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Stress Management
NJ AIHA Local Section Meeting
October 19, 2006
Definitions
Stress
Human Definition
Engineering Definition
Human Definition
What the Dictionary Says
Stress:
A mentally or
emotionally
disruptive or
disquieting
influence
Engineering Definition
What the Dictionary Says
Stress:
An applied force
or system of
forces that tends
to strain or
deform a body
The History of Stress
To be, or not to be:
that is the question.
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
Dr. Hans Selye
Endocrynologist: Johns Hopkins University
Recognized that stress is a
normal part of life. (ca. 1926)
He developed a theory of the
influence of stress on people’s
ability to cope with the physical
pressures of injury and disease
More of Hans Selye’s Views
Stress is the response of the body
to any demand placed upon it
whether that
demand
produces
pleasure
or pain.
Richard Lazarus, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology: UC Berkeley
Stress is a state of
anxiety produced
when events and
responsibilities
exceed one’s ability
to cope with their
forces.
Stress in Modern Times
Dr. Selye’s research
indicates that up to
70 - 80 percent of
diseases and illnesses
are either caused or
exacerbated by stress.
And only recently has
the word become common to describe the
emotional impact of life forces.
Factors Drawing Attention to Stress
Rapid change has become
the norm of modern
society
The number of
(perceived) stressors is
increasing;
Leisure time is
(perceived) to be
decreasing
Furthering the Definition
Stress is also
–a culturally defined
concept.
The Result:
–different interpretations exist.
Some Examples
Eastern philosophies
- stress is an absence
of inner peace.
Western culture
- stress is a loss of
control.
Holistic Medicine View
Stress is the inability to cope with a
real (or imagined) threat to one’s
–
–
–
–
physical
mental
emotional, and
spiritual well-being
This results in a series of physiological
changes known as the stress response.
The Stress Response:
A Basic Decision: Fight or Flight?
Concept conceived
by Walter Cannon
(WWI era)
A survival instinct.
Meant for physical
stressors.
I’ll be Back!
Never mind, “I’ll be Back!” I’m here now, I’m in your
face, and what are you going to do about it!!!???
The Stress Response
Also occurs for
emotional or spiritual
stressors.
Occurs if the threat is
real or imaginary.
Occurs in proportion to
the perceived level of
danger.
Danger –
Warning
Response Stages
 Stimuli are received (continuously) by the brain
through all of its sensory channels simultaneously.
 The brain (also continuously)
monitors the information.
—Like any continuum, there is a range of
values, against which the sensory
information is measured.
—When values become seriously elevated,
a threatening condition is perceived and
physical responses are initiated.
—These physical responses are
chemically-based and continue until well
after the sensory levels have returned to
normal values.
—Body chemistry and physical conditions
then slowly return to pre-threat levels.
i.e., the chemical half-life effect.
 Vision
Sensory Channels
– Photopic
– Scotopic
 Hearing
 Smell
 Taste
 Kinesthesis (proprioception)
–
–
–
–
Muscle Tension
Tendon Tension
Joint Position
Joint Acceleration
 Vestibular (Balance)
 Feeling
–
–
–
–
–
–
Pressure
Contact
Deep Pressure
Prick Pain
Quick Pain
Deep Pain
 Temperature
– Heat
– Cold
Stress
Response
Effects
Stress Types
Eustress
Neustress
Distress
Eustress: Positive Stress
Motivates
Excites
Energizes
Distress: Negative Stress
Oppresses
Severely Elevates
Emotions
Can Degrade
Performance
Neustress
Toxicology Basic Concept
The dose determines whether a
chemical is toxic or not.
A similar concept can be applied
to stress. The level determines if
there will be positive, negative,
or neutral effects on health and the human
ability to cope with life forces.
Neustress is defined as the optimal stress
level for normal human functioning.
The Eustress - Distress Curve
Maximum Performance
Poor
Eustress
Distress
poor performance
low
bored
illness
Low
performance
Good
poor performance
moderate
optimal
high
overwhelmed
High
Basic Types of Stressors
Physical
Psychological
Social
General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 1
Alarm & React
Stage 2
Resist & Endure
Stage 3
Exhaustion & Burnout
General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 1 (Alarm)
– Escalating Emotions
» Confusion
» Anxiety
»Worry
»Fear
»Shock
General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 2 (Resist and Endure)
– Focus on To-Do List
– Git-R Done Attitude
– Psychological Profiles
» Aggression
» Fixation
General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 3 (Exhaustion)
– Physiological
» Headaches
» Tremors
» Illnesses
– Psychological Profiles
» Depression
» Repression
» Withdrawal
– Interpersonal
» Damaged Relationships
Burnout
– Unable to continue
The Physiology of Stress
Recall:
Dr. Hans Selye
recognized that there is
a direct relationship
between chronic stress
and excessive wear and
tear throughout the
body.
Brain Architecture
The Triune Brain
R-Complex
Limbic
System
Neomammalian
(neocortex)
The Reptilian Complex
Lowest level comprised of the:
– brain stem
– reticular formation
The Reticular Formation
Reticular Activating System (RAS)
 A link connecting the brain to the spinal cord.
 Stress physiologists believe it is a communication
link joining the mind and body
 Function:
– The RAS controls the sleep
wake cycle and the level of
attention when awake. It
sends its signals to the cortex
to arouse it from sleep.
Brain Stem
Comprised of Several Discreet Parts
– mesencephalon (midbain)
– pons
– medulla oblongata
Responsible for
involuntary functions
– heart beat
– respiration
– vasomotor activity
Limbic System
Emotion Control Center
–
–
–
thalamus
hypothalamus
pituitary gland
»
a k a. the master
endocrine gland
– These three glands
work together to
maintain a level of
homeostasis
Neomammalian Level
Gray Matter
Highest level of the brain
Processes sensory information
– along the continuum from
levels representing normal
conditions to threatening
– where cognition takes place.
Can override a lower level
Can influence emotional
responses
?
Cerebellum
(motor function)
Physiological Systems Involved
in the Stress Response:
Nervous system
Endocrine system
Immune system
{Electrical}
{Chemical}
{Chemical}
Sympathetic Nervous System
Responsible for responses associated
with fight-or-flight response
This physical arousal is stimulated
through release of hormones
–
Epinephrine
(adrenaline)
–
Norepinephrine
(noradrenaline)
–
Corticol
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a
catecholamine. It acts
on receptor sites of
the sympathetic
nervous system. Its
most prominent
actions are on the heart, vascular, and other
smooth muscle groups. When introduced, it
produces a rapid rise in blood pressure by:
 Direct stimulation of cardiac muscle and
strengthening its contraction,
 Increasing the heart rate, and
 Constricting the arterioles in the skin, mucosa
and visceral areas of the circulation.
Endocrine system
Glands involved with the stress response:
–
Pituitary: releases trophic hormones that stimulate
other endocrine glands. Receives releasing hormones
from the hypothalamus
– Thyroid: releases thyroxine and triiodothionine that
regulate metabolic rate
– Adrenals: release corticol and adrenaline
Effects Associated with Stress
Response
Three Stages
Immediate effects
Intermediate effects
Prolonged effects
Immediate Effects
2 - 3 seconds
Sympathetic nervous response
Epinephrine & nor-epinephrine
released
Adrenal Cortex and Blood Flow
Inferior Vena Cava
Intermediate Effects
20 - 30 seconds
Adrenal response
Epinephrine & norepinephrine
continue to be
released
Prolonged Effects
minutes, hours, days, weeks
Continued elevated levels of stress
hormones and continued vasodilation:
 thought processes
 emotional processes
 motor functions and physical
performance
 sleep-wake cycle
 hunger, thirst, and digestive system
 immune system
Stress Management
(to be continued)
NJ AIHA Local Section Meeting
November 16, 2006