Stress as a Major Part of Our Lives - Essay Example

?Stress Order No. 669220 The term stress defies any set definition as it is a very generic term. It is very ive in nature. Originally it had been described by Hans Selye as the non-specific response of the body to change. The term came to be associated with unpleasantness and so a new word, namely, stressor was introduced to distinguish stimulus from response. Stress does not always have a negative impact. Some forms of stress propel people into positive action and such a stress is termed as ‘Eustress.’ When we respond to feelings of threat or danger, the human body exhibits the “fight or flight” response. Walter Cannon introduced the concept of homeostasis to stress. All organisms maintain equilibrium for their biomechanical processes. Factors that result in wavering of this equilibrium is stress. The most important organ of the human body, the brain, perceives and responds to stress. The hypothalamus connects the brain to the endocrine system. The hormones secreted by it are sent to the blood stream and during stress response it releases the corticotrophin hormone. The pituitary gland located below the hypothalamus regulates homeostasis. Cortisol released by the adrenal gland synthesizes stress hormones released during stress. Though stress in some measure is good, it often overwhelms the person and their normal functioning is hampered. Symptoms of stress can be either cognitive or emotional. In cognitive problem, the subject faces problems with memory, concentration, and judgement and constantly worries. Emotional symptoms on the other hand are manifested through moodiness, irritability, agitation, sense of loneliness and depression. These warning signs take the form of either physical or behavioural symptoms. Physical symptoms include body pain and aches, irregular bowel movement, nausea, loss of sex drive and frequent cold. Behavioural symptoms are change in eating patterns, sleeping patterns, procrastination, substance dependence and habits reflecting nervousness like biting of finger nails or twitching the eyebrows. Stress can be either short term or long term which finally becomes chronic stress. Short term stress is experienced by people when they have an important meeting, a job interview or an academic test. Stress experienced is for a short period of time. Chronic stress on the other hand, is the result of stressful situations that one experiences over a long period of time. It could be triggered by the loss of a loved one, chronic illness or relationship tensions. External factors that trigger stress are our surroundings, social situation and work place environment. Chronic stress takes a toll on the body and exposes one to vulnerability, anxiety and depression. It also affects the immune system. Response to Stress log A stress journal is one way of identifying recurrent stressors in one’s life. To manage stress it is important to identify the source. This is not an easy process as cause of stress is always not very obvious. Accepting responsibility for our actions helps in reducing stress and changing them keeps us away from stress. Changes in thought process and a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in stress management. Stress is part and parcel of our daily lives and as such it is impossible to avoid stress completely. The event I chose to write about In relation to the stress experienced is about my visit to the dental hospital. The reason for visiting the dentist was that I had a couple of rotten teeth from which I had been suffering for quite sometime. Stressors experienced The first stressor that I experienced was anxiety which stood as a stumbling block when I had to take a decision to visit the dentist. I had been putting off this visit for a long time because my mind was clogged with many doubts about pulling out my permanent teeth. This stressor was social in nature and I kept wondering as to how I have to face my peer group after my visiting the dentist. The duration of stress remained with me for quite a few days till I had made up my mind to do so. I also experienced an interpersonal conflict related to my physical appearance. I wondered how I would look when I had my teeth pulled out and what my colleagues would say when they found out. It took me quite a long time to come to terms with my decision. Another emotional stressor that I had experienced was on the day that I finally decided to visit the dentist. I experienced some tension and anxiety on my way there because I was late for the appointment due to the heavy traffic on the roads. It also resulted in physical stress which included a bit of palpitation, tightening of muscles and dryness of throat. I felt mentally drained and could not concentrate or focus properly. Response to stress My immediate response to the stress experienced was impatience, anxiety and also anger. I experienced only negative emotions and felt disappointed that I could not honor the right time of my appointment and I felt remorse because I could have taken a little more trouble to be on time. I felt anger to be in the midst of heavy traffic and helplessness because I could not help the situation. I did not experience any positive emotion at that time. Coping Strategies I felt quite intimidated in the beginning about the whole process and found it difficult to cope alone. Therefore, the coping technique that I used was to seek the support and advice of my friend and also my dentist. My friend looked at the situation impartially and first explained to me the pros and cons of pulling out my teeth. What made me make up my mind was that there was more positive than negative aspects in visiting the dentist. The social drawbacks I felt at the beginning was cleared by my dentist who explained the whole process to me stating that he would replace the lost ones. In the beginning before I made my final decision to go to the dentist, my behavior seemed to be more erratic. I was anxious and impatient and got angry for the slightest thing. However, after I got the support of my friend and the dentist, I gained more confidence because I was aware of the whole process as well as the positive outcomes. Once all my doubts were cleared, my stress levels dropped to a minimum and I was more sure and confident about what my priority was. Effectiveness against the stressors The above discussed stressors were experienced quite frequently by me before I got the support of my friend and the dentist. I experienced these stressors for a few days ever since I knew I had to decide to go to the dentist. I had experienced multiple stressors and most of them were not independent of each other but related. For example, when I was on my way to the dentist and got caught in heavy traffic, I experienced both mental as well as physical stressors. I was anxious, agitated and angry and physically I had palpitation and tension in my muscles. Most of my stressors were not within my control, such as the tightening of muscles and palpitation. However, the best strategies I used to overcome my stress was to share my problems with my friend as well as the dentist and by receiving so much of reassurance from them, I was able to calm myself down by looking at the positive aspects of things and the positive outcomes after my visit to the dentist. Conclusion In conclusion I would say that even though stress is a major part of our lives, yet stress and stressful situations can be avoided if the proper interventions are put in place. In such stressful situations it is not advisable to keep things to ourselves but we should get the support of our friends, family, peer group and from people who are well experienced to help us overcome such stressful situations. References Understanding Stress www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm Stress: Definition / AIS – American Institute of Stress http://www.stress.org/topic-definition-stress.htm nstructions: After completing your stress log for 10 days, you should write a paper which includes the following: You should discuss the frequency and types of stressors you experienced (e.g., How many days did you experience stressors? Did you experience multiple stressors on any days? Were your stressors related or independent of each other?). You should describe some of the stressful experiences you had; including their properties (e.g., was the stressor uncontrollable, social, etc.?). You should also discuss your responses to the stressors. For example, you might want to talk about the signals or symptoms that you experienced following a stressor, and whether these were prevalent or consistent. What were your emotional responses to the stressors? You will want to discuss this in detail, for example, did certain stressors elicit different responses (e.g., did fights with your roommate elicit certain emotions, while being late for class elicited other emotions?). Can you determine any patterns for certain categories of stressors eliciting specific responses? You should also discuss the strategies you used to deal with or manage the stressors, in terms of the types of coping you engaged in and whether these were effective. Is there anything you could have done to cope better, or to avoid or lessen the impact of the stressors? Finally, you should talk about what you learned from completing the assignment. Based on class lectures and readings, were there things that you expected and found? Were there things that surprised you? Your paper should not just be a repeat of your log – the goal is to take a step back and analyze your experiences using course material. The most important component of the paper is careful and thorough integration of theories and research presented in the readings and lectures!! The readings on appraisals and coping will be especially relevant for this assignment. Feel free to draw on outside materials (e.g., research articles, etc.) as well. Your paper should be 5 double-spaced pages in length (Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins). You should be sure and address the topics above in your paper; please use a narrative format and include an introduction and conclusion in your paper. Please staple your stress log to your paper and turn them in together. A note on grading: You can have wonderful ideas in a poorly written paper. These will be lost in your presentation. You can have a beautifully written paper that is empty and without original thought. Your final grade will reflect both writing style and content. Please use the following to get an idea of what we expect for A, B, C, and D papers: A: Paper is logical, clear, nicely written and presented. Proofing and spellchecking are done. Ideas are well-developed and thought out. Course material is well-integrated, applied correctly, and referred to frequently. B: Some minor problems with writing and proofing (e.g., spelling, grammar, outline) occur. Ideas are sometimes well-developed, although sometimes superficial or vague. Course material is applied in a less critical way that communicates a more superficial understanding. C: Some major problems with writing and proofing (e.g., spelling, grammar, outline) occur. Ideas are often superficial, vague and poorly developed. Course material is rarely integrated or is integrated inappropriately. D: Outline is very weak or nonexistent. Significant problems with writing or proofing are present. There are few ties to course materials. Read More