Stress

Are You Stressed?





For lots of other information about stress here is a website that you may want to look at!

www.nclnet.org/health/stress/
Its american though!

Coping with stress

Found this BBC site about how to manage stress. Some useful tips and key ideas to help out. No cool pictures though im afraid....

FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE!!!!!!!

"Fight or flight"

The stereotypical response to being faced by danger. Blood flow to the limbs and heart rate are increased, the digestive system is shut down. This gives us the physiological back up to either fight for survival, or run like hell. I know which I'd do!!

Stress Stuff

This is a page all about stress for you executive types. And handling stress.

Stress definition

What is stress?
The body has an inbuilt physical response to stressful situations. Faced with pressure, challenge or danger, we need to react quickly, and our bodies release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to help us do this. These hormones are part of the "fight or flight" response and affect the metabolic rate, heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a heightened - or stressed - state that prepares the body for optimum performance in dealing with a stressful situation.
Very often, modern stresses do not call for either fight or flight. Nevertheless, the same stressing hormones are released as part of the reaction and this natural reaction to challenge or danger, instead of helping, can damage health and reduce the ability to cope.

What causes stress?
Many things can lead to stress:

• pressure to perform at work, at school or in sports
• threats of physical violence
• money worries
• arguments
• family conflicts
• divorce
• bereavement
• unemployment
• moving house
• alcohol or drug abuse.
  
  Sometimes, there is no particular reason for developing stress, or it arises out of a series of minor irritations.
  

Hospital stress

Janis studied the relationship between the fear expressed by patients awaiting abdominal surgery and their post-operative recovery. Curiously, patients who showed little pre-op anxiety had poorer post-op adjustment than those who showed moderate levels of fear pre-operatively. Maybe the calm patients were failing to accurately predict the amount of discomfort they would experience after the operation. The patients who showed high levels of anxiety pre-op also fared poorly after the operation. Maybe they are like Weiss’ rats who showed adverse effects from making a large number of coping responses. Thus it is possible that the attempts we make to cope with stressful situations, together with the amount of control and information we have about dangerous situations can influence our bodies physiological response to stressors.
Here is a summary of Janis' results

Relationship between Preoperative Fear and Postoperative Adjustment
Postoperative Adjustment

Preoperative Fear

High Anticipatory Fear
Before Operation
Constantly worried about pain, try to postpone operation, unable to sleep, seek reassurance

After Operation
More likely than others to be anxious, stormy emotional outbursts, afraid of routine examinations


Medium Anticipatory Fear
Before Operation
Occasionally worried about specific features of the operation. Asks for realistic information. Remains outwardly calm.

After Operation
Least likely to show emotional disturbance


Low Anticipatory Fear
Before Operation
Constantly cheerful and optimistic, denies feeling anxious, sleeps well, reads, listens to radio and socialises.

After Operation
Displays anger and resentment to staff

Stress Explained

See this website for some great info about:

• What stress is
• The causes of stress
• Personality types and stress
• Stress responses
• Stress defences
• Managing stress
• and even a stress quiz!!

Just keep following the arrows at the bottom of the pages for enthralling psychological fun!!

The Effects On The Body Of Stress

Stress stuff here