13 Stress and Coping

STRESS AND COPING
NSTP 2 LECTURE 14
STRESS generally pertains to two things:
1. Psychological perception of pressure
2. The body’s response to that pressure which involves multiple
systems i.e. metabolism, muscles, memory, among others
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of

demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it’s real
or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a
rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight”
reaction or the "stress response".
The stress response is the body’s way
of protecting you. When working
properly, it helps you stay focused,
energetic, and alert. In emergency
situations, stress can save your life—
giving you extra strength to defend
yourself, for example, or spurring you
to slam on the brakes to avoid an
accident.
STRESS
Lifesaving as the stress response is, it was meant

to solve short-term, life-threatening problems,
not extended difficulties such as daily traffic
jams or marital problems.
Prolonged or repeated arousal of the stress
response, a characteristic of modern life, can
have harmful physical and psychological effects,
including heart disease and depression.
STRESS
Your nervous system isn’t very good at

distinguishing between emotional and physical
threats. If you’re super stressed over an argument
with a friend, a work deadline, or a mountain of
bills, your body can react just as strongly as if
you’re facing a true life-or-death situation. And
the more your emergency stress system is
activated, the easier it becomes to trigger and the
harder it becomes to shut off.
ADRENALINE RUSH
An adrenaline rush is one of the body’s vital defense

mechanisms. A stressful situation will trigger the
release of the hormone adrenaline, also known as
epinephrine, into the bloodstream.
Adrenaline is responsible for the fight-or-flight
reaction to a threat, and it triggers specific processes
in the body. For example, it might make the body
send extra oxygen to the lungs to aid a person to run
away.
ADRENALINE RUSH
The release of adrenaline into the body occurs very quickly,
usually within a few seconds. It goes away once the possible
threat has disappeared. This speed is what gives an adrenaline
rush its name.
Side effects may include sweating as a reaction to stress, feeling
lightheaded due to changes in blood and oxygen supply, and a
change in temperature as a result of the blood redirection.
The effects of adrenaline on the body can last for up to 1 hour
after an adrenaline rush.
STRESS Signs and symptoms of stress overload
COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

•Memory problems •Depression or general unhappiness
•Inability to concentrate •Anxiety and agitation
•Poor judgment •Moodiness, irritability, or anger
•Seeing only the negative •Feeling overwhelmed
•Anxious or racing thoughts •Loneliness and isolation
•Constant worrying •Other mental or emotional health problems
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

•Aches and pains •Eating more or less
•Diarrhea or constipation •Sleeping too much or too little
•Nausea, dizziness •Withdrawing from others
•Chest pain, rapid heart rate •Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
•Loss of sex drive •Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
•Frequent colds or flu •Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
STRESS
The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as

stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such
as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship.
However, anything that puts high demands on you can be
stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married,
buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion.
STRESS
Of course, not all stress is caused

by external factors. Stress can also
be internal or self-generated,
when you worry excessively about
something that may or may not
happen, or have irrational,
pessimistic thoughts about life.
STRESS
Finally, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your

perception of it. Something that's stressful to you may not faze
someone else; they may even enjoy it. For example, your
morning commute may make you anxious and tense because
you worry that traffic will make you late. Others, however, may
find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough
time and enjoy listening to music while they drive.
COPING
Psychologists Richard Lazarus and

Susan Folkman scientifically defined
coping as the sum of cognitive and
behavioural efforts, which are
constantly changing, that aim to
handle particular demands, whether
internal or external, that are viewed as
taxing or demanding.
COPING
Simply put, coping is an activity we do to seek and apply

solutions to stressful situations or problems that emerge
because of our stressors. Actually, the term "coping" is more
associated with "reactive coping", because in general, we see
coping as a response to a stressor. On the other hand, there's
also what we call "proactive coping", wherein the coping
response is aimed at preventing a possible encounter with a
future stressor.
COPING
Coping mechanisms are ways to

which external or internal stress
is managed, adapted to or acted
upon.
DEFENSE or COPING MECHANISMS
REPRESSION
Unconsciously pushing an unpleasant memory into the unconscious mind.
SUPRESSION
Intentionally/consciously trying to forget an unpleasant experience or memory.
Includes keeping yourself busy and creating diversions.
RATIONALIZATION
An attempt to substitute "good" reasons for our real reasons. Allows people to
disguise from themselves the fact that they acted from motives that conflict with
their professed standards.
1. sour grapes: belittling what you fail to achieve
2. sweet lemons: convincing yourself that you are just as well off
without whatever you failed to achieve; being "glad" you lost or failed.
DISPLACEMENT
Taking your emotions out on substitute people or objects; a redirection of emotion,
in the absence of the object that would satisfy our instinctual urges. Substitute
objects are rarely as satisfying as the original objects, but they are less threatening.
IDENTIFICATION
Copying the behavior, beliefs, lifestyle, and other characteristics of somebody else.
1. hero worship (ex: Tiger Woods)

2. identification with a group (ex: I want to be a cheerleader)
3. defensive identification/ identification with the aggressor/oppressor
(ex: Stockholm Syndrome)
FANTASY
Creating a make-believe world (in preference to the actual world). May include:
suffering hero complex, the conquering hero complex (victimization), Cinderella
Complex, Peter Pan Complex.
REGRESSION
Reverting to previously discarded behaviors; going backward in development or
maturity. Person feels threatened and returns to an earlier stage of development.
COMPENSATION
Making up for a personal lack or handicap by doing something else well;
highlighting your assets.
OVERCOMPENSATION
Putting others down, ridiculing people, or acting superior in order to mask your
own feelings of inferiority.
SUBLIMATION
Finding acceptable outlets for energy; the ability to sublimate our impulses makes
possible the ideas, values, attitude, and activity that character to civilized adult
human being.
PROCRASTINATION
Putting off until tomorrow what you can do today.
NOMADISM
Inability to stay in one place, in one job, with one relationship; incapable of
commitment.
NEGATIVISM
Disliking everything mentioned, every possible alternative. This includes excessive
use of sarcasm. People using this are highly defensive. They will even criticize
themselves in order to prevent others from doing so. Chronic complainers,
"victims."
DENIAL
Refusal to accept the painful truth.
UNDOING
Trying to atone for bad behavior/ guilt/ pretending something did not happen.
EMOTIONAL INSULATION
Not showing feelings; creating an emotional wall around yourself; keeping distance
from others.
INTELLECTUALIZATION
Dismissing anxiety by analyzing emotional issues intellectually and converting them
to theory rather than action. In this way, problems become detached from the self
and removed from unpleasant emotional (guilt) consequences. may also be referred
to as isolation or dissociation. Bad memories are conscious, but are distanced from
the feelings that accompany them.
REACTION-FORMATION
Behaving the opposite of how you really feel over a period of many years; living a lie.
This included the development of behavior patterns that are the opposite of those
that might create anxiety.
COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Dividing your life into separate air-tight compartments to avoid facing the
inconsistencies. Creating multiple "selves" to fit into opposing situations.
The use of effective coping skills can often
help improve mental and emotional well-
being. People who are able to adjust to
stressful or traumatic situations (and the
lasting impact these incidents may have)
through productive coping mechanisms
may be less likely to experience anxiety,
depression, and other mental health
concerns as a result of painful or
challenging events.
People who find themselves defaulting to maladaptive coping
mechanisms and/or experience difficulty utilizing effective
coping strategies may eventually see a negative impact on
mental and emotional well-being. Consuming alcohol can
often help people feel less stressed in the immediate
moment, for example, but if a person comes to rely on
alcohol, or any other substance, in the face of
challenging situations, they may eventually become dependent
on the substance over time.
Stress Kills You Because It Damages The Heart
Over time the adrenaline released by stress hormones creates a

continued state of vigilance with damaging physiological
consequences. Stress can kill you as it is known to lead to
increased heart rate, cardiovascular problems, breathing
difficulties and high blood pressure.

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STRESS AND COPING

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of

Lifesaving as the stress response is, it was meant

Your nervous system isn’t very good at

An adrenaline rush is one of the body’s vital defense

COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as

Of course, not all stress is caused

Finally, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your

Psychologists Richard Lazarus and

Simply put, coping is an activity we do to seek and apply

Coping mechanisms are ways to

1. hero worship (ex: Tiger Woods)

Over time the adrenaline released by stress hormones creates a

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