Stress & Anxiety Basics Be Aware of Your Reactions ! Untie the Knots: Stress & Test Anxiety Management Charles R.
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Stress & Anxiety Basics Be Aware of Your Reactions ! Untie the Knots: Stress & Test Anxiety Management Charles R. Morrison, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Professor Stress • The “LOAD” on a system • A state of anxiety produced when events and responsibilities exceed one’s coping abilities (R. Lazarus) • The inability to cope with a perceived, real or imagined threat to one’s mental physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being which results in a series of physiological responses and adaptations (B. Seaward) • The non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it to adapt © 2007 Peper The metaphor of safety: A basic principle of our nervous system Environment Environment Outside the body Insidte Inside the the body body Nervous System neuroception Safety Danger Life threat Spontaneously engages others Defense strategies eye contact, facial expression, prosody supports visceral homeostasis Death feigning, shutdown (immobilization Defensive strategies Fight/flight behaviors (mobilization) © 2007 Peper Fight Appease Freeze Flight From: Stephen W. Porges, 2007 [email protected] Sympathetic CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM • “ Fight or flight” response • Release adrenaline and noradrenaline • Increases heart rate and blood pressure • Increases blood flow to skeletal muscles • Inhibits digestive functions SYMPATHETIC Brain Dilates pupil Stimulates salivation Relaxes bronchi Spinal cord Salivary glands Lungs Accelerates heartbeat Inhibits activity Heart Stomach Pancreas Stimulates glucose Secretion of adrenaline, nonadrenaline Relaxes bladder Sympathetic ganglia Stimulates ejaculation in male Liver Adrenal gland Kidney Parasympathetic CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM PARASYMPATHETIC Brain • “ Rest and digest ” system • Calms body to conserve and maintain energy • Lowers heartbeat, breathing rate, blood pressure Contracts pupil Stimulates salivation Spinal cord Constricts bronchi Slows heartbeat Stimulates activity Stimulates gallbladder Gallbladder Contracts bladder Stimulates erection of sex organs How do you know that you are stressed or anxious? How do you know that a friend or family member is stressed or anxious? Changes, Purposes, and Long-term Consequences of Stress Physiological Change Purpose Higher BP, HR, and respiration rate Provide more oxygenated blood to muscles Peripheral blood vessels constrict Pupils dilate Hypertension, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease Prevent bleeding if injured Cold, clammy feeling, possible skin problems See better in dark ? Blood supply to digestive Conserve blood for use system & other organs elsewhere reduced Kidney function reduced Conserve fluid to maintain blood volume if injured Endorphins produced in Block pain if injured brain Immune response suppressed © 2007 Peper Consequence Digestive upset, Diarrhea, constipation Kidney damage, hypertension High risk behaviors may be addictive in some people Immune response after an Lowered resistance to injury interferes with colds, cancer. ability to continue to resist Travell, J.G. and Simons, D. G. (1983). Myofacial Pain and Dysfunction The Trigger Point Manual. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins © 2007 Peper How to stay stressed? Follow these clinically proven methods: • • • • • • • • NEVER EXERCISE EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT MALES AND FEMALES ALIKE - BE MACHO TAKE PLENTY OF STIMULANTS AVOID "WOO-WOO" PRACTICES GET RID OF YOUR SOCIAL SUPPORT WORRY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL BECOME NOT ONLY A PERFECTIONIST BUT ... SET IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS... How do you know that you are stressed or anxious? How do you know that a friend or family member is stressed or anxious? Manage Irritability 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Active mood management: Relaxation, stress management, engage in cognitive activity, exercise Seeking pleasure activity and distractions: Engage in pleasant activities such as humor or a hobby Withdrawal-avoidance: Be alone, avoid person or thing causing bad mood Social support, ventilation and gratification: Call or talk to someone, engage in emotional activity, smoke, eat Passive mood management: Watch TV, drink coffee, eat, rest Direct tension reduction: Take drugs, drink alcohol, have sex From: Thayer, R.E. (1996). The Origin of Everyday Moods. New York: Oxford © 2007 Peper University Press. Stress Formula Stressors + Perceived threat or demand + Evaluation of coping ability = Stress Thus, the amount of stress I feel is determine by three things: ¨ The number, intensity, and length of stressors I experience. ¨ My evaluation of the degree of threat or demand posed by the stressor. My evaluation of my coping ability to deal with the stressor. It’s The BIG Test !! • • • • • • Your mind just went blank You’re sweating Your stomach is getting upset Your leg won’t stop moving You can hear every noise in the room But, you really studied for this test! • …..There is help for this…………… What to do??? What do you or people you know do to relieve stress? What do you or people you know do to lower anxiety for tests?