Transcript Stress and Stressors

MENTAL HEALTH:
Stress and Stressors
Ms. Mai
Lawndale High School
What Is Stress?

Stress is your body’s response to
physical or mental demands or pressures
The demands that cause stress are
called stressors
 Some physical stressors might include
hunger, thirst, cold, fatigue from work
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Some mental stressors might include
arguments with others or death of
someone
Body’s Reaction to Stress

Your body produces a physical
response to stressors in your life
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These can include increased heart rate,
higher blood pressure, or the release of
hormones
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Many things can cause you stress
(teachers, parents, grades, jobs), but it
is how you deal with stress that makes
the difference
Positive and Negative Stress

Stress can have a positive or negative
influence on your life
Positive uses of stress are called eustress
 Negative uses of stress are called distress

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Examples?

You can learn to use stress to your
advantage depending upon how you
deal with it
Response to Stress

People respond to stress differently
Emotional Signs
Physical Signs
Irritability
Pounding Heart
Aggressive Behavior
Trembling Feeling
Easily Startled
Grinding of Teeth
Nervous Laughter
Excessive Perspiration
Trouble Sleeping
Aching Neck and Back
Over or Under eating
Frequent Colds
Accident Prone
Cold Hands or Feet
3 Stages of Stress
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In studies of stress, your body typically
adapts to a stressor through a set
pattern of physical reaction

There are usually 3 stages of stress
1. Alarm Stage
2. Resistance Stage
3. Exhaustion Stage
1. Alarm Stage

Quick physical warning

When you feel fear, you release
adrenaline (aka epinephrine) that
causes a rush of energy in times of
excitement

Your heart rate and breathing speed up,
and blood rushes all over your body
2. Resistance Stage

Your body then chooses to fight the
stress, or flee from it

During this stage, your body works to
resist a threatening stressor

You also begin to cope (deal with a
problem) by using humor or denial
3. Exhaustion Stage

Your body’s defenses against stress are
used up because you have been
stressed too long

You are unable to fight or resist the
stress, and have a greater chance of
becoming ill
Common Stressors

Mental and physical stress can
accumulate and destroy your health

There are 4 main types of stressors
1. Life Changes
2. Traumatic Events
3. Conflicts
4. Daily Hassles
1. Life Changes

There are different levels of stress and
they can have different effects on your life

The measure of the amount of stress on
your life is called a life change unit

There can be positive or negative stress,
and physical or mental stress
Ranking of Stressors
(LCD = Life Change Unit)
Life Event
Getting Married
Being Pregnant (f)
Death of Parent
Parent’s Divorce
Being Pregnant (m)
Alcohol/Drugs
Parents Remarry
Death of Friend
New School
LCU
101
92
87
77
77
76
63
62
56
Life Event
Failing a Class
No EC Activity
Breaking Up
Start to Date
Suspended
LCU
56
55
51
51
50
Argue w/ Parents
47
College Accept.
43
Begin High School
42
Grandparent Die 36
2. Traumatic Events

Earthquakes, floods, fires, or serious
accidents can all cause stress

Survivors of traumatic events often go
through post-traumatic stress disorder

Some symptoms include loss of interest
in former friends, extreme anxiety, and
reliving memories of the event

This disorder may develop immediately,
or months/years after the experience
3. Conflicts

Internal conflicts cause stress because
they require a person to make a choice
between two or more options

Each time you face a decision, you
could be faced with stress

The amount of stress is related to the
importance you put on the decision
4. Daily Hassles
Your everyday interactions with the
world around you may be more stressful
than major life events
 For example, arguments with family,
transportation problems, losing your
homework, being late to class, etc.
 Although these may not be as important
as major life events, the accumulation of
daily hassles can still have a serious
impact

Special Populations and Stress

Your group characteristics (age, where
you live, family income, ethnic
background) sometimes plays a role in
which stressors are more important

Urban Areas – violence and crime
Rural Areas – money and weather
Low Income Family - $$$
Young Age – dating
Old Age – dying
Race – lots of them
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Hardy Personality
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Some people are able to withstand
extreme distress and still remain healthy
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People who view change as challenging
and an opportunity to grow have “hardy
personalities”
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They are not overwhelmed with
inevitable change changes in their lives
and are committed to their activities
In Conclusion….

Having control over your life can help
you handle stress

You can deal with overwhelming stress
more effectively by...
1. Being open to change
2. Being committed to activities
3. Having control of your actions
In Your Wellness Journal…
STRESSORS
List twenty physical or emotional things
that currently stress you out. Rank them
in order. Describe the top 3 stressors
and why they are important to you.