stress.pptx

nursing psychology

1. Stress MS AGNES MAHIMA DAVID ASSOCIATE PROF

2. Definitions Stress is the “non-specific response of the body to any kind of demand made upon it”. ( Selye —1956) Stress is the arousal of mind and body in response to demands made upon them. ( Schafer—2000)

3. STRESSORS Stressor can be any stimulus that causes an individual to experience stress. Three major categories of stressors are: Catastrophic events. Important life events (personal stressors). Daily hassles (background stressors).

4. STRESS CYCLE Stress follows a cycle of events, which circle around and around . Stressor Stressor can be any stimulus that causes an individual to experience stress. Stressors include either positive or negative life events, e.g. death, divorce, new job, marriage , etc. Stressors cause pressures, challenges or demands in life.

5. Reaction to Stress Once there is a stressor our body will react to it. Reactions to stress relates to perception of the stress. When a person feels stressed from the stressor, the body begins to release chemicals to confront the stressor Wear and Tear on the Body andOrgan System When a person becomes stressed and does not correct the stressor, the same stress reactions which helped in the beginning to cope, begin to wear one self-down

6. Reduced Optimum Health After a sustained period of chronic stress the body wears down, which can invite more serious diseases like high BP, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions , asthama , arthritis, depression and even cancer . Many diseases are associated with chronic stress. Increased Sensitivity to Stress While once body is worn down and emotions worn and exhausted , sensitivity to stress increases. Overtime , a smaller and smaller stressor initiates the same stress reaction that a big event used to get

7. Effects of stress

8. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) ( Hans Selye , 1945) Homeostatic mechanisms are aimed at counteracting the everyday stress of living. If they are successful, the internal environment maintains normal physiological limits of temperature, chemistry and pressure . If stress is extreme or long lasting, the normal mechanisms may not be sufficient. In this case, the stress triggers a wide-ranging set of bodily changes called the general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

9. COPING WITH STRESS Coping refers to the thoughts and behaviors we use to handle stress or anticipated stress. Coping includes efforts to control, reduce or learn to tolerate the threats that occur due to stress. Coping strategies fall into three categories Emotion-focused coping Problem-focused coping Avoidance coping

10. Emotion-focused Coping In this coping people try to manage their emotions in the face of stress, seeking to change the way they feel about or perceive a problem. Problem-focused Coping It includes taking direct action to solve problems as well as changing or modifying the stressful problem or the source of stress. Problem-focused strategy leads to change in behavior or to the development of a plan of action to deal with stress.

11. Avoidance Coping In this coping style people try to minimize or avoid threatening event. People who cope using avoidance may not make enough cognitive and emotional efforts to anticipate and manage long-term problems.

12. Classification of Coping Strategies According to Cohen and Lazarus (1979) Direct action response: The individual tries to directly change or manipulate the stressful situation such as coping with or removing it . Information seeking: The individual tries to understand the situation better and predict future events that are related to the stress. Inhibition of action: Doing nothing. Intra-psychic or palliative coping: The individual reappraises the situation (use of psychological defense mechanisms) or change the internal environment (through drugs, alcohol, relaxation or meditation). Turning to others: Seeking others help or emotional support.