COPING

WITH
STRESS
ROW 2
 STRESS AND
STRESSORS
- A stressful experience is
caused by something that
occurs either within the
Homeostatic state individual or from the
- Used to describe environment.
balance or - Stress is the effect while
equilibrium in
our body system
stressor is the cause.
 STRES
- Is a natural S
response to the demands of
our environment
- Is a physiological response to a physical or
psychological threat
- It is a normal reaction to anything that can
disturb our balance, commonly termed as
homeostatic state or equilibrium
 HANS
- SELYE
An Australian-Canadian endocrinologist
- Associates stress with mental, emotional
and physical states produced within the
organism in response to stimulus (either
internal or external) that is perceived as
threat (Selye,1976)
WALTER CANNON
- An American physiologist
- Calls stress the “fight or flight” syndrome
- Is a physiologic reaction accompanied by
faster heart rate, muscle tension or
dilation of pupil when a person perceives
threat in order to survive
STRESS
- Is borrowed from the field of physics.
- It means strain, pressure or force on a
system
- In the context of human beings, the strain
or stress makes our mind and body react.
CHRONIC AND SEVERE STRESS
- A threat to health
- Can dull our system
- Stress can lead to medical disorders like
gastric ulcers, heart disease, asthma and
even skin disorders (Miller &
Blackwell,2006;Wargo,2007)
SOURCES OF STRESS
- A stressor is but anything that induces a
stress response.
- May be physical, mental, emotional, social,
psychological, economic, or even spiritual in
nature
PHYSICAL
STRESSORS
- May come in form of pollution, a
congested place or a high level of noise.

MENTAL
STRESSORS
- Include academic overload, reviewing for
exams, running after deadlines that call for
sustained mental effort
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL,
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS
- Are interrelated because they involve
relating with other people
ECONOMIC STRESSORS
- Involve one’s socio-economic condition
SPIRITUAL STRESSORS
- Involves loss of joy and peace or
disturbance of tranquility
EFFECTS OF STRESS
- Fatigue
- Colds, coughs
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Upset stomach
STRESS FACTORS
stress response
- Physiological - The processes and
factors structure in our
body system
- Psychological responsible for
factors these reactions
PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTOR
HANS SELYE
- Proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS) to explain our body’s response to
stress (Selye,1974)
GENERAL ADAPTATION
SYNDROME
❖ alarm stage
❖ resistance stage
❖ exhaustion stage
HPA AXIS (HYPOTHALAMUS-
PITUITARY-ADRENAL)
- Explains the bodily changes and the source of disease
that may eventually happen when one undergoes
prolonged stress
- Is a hormonal response system to stress.
- 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
HPA AXIS
❖ Hypothalamus - secretes corticotropin
❖ Corticotropin- secretes releasing hormones (CRH) that
stimulates the pituitary gland to release the hormone
ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
❖ ACTH - direct the adrenal glands to secrete more
hormones, including epinephrine, norepinephrine, and
cortisol
HYPOTHALAMUS
- A structure in the brain responsible for number of
normal functions throughout the body, including
regulating sleep, temperature and eating

HORMONE
- A chemical substance produced in the body that
controls and regulates the activity of certain cells or
organs
STRESS AND THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM
❖ Immune system
- The body’s natural defense against any
disease. Helps the body fight infection that
can lead to more serious health problems
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
- Headaches - Eating more or less
- Back pains - Sleeping too much or
- Diarrhea or too little
constipation - Isolating oneself
- Frequent colds - Procrastinating
- Rapid heartbeat - Forgetting or
- dizziness neglecting obligations
COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
- Memory problems - Moodiness
- Inability to concentrate - Irritability or short
- Poor judgement temper
- Seeing only the - Agitation, inability to
relax
negative
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Anxious or racing
- Sense of loneliness and
thoughts isolation
- Constant worrying - Depression or general
unhappiness
MANAGING STRESS
COPING STRATEGIES
❖ 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 perceives
APPRAISAL THEORY
Two components of cognitive 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
TYPES OF COPING RESPONSES
- Emotion-focused coping response
- Involves shame and embarrassment, fear
and anxiety, excitement and depression
- Problem-focused coping response
- Deals with stressors directly in practical
ways
EMOTION-FOCUSED PROBLEM-FOCUSED
COPING BEHAVIOR COPING BEHAVIOR
Eating more or less Talking with the person
concerned
Sleeping more or less Researching about the topic
Excessive playing of Talking with friends about
computer games their opinion
Crying, shouting Strategizing