Stress and Health

What is Stress?

Psychological states cause physical illness.

Stress is any circumstance (real or perceived) that threatens a person’s well-being

When we feel severe stress, our ability to cope with it is impaired

Stressors

A stressor is a thing that causes a person to experience stress. Stress is not a stimulus

or a response. process by which we

appraise and cope with threats and challenges

When short-lived or taken challenge: may have positive effects.

threatening or prolonged: can be harmful

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Stress Response System

Our initial stress response is a fight-or-flight Epinephrine and norepinephrine from the inner adrenal glands Increasing heart and

respiration rates Sugar and fat

mobilized Natural pain killers

released

Hans Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome

The stresses individual goes through three phases

Stress and the Heart

Stress that leads to elevated blood pressure may result in coronary heart disease a clogging of the

vessels that nourish the heart muscle

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Personality Types

Type A is a term used for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people. More likely to develop

heart diseaseType B refers to

easygoing, relaxed people

Modifying a Type-A lifestyle may reduce the recurrence of heart attacks

Pessimistic adult men are twice as likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period

A and B Continued

Stress & Disease

psychophysiological illness is any stress-related physical illness such as hypertension and some headaches

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) studies the health effects of psychological, neural, and endocrine processes on the immune system

Psychoneuroimmunology

B lymphocytes fight bacterial infections

T lymphocytes attack cancer cells and viruses

microphages ingest foreign substances.

During stress, energy is removed from the immune system High levels of

stress=colds more likely

Behavioral Medicine

Interdisciplinary field developed by psychologists and physicians Integrates behavioral

knowledge with medical knowledge

Exercise

Many studies suggest that aerobic exercise can elevate mood and well-being Raises energy,

increases self-confidence

Lowers tension, depression, and anxiety

R-E-L-A-X

Relaxation and meditation have similar effects in reducing tension and anxiety

Faith

Regular religious attendance has been a reliable predictor of a longer life span with a reduced risk of dying

Intervening Factors

Investigators suggest there are three factors that connect religious involvement and better health.