2.    The Stress Response System                       

 

 3.    Stressful Life Events                                      

 

4.    Stress and Its Impact on Health                    

 

 5.     Coping with Stress                                       

 

6.    Stress Management                                      

 
7.    References                                                   

 

Stress is not always a bad thing. It is just a chemical reaction of your body to cope up with the challenge. 

It is known as the negative stress which can cause anxiety problems; it can be a long- or short-term issue, it will make you feel unpleasant, holds down performance and creates mental and physical challenges. 

For example, Death of a loved one, injury, getting abused, unemployment etc.

Acute stress is considered to be a good one. We experience this stress when we face situations like a speech or before an exam. This will help us meet them more effectively. Hence they are short-lived, after the situation the stress goes away.

 

But chronic stress is long-lived one and considered as a bad one. These stresses can be an outcome of childhood experiences, family problems etc. this can cause illness and affect the total emotional control of someone who is experiencing it.

According to Cannon when someone is experiencing a threat, the body immediately responds and motivated by the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system. This response decides if they want to face it or run away. It was founded out from organisms and how they act to such situations. It is an adaptive response as it allows the body to respond quickly to the threat. But emotional and physiological functioning can be disturbed by stress and can cause harm too.

 

Han Selye derived it into three parts, the alarm stage, resistance stage and exhaustion stage. 

Alarm stage: it provides a burst of energy, and it will help to get prepared for the stress.

Resistance stage: Our body will be helped to face the situation and help to resist or adapt to the stress

Exhaustion Stage: when our body fails to overcome the stress, and he or she lacks the resource to cope it our body will deplete the energy and fails to overcome the stress.

 

Another way is eating. Some people have the tenancy to eat when they are stressed out. Some people try to sleep to overcome stress.

In all these situations they are trying to forget the thoughts of stress and concentrate in some other areas. 

Smoking and drinking too much alcohol is used some people to reduce stress. But this can increase the blood pressure and leads to damage their artery walls.

Smoking and drinking too much alcohol is used some people to reduce stress. But this can increase the blood pressure and leads to damage their artery walls.

When we are stressed, there will many hormonal and chemical changes happening inside our body to face the stress. If we count change the response stressors, our body will undergo a constant hormonal change that can cause health issues like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Our brain works with our immune system which can be disturbed by any physical or emotional stress. Stress can make us cause illness or disease. Our brain sends defence signals to the endocrine system, which will then release hormones that help us to face the stress but also this process can suppress our immunity at the same time. When they release all the chemical reactions and transfers our body with cortisol that can decrease inflammation, reduces white blood cells and cells that destroy cancer (NK), which also increases tumour development and growth which all leads to increase the rate of infection and tissue damage.

HIV infected people remain asymptomatic for long with the help of medication and the support of their loved ones. But some individuals are changing to the AIDs stage. Their immunity system is suppressed in this situation most of the time. Stress can be a reason for this cause as the stress suppresses their immunity. "Studies have shown that chronic stress, traumatic events, and depression can all lead to an increased viral load and decreased CD4 counts" (Grochocinski, 2010). A life of someone living with HIV is always a stressful one; they need to think about how society accepts them, medications, health issues etc. As HIV affects the immune system stress can cause a lot of harm to them.

·      Minimize unpredictable and ambiguity in expected tasks and standards of performance. When workers know what they are expected to do and at what level, they are less stressed.

·      Involve workers as much as possible in decisions that affect their work.

·      Make jobs as enjoyable as possible.

·      Provide workers with an opportunity to develop or promote meaningful social relationships

·      Reward workers with good work rather than focusing on punishment for a poor job

·      Look for signs of stress before stress has an opportunity to do significant damage. Supervisors can watch for adverse effects, such as boredom, apathy and hostility, among workers because these affective reactions often precede more severe responses to stress, such as poor health or absenteeism.” ( Taylor, S. E. (2009). Health psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.)

 

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·      (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress.aspx

·      Stress and Heart Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/stress-and-heart-health

·      How Stress Affects the Immune System. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/how-the-mind-heals-the-body/201411/how-stress-affects-the-immune-system

·      (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.natap.org/2007/HIV/101107_02.htm

·      Stress - Canadian Cancer Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-journey/living-with-cancer/stress/?region=on

·      Somatoform Disorders: Symptoms, Types, and Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/somatoform-disorders-symptoms-types-treatment#1

·      (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx

·      Anna. (1970, January 01). Psychology class. Retrieved from http://psychologyclassaa.blogspot.com/2013/03/anticipatory-coping.html

·      McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-management.html

·      Learning, L. (n.d.). Introduction to Psychology. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/waymaker-psychology/chapter/social-support-and-stress-reduction/

·      Scott, E., & Gans, S. (n.d.). 7 Ways That Exercise Can Act as a Stress Management Tool. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-relieve-stress-with-exercise-3144926

·      Relaxation Techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

·      Types Of Stressors (Eustress Vs. Distress). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/types-of-stressors-eustress-vs-distress/

·      Acute vs. chronic stress. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://humanstress.ca/stress/understand-your-stress/acute-vs-chronic-stress/

·      McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-biology.html

·      How the Fight-or-Flight response explains stress. (n.d.). How Fight-or-flight Instincts Impact On Your Stress Levels. Retrieved from https://www.psychologistworld.com/stress/fight-or-flight-response

·      (n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/general-adaptation-syndrome-stages-definition-examples.html

·      Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cmha.ca/documents/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

·      Depression: What is burnout? (2017, January 12). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/#i2125.symptome-5i.isburnoutamedicalcon

·      (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.journeyofhearts.org/kirstimd/change.htm

·      Taylor, S. E. (2009). Health psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.