■ Hans

Hans Selye argued that stress is a way

of life
■ However, only recently has the term stress
become a common word in our everyday
language.
■ Do you believe this is true?
– Why?
Factors that have drawn attention
to stress in modern times:
■ research has shown a relationship
between lifestyle and stress-related
diseases;
■ research has indicated that perhaps 70
to 80 percent of all diseases and
illness are stress-related;
Factors that have drawn attention
to stress in modern times:
■ rapid change is very much a part of
modern society;
■ the number of stressors in our lives is
increasing;
■ leisure time is decreasing; and
■ others?
 More stressed or less stress?
■ Before the 19th century
–parents witnessed the likelihood that only about 3 out
of 10 newborn infants lived beyond the age of 25.
■ Today
–fewer than 1 in 20 children die before they reach
adulthood.
■ However, the rates of suicide and homicides for
youths have dramatically increased.
■ Which generation experienced more stress?
 Definitions of stress

■ Stress is both
–an intricate phenomenon and
–a culturally defined concept based on
various perspectives of the human
condition.
■ As a result, there exists many
different interpretations of stress.
 Five Popular Views of Stress
➊ Eastern philosophies have viewed stress as an
absence of inner peace.
❷ Western culture has more recently viewed stress as a
loss of control.

s. ..
i
r ess
St
Richard Lazarus’ Views of Stress

❸ Stress is a state of anxiety

produced when events and
responsibilities exceed one’s
coping abilities.
 Hans Selye’s Views of Stress

❹ Stress is the nonspecific response

of the body to any demand placed
upon it to adapt,
➨whether that demand produces
pleasure or pain.
Holistic Medicine View of Stress

➎ Stress is the inability to cope with a perceived

or real (or imagined) threat to one’s
– mental
– physical
– emotional, and
– spiritual well-being
➨ which results in a series of physiological
responses and adaptations.
Ability to Manage Stress & Life Outlook
5.00
Capable

4.00

3.00
Not Capable

2.00

1.00
Very Bad Poor Fair Good Excellent
Life Outlook
 Ability to Manage Stress & Losses
5.00
Capable

4.00

3.00
Not Capable

2.00

1.00
2 or more losses or 1 loss or misfortune No losses or misfortunes
misfortunes

Number of Losses & Misfortunes

 The Stress Response
(fight or flight response)

■ Introduced by Walter Cannon

–in 1914.
■ A survival instinct to fight or
run.
■ Meant for physical stressors.
 The Stress Response
(fight or flight response)
■ Arousal also happens for non-physical
stressors (mental, emotional, & spiritual).
■ No matter if the threat is real (car accident)
or perceived (a noise at night), the stress
response occurs.
■ The stress response occurs in proportion to
the perceived danger.
 Stress Response Stages
➊ Stimuli received by the brain through one or
more of five senses
❷ Brain deciphers stimuli
❷either a threat or as a non-threat
❸ Body stays aroused until threat is over
❹ Body returns to homeostasis once the threat
is gone
 Symptoms of fight or flight
■ increased heart rate
■ increased blood rate
■ increased ventilation
■ vasodilatation of arteries to body’s
periphery (arm and legs)
■ increased serum glucose levels
 Symptoms of fight of flight
■ increased free fatty acid mobilization
■ increased blood coagulation and
decreased clotting
■ increased muscular strength
■ decreased gastric movement
■ increased perspiration to cool body core
temperature
Three types of stress

Eustress

Neustress

Distress
 Distress: Negative Stress

■ Crushes
■ Oppresses
■ Unusual events
carried beyond
rational limits
 Eustress: Positive Stress
■ Motivates
■ Excites
■ Energizes
 The Yerkes-Dodson Curve
Maximum Performance
Good Low
performance

illness
Eustress Distress

Poor poor performance poor performance

High
low moderatre high
underaroused- optimally overaroused-
bored aroused overwhelmed
Three types of stressors

Bioecological

Psychointropersonal

Social
General Adaptation Syndrome

Stage 1
Alarm Reaction

Stage 2
Resistance

Stage 3
Exhaustion
 General Adaptation Syndrome

■ Alarm Stage

es
ag
– anxiety or fear

St
– sorrow or depression

e
re
– shock or confusion

Th
■ Self-correcting
 General Adaptation Syndrome
Th
■ Resistance Stage re
– aggression e
St
– regression ag
es
– repression
– withdrawal
– fixation
 General Adaptation Syndrome
Th
■ Exhaustion Stage re
– physiological e
St
» headaches, colds & flu ag
– psychological es
» severe depression
– interpersonal
» end of relationships
■ Inability to defend against stressors
 Wellness paradigm

Mental
Spiritual well-being (intellectual) well-
being

Emotional well-being Physical well-being

 Wellness paradigm
■ The integration , balance, and
harmony of the
– mind, body, spirit, and emotions
– for optimal well-being,
■ where the whole is considered
greater than the sum of the parts.
 A holistic approach to
stress management
To deal effectively with stress all
areas must be addressed equally
to integrate, balance, and give
harmony for optimal well-being
 An effective holistic approach to
stress management includes:
■ Physical well-being, the ability of all
body’s physiological systems to
function optimally
■ Mental well-being, ability to gather,
process, recall, and communicate
information
 An effective holistic approach to
stress management includes:
■ Emotional well-being, ability to
recognize, feel, and control the entire
range of human emotions
■ Spiritual well-being, the evolution of
higher consciousness through
relationships, values, and purpose in
life