stress

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Soheir ElGhonemy Assist Prof of Psychiatry

Psychology of stress

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ILOs

By the end of this lecture, you should be able to:1. Define Stress.2. Recognize Neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of

stress.3. Describe Symptoms and Signs of Stress.4. Identify Stress management.5. Recognize types of coping strategies.

Glossary

Summary

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definitions

Psychology Of Stress

•Stress is a person's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition or a stimulus.•The body's way to respond to stress is by sympathetic nervous system activation which results in the fight-or-flight response.

Glossary

Summary

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Neuroanatomy &

neurochemistry

Psychology Of Stress

Glossary

Summary

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Neuroanatomy &

neurochemistry

Psychology Of Stress

• Prefrontal cortex: regulate cognitive processes including planning, attention, and problem solving. Becomes impaired during the stress response.

• Hypothalamus: during a stress response corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the body’s pituitary gland and initiates a heavily regulated stress response pathway.

• Amygdala: plays a role in the processing of emotions and modulates stress response mechanisms, especially feelings of fear.

• Locus cerulus: is the site of the synthesis of the norepinephrine, which plays an important role in the sympathetic nervous system’s reaction during stress

Glossary

Summary

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Neuroanatomy &

neurochemistry

• Hippocamus: important to process prior memories to enhance, suppress, or even independently generate a stress response. It is also an area in the brain that is susceptible to damage brought upon by chronic stress.

• Raphe nuclei: secrets serotonin and modulate changes in circadian rhythm, mood and sensation of pain.

• Spinal cord: Certain nerves that belong to the sympathetic branch of the CNS exit the spinal cord and stimulate peripheral nerves, which in turn engage the body’s major organs and muscles in a fight-or-flight manner.

Glossary

Summary

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Neuroanatomy &

neurochemistry

• Pituitary gland: During a stress response, the pituitary gland releases hormones into the blood stream, namely adrenocorticotropic hormone.

• Adrenal gland: Cortisol is the major stress hormone released by the adrenal gland

• Immune system: Cortisol can weaken the activity of the immune system and prevents proliferation of T-cells by affecting the interleukin which is important in combating disease and cancer.

Glossary

Summary

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Neuroanatomy &

neurochemistry

The Effects of stress on the body

Glossary

Summary

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Sources of stress

Source of Stress:

• The loss of a loved one: spouse, child, close relative, or a very good friend.

• Major illness or injury: debilitating, long lasting, life threatening, or chronic disease.

• Divorce or separation: people who suffer through a divorce report more stress related than those who stay married.

• Serious financial difficulties: lack of money is almost always the root of much stress.

• Loss of job: not having enough income to maintain your life style.

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Summary

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Sources of stress

• Getting married: it is the most important decision you will make in your life time backing it up with a serious commitment, then you have the family interactions.

• Moving to a new place: a) physical stress: pack and unpack, looking for a new place. b)psychological stress: like the new house? my old friends? esp. with children?

• A serious disagreement with a close friend: fighting or arguing is painful enough in itself & is highly stressful with a good friend. Feelings of anger, upset & loss can be terribly distressing.

Glossary

Summary

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Sources of stress

• Birth of a child: It is a joyful happy time yet with more other concerns & worries: a) health of the baby, b) financial responsibilities, c) siblings reaction, d) sleep, e) how to be a parent

• Retirement: going from a rather involved, well defined life style to one of endless options, missing friends & co-workers, having some identity issues, and spending too much time with your spouse.

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Signs & symptoms

Physical signs of stress:

• Tiredness, fatigue, lethargy.• Palpitations, racing pulse, rapid shallow breathing.• Muscle tension and aches, shakiness and tremors• Heart burn, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation,

nervousness.• Dry mouth & throat. Excessive sweating, clammy

hands, cold hands & feet.• Nail biting, hair twirling, or hair puling.• Frequent urination. Overeating or loss of appetite.• Sleeping difficulties.• Increased use of alcohol and/or drugs and

medications.

Glossary

Summary

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Signs & symptoms

Psychological signs of stress:

• Irritability, impatience, anger, hostility.• Worry, anxiety, panic.• Moodiness, sadness, feeling upset.• Intrusive thoughts or racing thoughts.• Memory lapses, difficulties in concentrating in

decision.• Loss of sense of humor.

Glossary

Summary

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Signs & symptoms

• Prolonged and/or intense stress can have more serious effects.– heart diseases – Stress ulcers– Stress may play role in exacerbating a variety of

immune system disorders such as: HIV, herpes, cancer metastasis, viral infection, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Glossary

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Coping Skills

Coping Skills: “Think Smart, Live Well”

• Coping: "constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as exceeding the resources of the person".• Psychological coping mechanisms are

commonly termed coping strategies or coping skills, i.e., the strategies reduce stress levels.

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Coping Skills

Types of coping strategies:

• People may alter the way they think about a problem by altering their goals and values, such as by seeing the humor in a situation; humor may play a greater role as a stress moderator among women than men".

Appraisal-focused strategies:

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Coping Skills

• Changing or eliminating the source of the stress.

• People try to deal with the cause of their problem. By finding out information on the problem and learning new skills to manage the problem.

Problem-focused coping :

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Summary

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Coping Skills

Emotion-focused coping :

• Oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress. It involves releasing pent-up emotions, distracting oneself, managing hostile feelings, meditating or using systematic relaxation procedures.

Glossary

Summary

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Psychology of Stress/Summary

1. Stress is a reaction to change.2. Brain areas and Neurotransmitter

involved in stress reaction.3. Common sources of stress4. Stress Management.5. Coping strategies.

Summary:

Glossary

Summary

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• Define Stress?• Enumerate Sources of Stress?• Mention 5 signs of stress?

Quiz:

Glossary

Summary

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Psychology Of Stress:

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