Section 2: Reactions to Stress

  Body reacts quickly to stressor  Adrenal glands produce:  Hormones that increase blood sugar for energy  Adrenaline- enables body to use energy more quickly  Fight-or-flight response- these responses are designed to prepare person for self-defense  Also found in wild animals Fight-or-Flight Response

  Hans Selye identified 3 stages of body’s stress reaction- called general adaptation syndrome  Alarm stage- body mobilizes for fight-or-flight, heartbeat and breathing quicken, muscles tense, pupils dilate  Resistance stage- finds means to cope with stressor  Exhaustion stage- if exposure to stressor continues, adrenal and other glands that produce fight-or-flight hormones have been taxed to their limit General Adaptation Syndrome

  Anxiety- feeling of an imminent but unclear threat  Most common response to sudden and powerful stressor  Anger- irate reaction likely due to frustration  Fear- usual reaction when a stressor involves real or imagined danger  Cognitive reactions- difficulty concentrating, recurring thoughts, poor decision making Emotional and Cognitive Responses

  Short-term behavioral changes can be caused by stress  Nervous habits- trembling, pacing, over-eat, feel tired  Lose interest in personal care  Aggression towards loved ones  Some positive changes  Ex. Some stressors create attitudes of cooperation that override individual differences and disagreements Behavioral Reactions

  Psychosomatic symptoms- real, physical symptoms that are caused by stress or tension  Ex. Headaches, stomachaches, muscle pains  Stress can be partly responsible for almost any disease  Peptic ulcers, hypertension  Stress decreases your immune system’s ability to cope Physical Reactions

  Personality differences  Type A- in a constant state of stress  More hostile, quick to show anger, impatient, move rapidly, feel guilt at not being busy, extremely competitive  More likely to have heart attacks  Type B- more relaxed  More patient, do not easily become angry Factors Influencing Reactions to Stress

  People prefer to have predictable stress  Ex. Taking my test instead of a unknown test  Physical and psychological well-being profoundly influenced by our sense of control  Social Support- information that leads someone to believe that he or she is cared for, loved, respected, and part of a group  Helps decrease the effects of stressful situations Perceived Control Over Stressors