Download Stress - Ed W. Clark High School

Stress
• Stress – the process by which we perceive and
respond to certain events, called stressors,
that we appraise as threatening or challenging
• Can be good or bad
• It’s a mind-body system (like emotion)
• Fight or Flight
• Pull back
Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome
(GAS) theory
• Body has a general response to stress
• Three phases
• Alarm reaction – high heart rate, faintness, shock
etc.
• Resistance – Temperature, blood pressure and
respiration remain high; outpouring of hormones
• Exhaustion – Susceptible to illness
• Telomeres and DNA – shortened telomeres are
associated with aging and death
3 types of stressors
• Catastrophes – unpredictable large-scale
events
• Life changes – often in those under age 50
trying to “take on too many things at once”
• Daily hassles – examples?
– Most significant source of stress for most people
• All can lead to hypertension (high blood
pressure)
Stress and the heart
• High blood pressure leads to heart disease – it
used to be rare, but is now the most common
cause of death
Type A and Type B
• Type A personalities – reactive, competitive,
impatient, super-motivated, verbally aggressive
• Type B – they’re like, totally relaxed and stuff
• In study, 69% of those who had heart attacks
were type “As.” Those who were the most “B”
had no heart attacks
• People who react with the most anger to little
things are most prone to this condition
• Pessimism and depression have similar affects
Stress and Disease
• Immune System
• Too strong – allergies, arthritis, lupus
• Too weak – cancer, viruses
• Stress depresses our immune system
– Basically, stress triggers sympathetic nervous
system responses that divert energy from the
immune system
• Wounds heal more slowly
• More likely to get a cold
• Pretty much all centenarians manage stress
well
• Leads to increase in the rate of transition from
HIV to AIDS
• Some studies show a similar link to cancer:
stress doesn’t cause it, but may speed its
progression
• The immune system can be suppressed
through classical conditioning
Stress related factors
• Lymphocytes (white blood cells)
• Animals placed in zoos (and rats placed in
cages) sometimes die soon after due to a
decrease in the production of lymphocytes
Perceived control
• We are usually less susceptible to disease and
live longer when we feel like we have control
over our situations
• A perception of control
gives us hope
Optimists and Pessimists
• Optimists are healthier and live longer
• Laughter helps, too
Question: Who is the most positive
Transformer?
Answer: “Optimist” Prime!
Social Support
• We need it. Pets also help
• Married people live healthier, longer lives
• Talking to people/confiding, or expressing
troubles through a diary or art can be
beneficial
Managing Stress
Exercise
• Boosts mood and immune functioning
• As effective as drugs in combatting
depression, plus less symptom recurrence
• Adds 2 years to your life
Relaxation and Meditation
• Practicing relaxation helps you relax
• Better health, longer life
Spirituality
• Rivals non-smoking and exercise in increasing
longevity
• Brings together many factors correlated with
longevity: healthier living, social ties,
marriage, sense of hope and acceptance
Changing illness related behaviors
Smoking
• It’s really bad for you. One of the surest ways
to ensure that you will have a short life span
• Nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine
• Difficult to quit – ½ try each year, 1/7 succeed.
• 90% start as teens
Obesity
• Associated with a wide range of health risks
• Discrimination experiment
What causes weight gain?
• Genetic predisposition and/or early childhood eating
patterns cause fat cells to grow to several times normal
size
• Metabolism – obese people tend to have a higher setpoint, that keeps them near that weight
• When getting fewer calories, metabolic rate decreases
(your body doesn’t burn through fat as quickly)
• Genes play a large role in obesity, but so does our
lifestyle of high fat/ high sugar foods, large portions,
and lots of sitting
• Large portions/packaging cause people to eat more
(unit bias)
• Being tired decreases your ability to resist
sugary/fatty foods