A stressful experience is caused by something that occurs either within the individual or from the environment. STRESS Stress can be anything… Depending on one’s take on things, anything can be stressful. To be stressed is just normal as it is part and parcel of our life. STRESS A stress can either be helpful or damaging. Good stress is good if it propels us to perform well in our endeavors. On the other hand, bad stress is that which hinders us from functioning well. Common Sources of Stress • Physical • Loss Appearance • Frustration • School/Academic • Romantic Pressure Relationships • Family/Home • Future • Social/Peer Pressures EFFECTS OF STRESS The effect of stress cannot be easily felt except in case of trauma where the incident happens quickly and intensely such as a car accident or parental separation. Stressors that happen almost everyday take time before they finally take a toll on our health. The same happens in prolonged stress. Our body and our mind can no longer take the pressure, thus causing fatigue that eventually lowers the immune system. STRESS FACTORS • Physiological Factor • Psychological Factor PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTOR Hans Selye proposed the GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS) to explain our body’s response to stress. It consists 3 stages. • Alarm Stage • Resistance Stage • Exhaustion Stage • What happens to our body when we are stress? Why do we feel exhaustion? The Hypothalamus-Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) axis explains the bodily changes and the source of disease that may eventually happen when one undergoes prolonged stress. • The HPA axis is a hormonal response system to stress. It involves the release of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids and primarily cortisol which are regulated to ensure that the body can react quickly to stress and return to its normal state. However, prolonged or extreme stress increases the cortisol level in the blood and affects our health substantially. STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM • Is the body’s natural defense against any disease. It helps the body fight infection that can lead to more serious health problems. Handling chronic stress causes fatigue and consequently weakens our immune system or our body’s defense. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS • Psychological stress stems from one’s own mental and emotional reactivity patterns to environmental factors such as persons, places, or events. In other words there are individual differences in the way we appraise or interpret a situations. Our appraisal may or may not elicit a stress response. Common signs and symptoms of stress Cognitive Symptoms Emotional Symptoms • memory problems • Moodiness • Inability to concentrate • Irritability or short temper • Poor Judgment • Agitation, inability to relax • Seeing only the negative • Feeling overwhelmed • Anxious or racing thoughts • Sense of loneliness and isolation • Constant worrying • Depression or general unhappiness
Physical Symptoms Behavioral Sysmptoms
• Headaches • Eating more or less • Back pains • Sleeping too much or too little • Diarrhea or constipation • Isolating oneself • Frequent colds • Procrastinating • Rapid heartbeat • Forgetting or neglecting obligations • Dizziness Coping Strategies • People differ in their coping styles. One may evaluate a situation as a threatening but another person may not see it that way. Richard Lazarus defines coping as a cognitive or behavior response to stress aimed at managing or reducing stress. A situation is stressful depending on how one perceive it. In his Appraisal theory, Lazarus talks about two components of cognitive appraisal. • Primary appraisal • Secondary appraisal • Primary Appraisal – evaluates the meaning of the situation and checks if it will affect him.
• Secondary Appraisal- involves how
one feels about the situation. Emotion-Focused and Problem-Focused Coping Emotion-focused coping behavior Problem-focused coping behavior
Eating more or eating less Talking with the person concerned
Sleeping more or sleeping less Researching about the topic
Excessive playing of computer Talking with friends about their opinion
Crying, shouting Strategizing
Physical Adolescence is accompanied by certain changes in the physical features of an individual. One’s height, weight, body figure, skin problems, and the like are common “issues” for adolescents. The desire to look good to others School/Academic Pressure Many adolescents often feel stressed about academic and extra curricular requirements such as recitation, daily seatwork, quiz, project, homework, examination and graded performance. School/Academic Pressure The desire to pass subjects and courses and its entailed sacrifices (rigorous reviewing, researching, beating deadlines, sleepless nights) generates pressure and stresses. These stresses, nonetheless, are commonly helpful and necessary. Family/Home Family issues may also bring about stress. Change in the family situation such as divorce or annulment of parents usually result in new living arrangements and other stressful conditions (e.g having blended family, lacking privacy, having to adjust new residence and school. Family/Home
Conflict with parents, siblings rivalry,
and the obligation to look after younger siblings also generate stress. Social/Peer Pressures
Stress can also be the result of the
pressures an adolescent gets from his/her friends or other teenagers. These may include pressure to cut class, to smoke, or to experiment with alcohol, drug or sexual activities. Social/Peer Pressures
There may also be pressure from the
bullying or harassment by fellow adolescents. The combination of these pressures may lead to stress overload. Loss The loss of a loved one – a family member, relative or friend – also create stress. Relatedly , breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, ending a friendship, and separation from a much loved work also produce a sense of loss, and are thus stressful as well. These may lead to losing one’s self-worth and the appetite to socialize or attend classes. Frustration Failures to reach goals or carry out plans result in stress. Someone frustrations are due to uncontrollable factors such as stormy weather or sudden brownout. These may lead to stressful situations such as inability to take examinations or finish a research assignment. The so called “hassles and uplifts of everyday life” are potential sources of stress too. Romantic Relationships
Adolescence is a stage in which romantic
relationships usually blossom and bloom. Both having a boyfriend/girlfriend and not having one generate stress among teenagers. Future Adolescents also think about their future, especially those in the late adolescence. Not knowing what one really wants to be in the future can be stressful. Equally worrying is knowing what one wants to be but unable to attain it due to factors such as financial constraints and skill or aptitude mismatch THE EFFECTS OF STRESS Physical Stress increases the level of adrenaline and corticosterone in the body, which in turn leads to an increased heart-rate, respiration, and blood- pressure and puts more physical stress on body organs. Physical Especially when stress becomes long term, it may lead to illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Other disorders related to stress are stomachaches, headaches, digestive disorders, and body pains (such as in the neck, back, and face). Stressed individuals may also experience insomnia or sleeplessness, colds and infections, nervousness and shaking, excessive perspiration, and sweaty palms and feet. Emotional Stressed individuals are prone to agitation, impatience, irritability, and moodiness. When stress is too much, there may be a feeling of being overwhelmed by pressures and powerlessness to control things. Stressed persons may feel bad about themselves and are usually not in the mood to socialize Cognitive The thoughts of stress individuals are filled with worrying. As a result, the commonly become forgetful and disorganized. As negative thoughts cloud their minds, they subsequently become pessimistic. Cognitive The thoughts of stress individuals are filled with worrying. As a result, the commonly become forgetful and disorganized. As negative thoughts cloud their minds, they subsequently become pessimistic. Behavioral Due to stress, changes in behavior also occur. Some stressed people lose appetite while others tend to overeat. When overstressed, many tend to procrastinate and avoid responsibilities. Some may even engage in dinking alcohol, taking drugs, or smoking cigarettes. Nervous behaviors may also come about such as fidgeting, pacing, and nail biting Behavioral On a positive note, stress provides energy to handle emergencies, make necessary adjustments, meet challenges, and excel in activities. Moreover, stress can stimulate motivate people to actualize their full potential and courageously push themselves to the limit of their capacity.