CHAPTER 11: Stressors are the many-faced processes that occur in reaction to events or situations in our environments (Baron

& Kalsher, 2005, page 348). Our lifestyles produce the stressors that threaten our well-being and welfare. However, the negative events can and usually do result in a greater detrimental consequences than do the positive events. Moreover, some health psychologist says that daily life involves a series of repeated sequences of perceiving a threat, considering ways to cope with it, and adapting to the threat with success. The attempts to overcome stress can also produce biological and psychological responses that result in health problems (Feldman, 2003, page 359; Sternberg, R.J. 2000). The psychological and social stressors are powerful enough to evoke emotional distress in seemingly mentally healthy people. The prevalence of the stressors can produce a mental disorder in those who are otherwise vulnerable to biological, social and or psychological responses that result in health problems. Sometimes when you are waiting for the job to come through, you can feel like society hasnt included you in the political or economic process. You look at the leaders, and they dont look like you and they are not representing you. Many people feel that way if they are a minority, poor or a person of color. It is a struggle to look for a job. It is a full time job to look for a job. It is difficult to program your mind and emotions to hold on while you are struggling to cope and adapt and adjust economically to the constraints and confines of your pocket book. Meanwhile, I try to focus on pursuing my professional goals to make me a better person. For instance, I often times travel out of town for leisure and relaxation. Although I can not afford the cost of the trip, it is often a huge investment into my well being and mental and emotional stability. Once I arrive back into town, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I am ready to tackle the everyday hassles that life has brought me this far. I come back into town with a new decision. Nevertheless, an individual can make a conscious decision to become an informed consumer, and travel wherever they may like to travel. There was once a study of well-being that was subjective well-beings has enjoyed progressive research that assists and individual in evaluating and assessing their levels of joy and (love) peace, which is in the proximity to their happiness (Diener, E. 2000; Holmes & Rahe, 1967; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984:Kreiger et al., 1993). CHAPTER 12: Yet, stigmas are often associated with severe and persistent mental illness. There are stereotypes and ignorance, everywhere, against people with severe mental disorders (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1990; Wahl et al, 1995; Levey et al, 1995). Yet the stigma that results is in the form of discrimination and abuse that presents a challenge to coping and efforts of recovery to heal the patient (Wahl & Harman, 1989; Reidy, 1993). There are there types of stressors that are

categorized as stressful events: cataclysmic events, personal stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and background stressors. The stressors guide the body through many physiological reactions. The fight-or-flight syndrome is the general pattern of reaction to stress. It consists of activating the sympathetic nervous system. The prevalence is especially long if the sources of stress are chronic. The excess discharge of the locus ceruleus with acute stress response was a major contributor to the etiology of anxiety (Copeland & Lydiard, 1998), due to stressful events that are unleashed by the nucleus in the locus ceruleus. Nevertheless, many psychologists have employed the perspectives of psychological disorders which are usually medical; behavioral; cognitive; socio-cultural; and humanistic perspectives. There is a link between stress and personal health Kiecolt & Glaser et al, 1994). A lack of reliable social support network can increase the risk from disease, accidents, or suicide. Groups of people that are at a greater risk of stressful events are women, young and unmarred, African Americans and individuals with low SES (Ulbrich et al., 1989; McLeod & Kessler, 1990; Turner et al., 1995; Miranda & Green, 1999). Moreover chronic stress related to heart disease in African American women, and researches suggest that they may be more vulnerable (prone) to heart disease from the burdens of the chronic daily stress. For instance, a divorce spouse often experiences reduced functioning in the immune system (Kiecot-Glaser et al., 1987, 1988). As for me, I tend to read a lot of peaceful writings. I love to read the bible and Gods promises. I like to pray and meditate on Gods words. Sometimes reading the bible is not only source support, but it is my inspiration for continuing and deciding to live. I was so traumatized when my Mom passed. She died right in front of my face. I never really snapped back. I must admit that I recently went to a funeral and I came back into town even stronger than ever. Although I am not married, it is hard to look at the kids when they are so young. But, I am in a cat fight with the father and I just would rather be alone. I dont feel like I need a warm body. I wish that I had someone to share my love, http://music.yahoo.com/track/1162449. On the contrast, I need someone who is conscious and not abusing drugs and alcohol. Therefore, I dont want to be in an environment that is controlled by substance abuse. I also wish I had someone to fall back on when I see that stress is eminent, because heart disease can be more prevalent for some more than others. I have seen people literally picked with at work, told that they were losing their jobs. The government had even meaner people who wouldnt process their claims for health benefits or unemployment benefits. It is hard life and I often wonder if I got what it takes to make it. Anxiety is defined as the increased arousal accompanied by generalized feelings of fear or apprehension. Anxiety involves a diffuse or vague concern that something unpleasant will occur; which the feelings become intense and persist for a long time. Anxiety disorders are defined as the psychological disorders that take several different forms, but which are all related to a generalized feeling of anxiety. The likelihood of developing anxiety involves a combination of life experiences, psychological traits, and or genetic factors. However, anxiety disorders are usually rooted in stressful life events.

The flight or response is also known as the acute stress response. The changes of the physiological are a part of the acute stress response. The obvious limitation is that acute stress response relates to arousal. Generalized anxiety disorder is a long-term, persisted anxiety and worry. Discuss work and The patients that suffer from anxiety disorders are treated with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Schizophrenia is reduced when an individual is assigned to paid employment (Bell et al, 1996). One of the most frequent handicap accommodations was an adaptive work schedule which is not very costly to an employer (Mancuso, 1990; Fabian et al., 1993). People with mental health disorders encounter barriers in procuring a medical provider to accept the insurance and in receiving general medical care (Druss & Rosenbach, 1998). A major personality disorder of those suffering from schizoid is detachment through social relationships that are restricted in a range of emotions in interpersonal settings. Schizophrenia a class of disorders involving severe distortions of reality. A complex disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disturbances in speech, and several other symptoms (Baron & Kalsher, 2005, page 399). The causes of schizophrenia are probably genetic factors; biochemical factors; psychological and environmental factors. I definitely know for a fact that it is probably genetic factors that cause schizophrenia, because I believe that it is an inherited trait. It may not be passed through the DNA, but if you are around it then you will probably have disruptive behavior as well. Nevertheless, there are a lot of mentally ill people who lead productive lives, they dont adapt but sometimes they have people who are able to discriminate against the sane. The characteristics of schizophrenia are as follows (Feldman, 2003, page 400-2): Disturbances of thought and language positive symptom Decline from a previous level of functioning positive symptom Delusions positive symptoms Perceptual disorders Hallucinations positive symptoms Emotional disturbances Withdrawal The symptoms of schizophrenia are as follows: Positive symptoms disordered behavior (i.e., like wearing protective gloves at all times, so that you can avoid germs); Type I Negative symptoms flat effect and avolition; Type II The major types of schizophrenia Disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia Paranoid schizophrenia 3

Catatonic schizophrenia Undifferentiated Residual

To sum, we recently had a funeral. You should have seen how they acted at the funeral. Many acted as if they did not have acknowledged their dead sister or Aunt. My Aunt Laura was a very nice person. She was regal, gracious, and classy. My family acted like real animals. They even went out of there way to go to another funeral in North Carolina, and this person was not related to them at all, maybe Kith if that. My sister picked me up from the subway station. But she brought me back to her house and refused to take me to the subway station or even home. I dont know what to think of her because she always lies. I feel sorry for my kids, because she is going to be a damaging force before their eyes, she is not going to give herself a chance with the youngest boy. I dont understand how to help people that are that mentally ill. I do things everyday that I dont want to do, like pick the kids up from daycare and ride in a car or a bus when I really dont feel like it. Unless you have done something that I dont like, then I dont feel bad after I return from a funeral. I guess you would say that I am the one with the problem, but I did not do anything to anyone. So when you interact with sick people it depends on how you respond, how long the issue is prevalent and if you can cope or adapt that is the deciding factor of who is really mentally ill. In closing, I just got in the car and rode home. I now have the knowledge that I need to make a conscious decision of rather or not help the person or not. Although I dont like to drive, if I drive then if I can help those who do wrong then I will, but if I am not driving then I wont be doing anything anymore, not even a funeral. I am sorry that I feel this way. But I am tired of my family acting like a bunch of mentally ill cowards. Cited References: Sternberg, R.J. Intelligence and Wisdom. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), the handbook of intelligence. New York: NY. Cambridge University Press. 2000. Diener, E. Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55, 34-43. Mental Health: A Report from the Surgeon General. Adults and Mental Health. Last accessed: November 2003. Feldman, Robert S. (2003), Essentials of Understanding Psychology, 5th Ed. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.: New York, NY. ISBN: 0-07-249426-3. R. A. Baron and M. J. Kalsher, Psychology: From Science to Practice [the customized version's title is Introduction to Psychology]. Allyn & Bacon or Pearson, 2005.