Stress management

Physiological approaches Anxiolytic drugs

Benzodiazepines Enhance the activity of gamma-amino- butyric acid GABA GABA = body’s natural form of anxiety relief. Allows chloride ions into neurons to slow down activity – relaxation Reduces serotonin activity.

Beta-blockers Reduce activity of sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Reduce heart rate, blood pressure and levels of cortisol

STRENGTHS Effective: Placebo checks provide evidence (Kahn et al 1986) Easy to use Lifts blame from patient

WEAKNESSES Addiction to BZs. Withdrawal symptoms even on mild doses. Side effects – drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, weakness, dry mouth, diarrhoea, upset stomach, changes in appetite, blurred vision, changes in sex drive, seizures, severe skin rash, irregular heart beat. Treats symptoms, not the cause

PHYSIOLOGICAL APPROCHES BIOFEEDBACK

4 PROCESSES OF BIOFEEDBACK FEEDBACK Machines provide information about various ANS activities: e.g. heartbeat, blood pressure.

RELAXATION Techniques used to reduce activity of sympathetic nervous system – reduces heart rate, blood pressure etc

Operant conditioning Reduced heart rate = rewarding Leads to repeated behaviour Leads to ‘stamping in’

Transfer Skills are transferred into real situations

strengths Successful in treating a wide range of behaviours e.g. heart rate, bp, skin temperature and brain waves. Successful in treating disorders, e.g. curvature of the spine, migraine, asthma, Reynaud’s disease (restricted blood flow to fingers and toes) Biofeedback found to work more effectively than just relaxation (Bradley 1995) No side effects

WEAKNESSES Expensive – specialist equipment and needs supervision Treats symptoms rather than the cause - but does provide the individual with potentially long-lasting method of dealing with symptoms Requires lots of commitment and effort (although this could be a strength)