STRESS AND STRESSORS.pptx

Stress isn’t always bad.
In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.
If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance.
You can protect yourself and improve how you think and feel by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat.
Eustress – Kind of stress that results from something good and we react positive.
Distress – Kind of stress that results from something bad and we react negative.
Stressors are things that cause stress. Almost everything is a stressor depending on the individual.

1. STRESS & STRESSORS Owondo Thomas Bwindi Community Hospital © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

2. INTRODUCTION Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’ r e constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself and improve how you think and feel by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 2

3. DEFINITION Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat . Eustress – Kind of stress that results from something good and we react positive . Distress – Kind of stress that results from something bad and we react negative. Stressors are things that cause stress. Almost everything is a stressor depending on the individual. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 3

4. DEFINITION When you sense danger whether it is real or imagined, the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the  “ fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response.” The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life, giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident. Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you’d rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life. 4

5. TYPES OF STRESS Acute stress Acute stress is the most common type of stress. It’s your body's immediate reaction to a new challenge, event, or demand, and it triggers your fight-or-flight response. As the pressures of a near-miss automobile accident, an argument with a family member, or a costly mistake at work sink in, your body turns on this biological response . Isolated episodes of acute stress should not have any lingering health effects. In fact, they might actually be healthy for you, as these stressful situations give your body and brain practice in developing the best response to future stressful situations . Severe acute stress such as stress suffered as the victim of a crime or life-threatening situation can lead to mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 5

6. TYPES OF STRESS Episodic acute stress. When acute stress happens frequently, it’s called episodic acute stress. People who always seem to be having a crisis tend to have episodic acute stress. They are often short-tempered, irritable, and anxious. People who are “worry warts” or pessimistic or who tend to see the negative side of everything also tend to have episodic acute stress. Negative health effects are persistent in people with episodic acute stress. It may be hard for people with this type of stress to change their lifestyle, as they accept stress as a part of life . © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 6

7. TYPES OF STRESS Chronic stress If acute stress isn't resolved and begins to increase or lasts for long periods of time, it becomes chronic stress. This stress is constant and doesn’t go away. It can stem from such things as: Poverty, a dysfunctional family, an unhappy marriage, a bad job. Chronic stress can be detrimental to your health, as it can contribute to several serious diseases or health risks, such as : heart disease, cancer, lung disease, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, suicide. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 7

8. CAUSES OF STRESS The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion . Of course, not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be internal or self-generated, when you worry excessively about something that may or may not happen, or have irrational, pessimistic thoughts about life. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 8

9. CAUSES OF STRESS Finally, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it. Something that’s stressful to you may not faze someone else; they may even enjoy it. While some of us are terrified of getting up in front of people to perform or speak, for example, others live for the spotlight. Where one person thrives under pressure and performs best in the face of a tight deadline, another will shut down when work demands escalate. And while you may enjoy helping to care for your elderly parents, your siblings may find the demands of caretaking overwhelming and stressful. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 9

10. CAUSES OF STRESS Common  external  causes of stress include : Major life changes Work or school Relationship difficulties Financial problems Being too busy Children and family © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 10

11. CAUSES OF STRESS Common  internal  causes of stress include : Pessimism Inability to accept uncertainty Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility Negative self-talk Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism All-or-nothing attitude © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 11

12. STRESSORS Stressors are things that cause stress. Almost everything is a stressor depending on the individual . Examples of stressors may include among others; Family Relationships School Peer Groups/ Friends Discrimination Injury Sickness Fatigue Any Major Changes © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 12

13. TYPES OF STRESSORS Stressors can be- Physical, Emotional or Social Physical stressors are physical conditions of your body and the environment that affect your physical well-being. E.g ; Thirst, hunger, lack of Sleep, sickness, accidents or catastrophes. Emotional stressors are the stressors that affect your physical and emotional well-being . E.g : Worry, fear, grief, depression and anger. Social stressors arise from your relationships with other people . E.g ; Family, friends, teachers, employers and peers © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 13

14. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress overload . The symptoms can be classified into; cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural symptoms. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 14

15. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS Cognitive symptoms : Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying Behavioral symptoms: Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Withdrawing from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing) © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 15

16. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS Emotional symptoms: Depression or general unhappiness Anxiety and agitation Moodiness, irritability, or anger Feeling overwhelmed Loneliness and isolation Other mental or emotional health problems Physical symptoms: Aches and pains Diarrhea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heart rate Loss of sex drive Frequent colds or flu © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 16

17. How Do We React? Our body goes through 3 stages under stress. The first is an “ Alarm Stage ” which is referred to as Fight or Flight. This is when the body reacts to the stressor . Anything that causes you to worry or get excited, or causes emotional or physical changes can start the alarm reaction. Fight or Flight is the body’s natural protective technique. We react the same to both positive and negative types of stress . The “fight or flight” reaction sends a tremendous burst of adrenaline to all parts of the body—the blood vessels, heart, stomach, kidneys, lungs, eyes, muscles, and more. If the stress is short-term (acute) or not severe (in biological terms, a short time would be a few hours, perhaps even a couple of days), we quickly recover without any detrimental effect to the body. If the stress is chronic or long-term, the body's resistance is affected, making us more susceptible to illness or disease.

18. Stage 2 - Resistance In stage two, the resistance stage , the immune system starts to resist or fight the stressor. You feel exasperated and are impatient with trivial matters. You miss your sleep schedules and find your resistance lowering. The normal indications of this level are exhaustion, weariness, anxiousness, and being forgetful. At the resistance stage, the body tries to become balanced (a process called homeostasis). You may think you can handle anything because the stress symptoms noticed in the alarm stage have now calmed down—until you become completely exhausted. As the stress continues, you may suffer with fatigue, sleep problems, and an overall malaise. If you get poor sleep, you may become quite irritable and have difficulty concentrating or being productive at home or work. This creates even more stress and a vicious cycle has started.

19. Stage 3 - Exhaustion In extreme cases our body is unable to handle the stress and it succumbs to the stressor and we call this the exhaustion phase . We may become sick or medical treatments may become necessary. After combating stress for days to weeks, the body shuts down completely. Sometimes after days of unending stress, the body succumbs to illness—either a viral or bacterial infection. If you look back over a period of several years, you may find that the times you developed a cold or flu were immediately after a stressful event in your life. It is during this exhaustion stage that you may pay the price of abuse with premature skin aging. Chronic or long-term stress depletes the epidermis of water, oxygen, and vitamin C, as well as increases hormone levels, histamines, and sebum production. While completely unaware of the internal damage from chronic stress, you will notice how it manifests in skin symptoms such as bumps, excess oil, breakouts, acne, rosacea, pimples, and a host of other unsightly conditions. If the stressor is too great, as in the case of disease that the body cannot fight, death can occur .

20. How does our body react? Allergy flare-ups Backaches Perspiring Shortness of breath Hyperventilation Irregular Heartbeat Tightness in throat or chest Extreme fatigue Muscle tension Trembling Muscle spasms Acne flare-ups Difficulty sleeping Headaches Neck-aches Blurred vision Increased blood pressure Light-headedness Constipation Diarrhea Upset stomach Vomiting

21. EFFECTS OF STRESS Emotional Effects of Stress Upset or nervous feelings Anger Anxiety or Fear Frequently criticizing others Frustration Forgetfulness Difficulty paying attention Emotional Effects of Stress Difficulty making decisions Irritability Lack of motivation Boredom Mild Depression Withdrawal Change in appetite

22. EFFECTS OF STRESS Physical Effects Increase stomach acid can create or irritate ulcers. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and disorders. Lowers the effectiveness of the immune system. Cancer or severe illness can occur.

23. MANAGEMENT OF STRESS One of the best and most productive ways to handle stress is to exercise. Exercise releases stress reducing chemicals in the body called Endorphins .

24. Eat a Healthy Diet Your diet can create a great deal of stress within your body and its systems. Your body cannot function properly without adequate nutrition. Eat 3 healthy meals each day.

25. Get Enough Sleep Lack of sleep can contribute to distress and can make decision making difficult. You should get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

26. Other ways to manage stress: Avoid unnecessary, distressful situations Tackle one thing at a time / take action Manage your time effectively Try not to let little things bother you Accept what cannot be changed Think positively Find a way to relax your muscles/ reduce tension (muscle relaxation, imagery, yoga, etc.)