Download Mind – Body Communications Maintain Wellness

Mind –Body Communication
Managing Stress
Mental Health
CHAPTERS 2,3,4
What do I need to know/be able to
do?

Describe 3 ways the mind & body communicate biologically

Describe how faith, religion & spirituality affect health

Define/describe psychosomatic illness, stress, stressor, eustress &
distress, defense mechanisms, placebo effect, hypnotherapy

Describe meditation & image visualization
Explain how college students can mange overload & practice
time management & test management


Define & Describe environmental, mental & emotional
components of stress
List & describe strategies for coping with emotional distress

Describe physiological components of stress

Explain the role of positive emotions in mental & physical health

Describe 4 ways stress causes illness

Define List & describe 4 common anxiety disorders

Define problem-focused & emotion focused coping


Discuss anger & dealing with it constructively

Describe adult ADHD

List & describe 7 facets of sleep hygiene
Optimal health is achieved
when the mind & body
communicate harmoniously
Mind-body communication systems
ANS (autonomic
nervous system
Hormones
endocrine system
Group of nerves that
regulate the body to
maintain its balance
Chemical messengers in
the body that notify it to
respond and change in
order to maintain health.
•
HR
•
BP
•
waste elimination
(sweat, BM’s)
(adrenalin & cortisol)
Immune System
Responsible for
combatting infections &
ridding body of toxins
Many immune cells
respond to hormone
cortisol
Human mind causes changes
in body chemistry through
thoughts & feelings with
positive & negative effects.
Hormones can affect moods, thoughts
feelings & behaviors

Raging hormones of young teens

PMS –

Post partum depression

Peri-menopause

Menopause

PCOS
Work with the body
Autonomic
Nervous System
Biofeedback
machine feedback
Hormones
Endocrine System
Cortisol – stress
Dopamine – pleasure
Autogenic training
Oxytocin – trust &
attachment
“My arms & legs are
heavy”
Vasopressin – sexual
arousal, decrease anxiety
Serotonin – increase
aggression & obsessive
thoughts
Immune
System
Psychosomatic
illness
Somatization
Placebo effect
Define the following
 psychosomatic
illness 
 Somatization disorder

 placebo effect
Physical illness brought on by negative
mental states

The occurrence of physical symptoms
without the presence of medically
detectable injury or disease


(anxiety – IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
( depression – fatigue, nausea, sexual
problems)
Healing that results from a person’s belief in
a treatment that has no medicinal value
Psychosomatic illnesses are
physical symptoms caused
by stress, anxiety &
emotional upsets
Psychosomatic Diseases/Illnesses

Tension headaches

Teeth grinding ( bruxism)

Hyperactive thyroid

Essential hypertension

Erection or menstrual
problems

Eczema
Tinnitus
 Acne
 Back pain
 Ulcerative colitis
 IBS – irritable bowel
syndrome
 Rheumatoid arthritis

Somatization disorders are
caused by psychosocial
problems
Somatization disorders
 i.e.
depression/anger may cause pain, fatigue,
nausea, diarrhea, sexual problems
 25-75%
of all patients see primary care physicians
for these difficult to treat symptoms/disorders
Treatments for wellness

Hypnosis

Meditation

Acupuncture

visualization

Therapy – cognitive, talk, pet, art, play, physical
hypnotherapy
Use
of hypnosis to improve
wellness/treat sickness
https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=uP8j2OwPwUc
Hypnosis myths & facts

Under hypnosis, you lose control and the
hypnotist can make you do anything
 No
one can control your mind, unless you
agree to voluntarily. Stage hypnotists
“control” volunteers b/c they already are
“ready to” participate
Hypnosis myths & facts

Hypnosis is like falling asleep. When you awake
you are unaware of things that took place while
“asleep”
 You
do not fall asleep.
 You
remain conscious
 It
is a focused attention with specific
thoughts, to the exclusion of other thoughts
Hypnosis myths & facts

Only weak minded people can be hypnotized
 People
with above average intelligence are
usually hypnotized easier than others
 Similar
to movie goers engrossed in a movie –
they are focused/emotionally connected to
film however can be “snapped” back to
reality if someone should yell “fire” in the
theatre
meditation

Zen Meditation
 Sit
still
 Crossed
 Empty
legs
the mind of
“chatter”

Transcendental
Meditation
 Focus
on a mantra
(phrase or sound to
produce a meditative
state)
meditation

Insight (Vipassana)
 Observe
flow of
thoughts with
detachment
 Buddhists
focus on a
mandala (religious
object)
 Prayer
Focused
attention
on/with God
Make up your own mantra




Choose a behavior you would like to change or improve
Keep it simple
Choose an achievable statement
Repeat it internally in a quiet state
 Sports:
 I feel my body getting stronger
 I become less tired each time around the track
 Behaviors:
 I will stop eating when I am full
Use of Image Visualization
 reduces
pain
 hastens healing
 improves sports performance
 improves sexual responses & enjoyment
Take time to quiet your
mind
CHOOSE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU
Define the following
 stress
 Stressor
 eustress
 Distress
 defense
mechanisms

The sum of physical & emotional reactions
to any stimulus that disturbs the harmony of
mind & body

Any physical or psychological situation that
produces stress

Stress resulting from pleasant stressors

Stress resulting from unpleasant stressors

i.e. Denial, repression, projection,
displacement, reaction formation,
rationalization, identification, isolation &
dissociation
Stress management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZAH-xu_FRQ
The Components of Stress
Environmental
(stressors)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
War
Natural disaster
Major life events
Daily hassles
Family/relationship
problems
Demanding job
Sexual abuse
Assault
Personal or family
illness
Chronic anxiety
Mental
•
My well- being is
threatened
•
I’m not sure I have
the personal,
financial and social
resources to make
things turn out ok
Emotional
•
•
•
•
•
Fear
Anxiety
Frustration
Hopelessness
Depression
Physiological
• Fight or Flight
Response
(adrenaline
release)
• Increase in HR, BP
• Changes in
metabolism,
waste elimination
alertness, sleep,
immune function
The General Adaptation Syndrome
ALARM
RESISTANCE
EXHAUSTION
General Adaptation Syndrome (G.A.S).
ALARM
Body’s normal
resistance to
stress is lowered
for the 1st
interaction with
the stressor
RESISTANCE
Body adapts to
continued
presence of the
stressor
resistance
increases
EXHAUSTION
Body loses ability
to resist the
stressor
Becomes
exhausted
“ Heavy thoughts bring on physical
maladies; when the soul is
oppressed so is the body
MARTIN LUTHER
”
Give Examples of College Student
Stressors

Academic

Time

Environment

Social

Self

Money

Tasks of Daily Living
Stress Contributes to Illness
 Causes
the body to be exhausted, worn down,
damaged
 Weakens
the immune system
 Motivates
cope
unhealthy behaviors as an attempt to
Warning Signs of Stress

Sleep difficulties (staying awake or restfully sleeping)

Eating pattern changes

Depression

Muscle aches/tightness

Headaches

Craving comfort food

Short temper/irritability
Factors affecting experience of stress

Predictability


Produces less stress than surprises
Personal Control

BELIEF in one’s ability to control situations & not whether control is actually possible


Belief in Outcomes


High pressure jobs that have little room to decide how to accomplish tasks have greater
stress than those who can control more decisions
Optimists have less stress than pessimists
Social Support

Sharing physical, emotional or intellectual help in stressful situations helps lessen stress
Common Anxiety Disorders

Social anxiety (social phobia)

Panic disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder

OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

PTSD – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Persistent & often non specific worry & anxiety

May present without stressor

Physical signs: headaches, fatigue, hot flashes, twitching

Emotional sign: irritability
Social anxiety

Fear of being observed & evaluated by others in social
situations
Panic Disorder

Severe & intense & paralyzing anxiety
accompanied by physical symptoms

Physical symptoms similar to a heart attack

May manifest without obvious stressor

May feel a sense of impending doom or loss of
control
PTSD

Persistent frightening thoughts & memories of a prior
traumatic experience

May experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb or
easily startled
Sleep Hygiene

Establish regular sleep time

Create sleep environment

Wind down before going to bed

Use bedroom for sleep only

Don’t worry in bed

Avoid alcohol, caffeine & tobacco

Exercise regularly early in the day
Define Sleep Problems

Insomnia

Prolonged inability to fall asleep

Narcolepsy


parasomnia
Extreme tendency to fall asleep
during the day

Activities that interrupt restful sleep
 Nightmares,
sleepwalking
(somnambulism), sleep apnea,
RLS (restless leg syndrome
Dreams

Occur during R.E.M (Rapid Eye
Movement)

Why dreams/REM?

Brains’ way to grow/process
info/remove unnecessary info

Private conversations with ourselves
that may be bizarre, dramatic,
emotional & exaggerated

Needed to prevent bizarre & psychotic
behaviors (sleep deprivation as a
means of torture)
Signs of Depression
Psychological
Behavioral
Physical
Lack of interest/motivation
Crying spells
Fatigue
Feelings of helplessness
Weight changes
Indecisiveness
Interpersonal
confrontation
Pessimism/hopelessness
Anger attack/outbursts
Reduced concentration
Irritability
Avoidance of anxiety
provoking situations
Depressed mood
Social withdrawal
Preoccupation with oneself
Substance abuse
Suicide attempts/gestures
Aches/pains
Heart palpitations
Sleep changes
Burning/tingling sensations
Depressive Type Disorders
Major depression
Mental state of helplessness,
hopelessness & extreme negative
outlooks
Negative outlook errors:
•
All or none thinking
•
Overgeneralizing
•
Negative filtering
•
Disqualifying the positive
•
Negative self talk
Seasonal affective
disorder
dysthymia
Symptoms appear in fall or winter
& disappear in spring
Long-lasting, mild form of
depression
How to deal with depression

Establish & achieve simple attainable short term goals

Exercise

Socialize – but don’t overtalk about how lousy life is

Meds – SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) {caution – can be
linked to suicide in young people)

Therapy to help minimize negative self talk
Coping – dealing with problems effectively
*Problem Focused
•
Key feature =
optimism
•
Stressful situation is
appraised
•
•
Plan for change is
devised
Plan is attempted
Emotion Focused
•
•
Stressful situation is
appraised as not
immediately changeable
& decision is to “roll with it”
– wait for opportunity to
change it
Acceptance is facilitated
through religious, social
contact, helping others,
being with nature
Denial/Distance/Give Up
•
Stressful situation is
appraised as not
amenable to change
•
Typical response
Behaviors
•
Overeating
•
Oversleeping
•
Substance abuse
•
Web surfing/video
gaming
A mentally healthy person can
Solves
problems with little trouble
Deal with stress effectively
Accept new ideas
Avoid “Overload”
The
feeling there are too many
demands on your time & energy
Antidotes to overload

Plan ahead

Keep a to do list

Prioritize tasks

Schedule downtime

Sleep

Don’t “Just do it”
Prioritizing Activity

Create a minimum 10 item to do list

Draw this image below your to do list
IMPORTANT
YES
NO
YES
URGENT
NO
Suicide

2nd leading cause of death among college students

One of the 10 most frequent causes of death in the US

People over 65 make up the largest age group of suicides.

Not a disease nor a genetic disorder

Not caused by weather or full moons

A risk associated with panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD, & bipolar
disorder

Refer to hand out: Depression is Worldwide, If a Friend is Considering
Suicide
Adult ADHD/ADD Characteristics

Difficulties:
 Focusing
on activities
 Organizing
 Finishing
tasks
 Managing
 Following
one’s time
instructions

Being overly restless – “on the go”

Perceived as not thinking before acting or speaking
Adult ADD/ADHD

College age students with undiagnosed ADHD generally struggle in school

A biological condition
 Frontal
region of brain differs from those without ADD/HD

As kids, may been labeled as underachievers/lacking intelligence

May have damaged self esteem

Associated with lower socioeconomic status, frequent job changes, work
difficulties, speeding violations, car accidents, & spousal separations

Treatments: medication, coaching, counseling, healthful living
PDD – pervasive developmental disorder
(ASD- autism spectrum disorder)

Group of conditions characterized by varying degrees of communication /social impairments

Not genetic – but developmental ( changes genes after conception)

Theories of cause of PDD or ASD = mercury in vaccines, environmental pollutants on developing
brain

Treatment varies

Positive behavioral training

Careful diet & vitamin supplements

Meds to manage energy, focus, seizures, aggression, self injury

Alternative medicine – massage, chelation (removing metals from body
Review 1





Human mind causes changes in body chemistry through thoughts &
feelings with positive & negative effects.
Optimal health is achieved when the mind & body communicate
harmoniously
Homeostasis = Unconscious regulation of all vital process
Disease = disruption of homeostasis or disruption of mind/body harmony
Mind/body communicate via ANS – autonomic nervous system
 Maintains HR/ BP, blood sugar, temp
Review 2

Hypnosis & meditation can play positive role in healing

Belief, faith & suggestion all have power to heal because the mind
can change disturbed body functions & reestablish homeostasis

Mental relaxation techniques help maintain/improve health & wellness

Image visualization can be used to reduce anxiety, stress, modify
behaviors& improve performance
Review 3
Psychosomatic illnesses are physical symptoms caused by
stress, anxiety & emotional upsets
 Somatization disorders are caused by psychosocial
problems
 Placebo effect is often almost as powerful as drugs in
treating illness symptoms
 Religious activity is often associate with healthier lifestyle

Review 4

Mental Relaxation techniques help maintain or improve health/wellness

Stress is the disruption of mind-body harmony brought about by trauma,
threat to life, obstacles to carrying out daily tasks, accomplishing life
goals, or achieving desired changes in life

Stressors are situations and circumstances that cause stress

Mental component of stress consists of the interpretation of a situation as
a threatening and the appraisal that one’s personal resources are
insufficient to meet the demands of dealing with the stressful situation
Review 5

Physiological components of stress are the fight or flight response and
activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis with consequent
secretion of stress hormones, especially, cortisol.

Stress contributes to illness by wearing down the mind/body (G.A.S.),
impairing immunity, and fostering unhealthy behaviors

PTSD is a serious medical condition resulting from exposure to traumatic
events and near death experiences.

Stress can be reduced by disengaging from stressors, altering
perceptions and goals, thereby reducing potential for stress related
illnesses
Review 6

Stress can be reduced by techniques that produces peaceful states of
being: visualization, medication, exercise, yoga, & just taking it easy.

College student stress includes overload, time pressures, and text
anxiety.

Mental health is when your mental functions produce a sense of
optimism, vitality, and well being and when your intentional behaviors
lead to productive activities ( including healthy behaviors) fulfilling
relationships with others and the ability to adapt to change and cope
with adversity.
Review 7

Mental illness refers to alterations in thinking, emptions, and or intentional
behaviors that produce psychological distress and/or impaired
functioning

Mental and emotional health depend on how well individual meet their
maintenance and growth needs and cope with situations in which their
needs are not met.

People understand their needs by interpreting what they sense from the
environment and in their bodies. As they mature, people develop ideas
about and learn strategies to meet their emotional needs
Review 8

Emotions tells us whether we are satisfied by and the level of satisfaction
from, our experiences, plans, and outcomes of behavior.

Emotional distress occur4s when needs are not met. People cope with
this by changing their modes of interaction wit the environment,
changing the importance of their unmet needs or changing the
distressing feelings

Positive thoughts and emotions, including beliefs in one’s worth (self
esteem) and abilities ( self efficacy & agency) motivate people to
engage in healthy behaviors and avoid unhealthy ones.
Review 9

Optimism is associated with perceiving negative events as specific,
temporary obstacles to be overcome, whereas pessimism is associated
with explaining negative events as self-caused, stable, and global.

Counselors, therapists, and others can help clarify the source of
emotional distress and find healthy ways to cope with it.

Social support enables individuals to receive resources to help during
difficult times

Phobias are exaggerated and often unrealistic fears
Review 10

Anxiety disorders include social anxiety, panic disorder, GAD and OCD.

Depression is characterized by feelings of dejection, guilt, hopelessness,
self-esteem, and a focus on the negative

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds or all
races and genders.

Many signs of depression occur in someone who is suicidal.

ADD/HD is a brain condition
Review 11

Unresolved anger and hostility are risk factor for heart disease

Sleep and dreams are fundamental to human health. Sleep has 5
stages. REM sleeps, during which dreams occur, happens during the
cycle of sleep from deep to lighter stages.

Many people use dreams to help understand and deal with
distressing situations and confusing emotions.