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STRESS and COPING STRATEGIES What is stress ? Types of stress Sources of stress Type A personality Reaction of body to stress Effects of stress on body Coping with stress and stress management
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Page 1: Stress & Coping Strategies

STRESS and COPING STRATEGIES

What is stress ? Types of stress Sources of stress Type A personality Reaction of body to stress Effects of stress on body Coping with stress and stress management

Page 2: Stress & Coping Strategies

What is Stress ?

STRESS :

The demand that is made on an organism to adapt. EUSTRESS :

Stress that is helpful CONFLICT :

Being torn in different directions by opposing motives CATASTROPHIZE

To interpret negative events as being disastrous; to "blow out of proportion.“

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Stress, Stressor and Stress response

Stress is a state that occurs when people are faced with events they perceive as endangering their physical and psychological well-being.

In stress, the events that are perceived as threatening are called stressors and the person’s reactions to these events are called stress responses.

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REACTIONS TO STRESS

Six Major Psychological Stressors 1) Frustration Occurs when progress toward a desired goal is blocked Common sources: Physical environment  Social environment  Individual limitations Common reactions:  Aggression  Passive-aggression  Apathy  Regression

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REACTIONS TO STRESS

2) Pressure Situations that require a person to do too much in

too short a time 3) Boredom Understimulation 4) Trauma A shocking physical or emotional experience5) Change Both positive or negative

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REACTIONS TO STRESS

6) Conflict

Can be within ourselves or with another person

--- Approach-approach

--- Avoidance-avoidance

--- Approach-avoidance

Multiple approach-avoidance

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Reactions of body to stress

Physiology of Stress Hans Selye (1950) described a General Adaptation

Syndrome which is infact a physiological response to stressors.

It consists of three stages :

1. The alarm reaction stage

2. The resistance stage

3. The exhaustion stage

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Reactions of body to stress

1. The alarm reaction stage Activation of sympathetic nervous system

leading to greater arousal. Sympathetic nervous system triggers the

release of hormones from adrenal glands, which are adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and steroids. These hormones cause---tachycardia, palpitation, increase in respiration rate, increased muscle tension, sweating.

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Reactions of body to stress

2. The resistance stage Activation of sympathetic nervous

system and its responses continue but parasympathetic nervous system (which is involved in energy storing and conserving processes) calls for more careful use of body’s resources.

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Reactions of body to stress

3.The exhaustion stage Eventually the physiological systems

used in the alarm reaction and resistance stages become ineffective and stress related diseases (hypertension, heart disease, asthma) are more likely to occur.

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Type “ A ”Personality more prone to develop frequent stress. Characteristics of Type A personality are : TIME PRESSURE * Always working against the clock * Doing two or more things at once * Irritation with slow moving traffic or queues * Impatience with others * Agitation when forced to do nothing COMPETITIVENESS * Always playing games to win * Very self-critical * Measuring success as material productivity ANGER AND HOSTILITY * Feelings of anger both towards the outside world and sometimes towards oneself

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CHARACTERSTICS OF TYPE “B” TYPE B: non competitive relaxed,in control easygoing understanding/forgiving confident and happy in job enjoys leisure and weekends

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Effects of stress on body

Stress effects the immune system Stress stimulates the production of steroids

and steroids suppresses the functioning of immune system.

Persistent secretion of steroids decreases inflammation and interferes with the formation of antibodies and the person become more vulnerable to various illnesses.

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Effects of stress on body

Psychosomatic illnesses Peptic ulcer or Acid peptic disease Essential hypertension Bronchial asthma Ulcerative colitis

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Effects of stress on bodyStress causes headaches Tension headache Migraine headacheStress can cause coronary heart disease Type “A” behavior Obesity Hypertension Diabetes HyperlipaedemiaStress and cancer Stress reduces immunity Psychological factors in the treatment of cancer

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Stressful Situations

CAUSES OF STRESS Stressful Life events--- Death of spouse or any close relative Divorce or separation Disturbance in interpersonal relationship Loss of job, Financial losses or economic problems Chronic or incurable physical or psychological illness Physical injury Seeing or experiencing terrorism, dacoity or accidents All kinds of threats & difficult situations Environmental Stresses such as Noise, pollution or

extremes of temperatures

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Stressful Situations Loss problems include not only the loss of a person through death or

separation but also the loss of a body part or the function of an organ

Role changes Such as entering marriage, parenthood or a new job with

added responsibilities Problems in relationship Such as those between married couples, between parent

and child or other relations Conflict problems Difficulties in choosing between two undesirable

alternatives

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Stress & Coping Strategies UNCONSCIOUS & CONSCIOUS EFFORTS TO

DEAL WITH STRESS 1. COPING STRATEGIES (Conscious Efforts)

a) Adaptive Coping Strategies :- Problem Solving Strategies Emotion reducing strategies

b) Maladaptive Coping Strategies

2. DEFENCE MECHANISMS (Unconscious processes)

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Stress & Coping Strategies

COPING STRATEGIES (Conscious Efforts) :

a) Adaptive Coping Strategies :-

1)Problem Solving Strategies Seeking help from another person or obtaining information or advice that would help or solve problem Making & implementing plans to deal with the problem Defending one’s own rights or persuading another person to change his behavior

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Stress & Coping Strategies

2)Emotion reducing strategies Ventilation of emotions---talking to

another person and expressing emotions

Avoidance----refusal to think about problem, avoiding people who are causing problems or avoiding reminders of the problems

Positive reappraisal---recognising that problem has led to some good, for example self betterment

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Stress & Coping Strategies b) Maladaptive Coping Strategies * Use of Alcohol or unprescribed drugs---to reduce emotional response or awareness of stressful circumstances * Deliberate self harm—either by drug overdose or self injury * Histrionic behaviour---an unrestrained emotional display may reduce tension Eg : In grief * Aggressive behaviour—may release feelings of anger

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Stress & Coping Strategies

DEFENCE MECHANISMS

(Unconscious processes) ---Concept given by Sigmund Freud ---Operates unconsciously.( person is

not aware of ) ---Relieves Anxiety

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Stress & Coping Strategies

REPRESSION Exclusion from consciousness of impulses, emotions or memories that would otherwise cause distress

DENIAL person behaving as if unaware of something that he may reasonably be expected to know.

DISPLACEMENT Transfer of emotions from a person, object or situation with which it is properly associated, to another source

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Stress & Coping Strategies PROJECTION Attribution to another person of thoughts or feelings similar to one’s own, thereby rendering one’s own thoughts or feelings more acceptable REGRESSION Adoption of behaviour appropriate to an earlier stage of development RATIONALIZATION Unconscious provision of a false but acceptable explanation for behaviour that has a less acceptable origin IDENTIFICATION Unconscious adoption of the characteristics or activities of another person, often to reduce the pain of separation or loss

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Stress Management

1. Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical reactions

2. Recognize what you can change.3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress. 4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress. 5. Build your physical reserves. 6. Maintain your emotional reserves.

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Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical reactions

Notice your distress. Don't ignore it Determine what events distress you.

What are you telling yourself about meaning of these events?

Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you become nervous or physically upset

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Recognize what you can change Can you change your stressors by avoiding

or eliminating them completely? Can you reduce their intensity (manage

them over a period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)?

Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)?

Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting and time management techniques may be helpful here)?

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Reduce the intensity of your emotional

reactions to stress Are you viewing your stressors in

exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?

Are you expecting to please everyone? Are you overreacting and viewing things as

absolutely critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation?

Work at adopting more moderate views Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the

situation in perspective

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Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress Slow, deep breathing will bring your

heart rate and respiration back to normal Relaxation techniques can reduce

muscle tension Electronic biofeedback can help you gain

voluntary control over such things as muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help in the short term in moderating your physical reactions.

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Build your physical reserves Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times

a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging).

Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals Maintain your ideal weight. Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other

stimulants Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away

when you can. Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep

schedule as possible

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Maintain your emotional reserves Develop some mutually supportive

friendships/relationships Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful

to you, rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.

Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows.

Always be kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself