the stress phase of the stress response that involves more pervasive activation of the bodily functions.
What are the 8 major body systems?
1) The nervous system 2) The endocrine system 3) The circulatory and cardiovascular system 4) The respiratory system 5) The immune system 6) The musculoskeletal system 7) The digestive system 8) The reproductive system
What are the 3 divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
1) the sympathetic nervous system 2) the parasympathetic nervous system 3) the enteric nervous system
What percentage of those who practice anorexia starve themselves to death?
20%
Department of Health estimates almost ______ billion dollars per year is spent in businesses related to helping their employees manage their stress (absenteeism, reduced productivity, worker's comp, etc.)
200
What percentage of teenage girls choose abortion?
40%
_____% of all Americans report significant stress in their lives.
50
_______% of the best selling drugs on the market are for treating stress-related problems
70
It has been estimate the _____%-______% of all visits to a primary care physician are because of stress-related disorders.
75-90
What is ageism?
A pervasive negative view about advancing age
What is self-organization?
A process in which the internal organization of an open and dynamic system changes automatically without being guided or managed by an external script.
What does the thalamus do?
Acts as a relay station, sending information to and from the cerebral cortex
What's another name for epinephrine?
Adrenaline
What is the first structure to be activated during fear responses?
Amygdala
What does the amygdala control?
Anger, fear, and aggressive behavior
What is the difference between anorexia and bulimia?
Anorexia involves one starving themselves, while bulimia involved one bingeing and then purging through vomiting or laxatives.
What is stress?
Anything in our environment that causes us to adapt, any change to homeostasis Nonspecific automatic biological response to demands made on each individual
What are some diseases and medical conditions affected or exacerbated by stress?
Asthma, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer's, constipation, sexual dysfunction, AIDS, anorexia, miscarriage, allergies, heart disease, Fibromyalgia, hives, etc.
Why does chronic stress contribute to heart disease?
Because chronic stress leads to the heart working on overtime to deliver necessary oxygen and nutrients without regular breaks.
Why does the flight-or-fight reflex shut down digestion?
Because it would be too late to create new sources of energy quick enough to be useful.
What are some warning signs of stress in elementary school age children?
Bed wetting, change in weight, isolation, newly developed fears, etc.
What body parts does the central nervous system (CNS) consist of?
Brain and spinal cord
How do children cope with stress?
By watching TV or playing on the computer
Which area processes threats slower and more accurately, the amygdala or the cerebral cortex?
Cerebral cortex
What are tribal affiliations the result of?
Choices you make based on common values and interests as well as similarities in ethnicity, religion, and professional goals.
What happens when dopamine becomes sustained and repetitive?
Chronic anxiety can result.
What are the six key concepts of the dynamical systems theory (DST)?
Concept 1: Complexity and Nonlinearity of Dynamical Systems - A dynamic system is capable of regaining equilibrium once its stability is lost. In a complex dynamic system, the pathway of the movement of the system is non-linear, which means the input into the system is not proportional to the output. Concept 2: Mutual Causality - Mutual causality: the behavior of certain dynamical systems whose states evolve over time. Stress results from the interactions of multiple factors, e.g., internal and external. Concept 3: Sensitivity to Initial Conditions of the System - Any small change you initiate in your life can cause a significant end result for better or worse (ex: the butterfly effect). Concept 4: Self-Organization and Emergence - Self-organization: a process in which the internal organization of an open and dynamic system changes automatically without being guided or managed by an external script. - Emergence: The appearance of new properties that have not existed before as a result of self-organization, suggesting that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of the parts. Concept 5: Attractors - Attractors: A steady, stable state of mind or body (ex: habits, beliefs, and addictive behaviors). Concept 6: Bifurcation - The idea of bifurcation suggests that a qualitative change in an attractor's structure, as a control parameter is varied
What is considered the #1 most stressful problem for female college students?
Concerns about the future
What are the two states of muscles?
Contraction and relaxation.
What does the hypothalamus do?
Controls body temperature, regulates emotions, hunger, thirst, and sleep rhythms; it also controls the pituitary gland and autonomic nervous system during times of stress
What is sweating the body's attempt to do?
Cool the body's core
_____________ turns off all bodily systems not immediately required to deal with a threat.
Cortisol
How do infants cope with stress?
Crying, falling asleep, changing positions, and closing their eyes
What are some behavioral responses to stress?
Crying, rage, withdrawal, substance abuse, self-medication, impulsiveness, phobias, hyperactivity, lethargy, aggression, rambling
Adjustments too retirement in the U.S. may be accompanied by which stress factors? A) The empty feeling of not being as productive as before B) Feeling dependent C) Feeling marginalized D) All answers are correct
D) All answers are correct
Which is an effective means for reducing chronic stress? A) Sex B) Alcohol C) Drugs D) No answers are correct
D) No answers are correct
Who was the developmental theorist to first seriously consider development beyond adolescence?
Erik Erikson
Going out on your first date with someone will usually create what type of stress?
Eustress
True or false: Being in love is universally the single most important ingredient in choosing a partner.
False
True or false: Despite the brief amount of time it lasts, short-term stress is extremely harmful to the body.
False
True or false: Simple treatment process is extremely effective for treating phobias.
False
True or false: The autonomic nervous system does not respond to imagined stress.
False
True or false: You have control over the stress that comes into your life, as well as how you respond to it.
False
True or false: Half of all victims of heart attacks died as a result of high cholesterol.
False; not cholesterol but rather the development of behavioral and attitudinal traits associated with chronic stress.
What are some emotional responses to stress?
Fear, worry, panic, guilt, anger, denial, hopelessness, numbness, depression, despair, impatience
What are some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Flashbacks, nightmares, headaches, memory deficits,depression, relationship problems, inability to hold a job, sleep problems, substance abuse, even a psychotic break down
What do internal processes include?
Genetics, beliefs, values, philosophies, knowledge, experience, hopes and dreams.
What is considered the #1 most stressful problem for male college students?
Grades in school
What is the central core of the body's reaction to stress?
HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis
Who created the General Adaptation Syndrome?
Hans Selye
What's another name for coronary events?
Heart attacks
What are some physiological responses to stress?
Heart palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, high blood pressure, personality traits, and weight loss or gain
What is the difference between homeostasis and allostasis?
Homeostasis is the concept that all the physiological systems work in unison to keep the internal environment stable and balanced. Allostasis is the combined physiological and psychological adaption to the experience of threats or adversities.
What determines the longevity of a human heart?
How hard and how fast it is required to run, under what conditions it is forced to operate, and how it is cared for.
What is psychological stress?
How we react to stress
What are some cognitive responses to stress?
Impaired memory, disorientation, unrealistic demands, disasterizing, illogical thinking, externalized blame, obsessiveness, loss of humor, suicidal ideation, surrender, and excessive fantasies.
Why is inflammation a double-edged sword?
It fights against infection, irritation, toxins, and foreign molecules, however, when the immune system is under chronic stress, it will rev up the process of sending more and more proinflammatory cytokines into the systems and causing all kinds of diseases.
________________ ______________________ may be the most challenging stage in one's life.
Middle adulthood
What happens to your muscles under stressful conditions?
Pain, aches and discomfort
Once a child reaches the age of 10-12, there is an increase influence from what agents of socialization?
Peers
What are the two separate cognitive events involved in the transactional model of stress?
Primary appraisal and a secondary appraisal
Which type of stress arises from interactions with people and the society in which you live?
Psychosocial stress
What is regression?
Reverting to earlier coping behaviors from a younger age
Who developed the transactional model of stress?
Richard Lazarus
What is one method to try to resolve sexual dysfunction problems?
Sensate focus exercises
What's another name for battle fatigue?
Shell shock.
What are stressors?
Situation, conditions, people, or things that have the potential to trigger the stress response
What parts of the body serve as first barriers for the immune system?
Skin and mucous membranes
What are developmental tasks?
Specific challenges that are suppose to arise at particular stages in life
What is physical stress?
Stress from environment (ex: sleep deprivation, over working, excessive physical exertion, physical injury or trauma, viral or bacterial infections, inflammation, physical disease, or chronic pain)
What is secondary stress?
Stress from past events
What is psychosocial stress?
Stress from relationships and conflicts with people around us
What does it mean when stress is thought of as a stimulus?
Stress is the description we give for someone or something that is putting pressure on us to do something that feels beyond comfortable limits. (Ex: The deadline his putting stress on me)
What is primary stress?
Stress of current/present event
What is anticipatory stress?
Stress of future past
What does it mean when stress is thought of as a response?
Stress represents the result of internal or external pressure. (Ex: I am so stressed after the exam)
Nonspecific reactions are demonstrated in the form of what?
Swelling and inflammation
Between the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is considered the "on" switch and which is considered the "off" switch?
Sympathetic - "on" Parasympathetic - "off"
_________________________ __________________________ deals with a person's readiness to deal with challenges during the "right" moment in development.
Teachable moments
What do the primary stressors of middle adulthood all indicate?
That middle-aged individuals are mostly afraid of losing what they have
What does the limbic system consist of?
The amygdala, the hippocampus, mammillary bodies and the cingulate gyrus
What is emergence?
The appearance of new properties that have not existed before as a result of self-organization, suggesting that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of the parts.
What is displacement?
The diversion of anger from one sources (a parent or sibling) to another (a doll or toy)
What is the pituitary controlled by?
The hypothalamus
What does the primary appraisal identify?
The nature of the environmental demand on the person, or the relationship between the event and one's personal goals
What is psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)?
The study of the interactions between the immune system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and behavior.
Why do you have an urge to eat "comfort foods" after stress occurs?
They are high in sugar and starch, therefore providing a quick nutrient "fix"
How does stress hinder the reproductive system?
Through menstruation, ovulation cycles, progesterone, prolactin, impaired blood flow, flooded corticols affecting the ovaries and testes, and the loss of libido (sexual desire).
True or false: After age 50 there is a marked drop in reported stress and significant increase in life satisfaction.
True
True or false: Cytokines can either increase or decrease inflammation.
True
True or false: During conditions of chronic or repeated interruptions, all the stomach acids that are useful for breaking down solid foods begin to eat away at the linings of the digestive tract.
True
True or false: Humans are the only species that worry themselves over imagined fears
True
True or false: Loneliness and bereaving a lost one compromise the immune system
True
True or false: People who are experiencing severe stress, such as test anxiety, distracting worries, or lingering trauma, tend to make more errors in tasks that require concentration.
True
True or false: Short-term stressors have the potential to boost the immune system.
True
True or false: Stress is both a psychological and physiological reaction to a real or perceived threat.
True
True or false: Stress is when you can't seem to sit still, focus, concentrate, and your body feels tense.
True
True or false: Stress may lead to an increased risk of developing disease and illness.
True
True or false: Stress related factors can hinder reproductive functioning.
True
True or false: The autonomic nervous system regulates all the organs and tissues not controlled by the central nervous system.
True
True or false: Those who suffered from sexual or physical abuse, or survived catastrophes, may exhibit similar disabling symptoms as those with PTSD.
True
What is allostatic load?
What happens when the same adaptive (GAS) system that was designed to protect us actually tears us apart.
What do external processes include?
Your surroundings, social support, weather, etc.
The frontal lobes are our greatest gift when it comes to ______________________________and ___________________________________________________________, but also our greatest liability when they __________________________________________________.
anticipating, avoiding danger; become overstimulated
Unnecessary muscular contraction due to stress is called _______________________________.
bracing
Lack of oxygenated blood to the brain can lead to ___________________________________________________________________________________.
cerebral hemorrhage, leading to stroke or apoplexy
Stress is a response that operates on _______________, _____________________, and _____________________ levels
cognitive, behavioral, biological
Developmental tasks are derived not only from biological maturation, but also from the expectations of your ____________, _______________, and _____________________.
culture, peer group, personal goals
The ___________________________ houses the ypothalamus and the thalamus
diencephalons
How do teenagers cope with stress?
drugs, alcohol, sex, eating disorders
Which system creates hormones?
endocrine system
According to the transactional model of stress, stress is the result of a "transaction" between an _____________________________________ and an _______________________________________.
external event, internal event
Debilitating anxiety increases your chances up to ________ times of suffering cardiac death
five
The __________________________________ of the brain are the source of reflective thought.
frontal lobes
During the stress response, the hormone cortisol triggers target cells to convert energy stores and release ________________________.
glucose
The _________________________________ is important for memory storage and retrieval.
hippocampus
The extent to which the stressor impacts the body for better or worse depends not only on the intensity and magnitude of the stressor, but also on ______________________________________________________________________________.
how we perceive the stressor and our ability to cope with it
Extra cortisol in your body can lead to __________________________, _________________________________________, and ____________________________________________.
hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease
Autoimmune diseases are those in which the body attacks ________________.
itself
What are cytokines?
large proteins that are secreted by immune cells and glial cells of the brain
Lack of oxygenated blood to the heart can lead to a ______________________ _____________________.
myocardial infarction
What is referred to as the "master gland"?
pituitary gland
The glands that are most relevant to the stress response are the _____________, _____________, and _________ glands.
pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal
What are some examples of autoimmune diseases?
rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, colitis, Behcet's disease, Graves' disease and psoriasis
While the primary appraisal looks at the ____________________________________________________ to assess its potential as a threat, the secondary appraisal considers your __________________________________________________________________.
situation or object; own resources to meet the challenge.