The Nature of Stress Much of our understanding of the nature of stress can be traced back to the work of Hans Seyle in the 1930s. Seyle's research on rats and other animals in the years 1936 and 1950 led him to conclude that when animals are exposed to unpleasant stimuli (for example, injections or extreme temperatures), they all react in the same sort of way. He described this universal response to stressors as the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): 'general' because it was the same response to all agents, 'adaptation' because it actually was an adaptive response - the healthiest way to cope with extreme stress - and syndrome because there were several symptoms in the stress response. This theory entailed three stages in the cycle of stress. The first stage is known as the alarm reaction. This is the initial point when the threat or stressor is recognised, and a response is made to the alarm. Adrenaline is produced, leading to 'fight or flight' activity. In addition, there is some activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, producing cortisol. If the stress continues, the body progresses to the next stage - resistance. Due to the levels of stress it is necessary to find some means of coping and resisting collapse. The body is adapting to the demands of the environment, but at the same time resources are gradually b... ... middle of paper ... ...te a big extent, out of all the studies I have looked at there is only one which opposes this idea. Although, exactly how stress causes illness is still not precisely known, the GAS model proposes that resources become depleted so that the body can no longer fight infections. However, more recent research has shown that many 'resources' do not become depleted even under extreme stress. The current view is that the exhaustion phase is associated with increased hormone activity, such as cortisol, and it is this rather than depletion of resources that leads to stress-related illness (Sheridan and Radmacher, 1992). There is no doubt that this research into stress, its effects and possible cures (if there are any) will continue, and in time it may be possible to reduce the effects of stress and educate people more about it.
The term “Stress” was coined by scientist Hans Selye (1907-1982) in 1936. Selye (1926) defined stress as “the non specific response of the body to any demand for change”. Selye (1926) discovered in several laboratory experiments that animals showed similar symptoms when exposed to severe physical and emotional stimuli i.e. extreme heat or cold, loud disturbing noise, etc. Selye (1935) also noted that patients with different illness showed these same similar biological symptoms ...
Stressors are both physiological and psychological demands placed on an individual from both internal and external environments that can disturb homeostasis. This disruption requires an action to return the body to a balance. Being able to recognize, understand, and cope with stress is critical to overall health and well being of an individual. The ability to cope with stress productively can alter the outcome of illness and prevent negative health outcomes altogether. Each person experiences and perceives stress differently both physiologically, psychologically, and can portray it differently externally. The way in which each person handles stress can influence the path for care they pursue if illness is present. In the absence of remedial
With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion,
...uch as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response.
The purpose of this paper is to define stress and how it effects the body's physiological systems. This paper will include the normal functions and organs involved in the following five physiological systems, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, immune and musculoskeletal. This paper will also include a description of a chronic illness associated with each physiological system and how the illness is affected by stress.
This research paper concerns how individuals perceive stress and the serious effect on their psychological thought process and physical and mental health and how they can cope with their anxiety driven thoughts. Research was gathered using printed material obtained at the Syracuse Bird Library, and also using various online sources and scholarly journals. One printed source written by Frank Campbell addresses the health effects stress can have on an individual while author Richard Lazarus explores coping mechanisms individuals can use to attempt to get rid of the their stress. Author Bruce G. Charlton in his publication in the Journal of Medical Ethics, claims that stress is an empty word, with little value and explains the origin of the Stress. Robert Lazarus explains the concept of stress along with the ambiguity associated with the word. Ruth O’Hara explains what situations causes stress. While authors Carolyn Aldwin and Sandi Mann discuss coping and how to alleviate stress.
What is Stress actually? Hans Selye, the noted stress researcher, once said, “Stress is a scientific concept which has suffered from the mixed blessing of being too well known and too little understood. Physicians, psychologists, biologists, engineers, and students may each have a different meaning in mind when they talk about stress”. One useful definition of stress is that it is a demand made upon the adaptive capacities of the mind and body.
Stress is an everyday part of our lives whether it be at work, in the car or in any public place. It is the rapid heart rate, heavy breathing, angering feeling that can happen for some like myself at the drop of a hat. I think this in itself is one of the many reasons the topic is an interesting one. Unlike the animal groups mentioned in our course, there are more random factors to a humans stress in a given day. I think with that alone the study becomes ever-changing and that much more interesting. Especially, when you factor in that some stressors do not affect everyone, something that bothers you could not bother me in the slightest. That in my opinion is why it is so interesting, it is a multifaceted subject.
It has been suggested the “ stress is in the eyes of the beholder?”. What does this mean? Do you agree?
According to the American Institute of Stress, stress can be defined as an individual’s response, physical, mental or emotional, to an event that causes a demand for change (Selye, 1936). For athletes, that demand for change can be caused by an injury, which ultimately can have a significant impact on overall stress levels. While a physical injury can cause psychological stress, mental trauma can similarly affect an athlete physically. An athlete’s psychological stability has a great affect on an athlete’s susceptibility to pain and can alter the response to and recovery from an injury (Ahern, 1997).
Inevitably, as humans we encounter numerous events that have a significant amount of discomfort and tension, also known as stress. These occurrences oftentimes have negative effects on us giving us physical and emotional symptoms that can be unbearable. In order to manage our stress, we must learn how to identify the sources. We can do this by using Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive stress theory which helps identify the stressful event, primary appraisal, secondary appraisal, and stress response. For example, if a friend lost his job that allowed him to pay college tuition, the stressful event is losing their job, primary appraisal is deciding if the event is harmful, secondary appraisal is how they will deal with it, and stress response is
What is stress? Stress is defined as tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a stressor strains our ability to cope effectively. Different researchers have approached stress in three different yet interrelated ways: stressors as stimuli, stress as a response, and stress as a transaction. Two researchers that studied the stress as a transaction approach, Lazarus and Folkman, examined how different people interpret and cope with stress. Let’s examine Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive theory of stress for one common stressful event: job loss.
It has been suggested the “Stress is the eyes of the beholder?” What does this mean? This statement mean stress caused by our own actions and reactions of emotions that produced by the body. I agreed about this statement. Stress can get from the environment, the problem of the relationship between each other, health problems, financial and self-personality problems for everyone.
Stress is not something to be avoided. Everyone feels stressed from time to time and it depends on people that may feel stress in different ways. Not all stress is bad but it depends on how peoples take it. The words “stress” is something all of us have experienced but it seems that there are many different definitions used by psychologist, medics, management consultants or others. Psychologists describe stress as “demands of life” which pointed out as “stressors” and stress is the cause of the worn out tissue of our body (Meenakshisundaram, 2012, p.101). Stress can be divided into four types which are eustress, acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress (illustrated in Figure 1).
Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyone’s life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in people’s daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and one’s ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.