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TEXT 2. CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF STRESSCauses of stress.Stress consists of an event, called a stressor, plus how we feel about it, how we interpret it, and what we do to cope with it. Common stressors include: the setting in which we live, other people, places we go, our daily routine, family members, our job, time (too little, too much), money, school, dating, our given health condition, a spoken word, a certain event, a simple thought, etc. Two words best relate to the actual cause of stress: change and threat. Either of both can disturb the psyche. These changes and threats would probably fall into three possible categories: anticipated life events, unexpected life events, accumulating life events. What causes some people to be devastated and others motivated by the same event? Stress is caused by the interaction between the events in a person's environment and how he/she interprets these events. Modern stress theory agrees that what causes us stress is not what happens, but how we perceive what happens. The way in which a stressor is interpreted, more than the stressor's properties, predicts the intensity, nature, and duration of physiological and psychological response. Often, our greatest source of stress is the tremendous pressure and anxiety that we create internally with our thoughts and feelings. Effects of stress.The body has a three-stage reaction to stress: Stage 1 - Alarm; Stage 2 – Resistance; and Stage 3 - Exhaustion. The Alarm Stage.Your body recognizes the stressor and prepares for fight or flight, which is done by a release of hormones from the endocrine glands. These hormones cause an increase in the heartbeat and respiration, elevation in the blood sugar level, increase in perspiration, dilated pupils, and slowed digestion. You then choose whether to share this burst of energy to fight or flee. The Resistance Stage.This is a period of recovery and stabilization, during which the individual adapts to the stress. Consequently, the individual does what he/she can to meet the threat. Because the individual attempts to do what is necessary to meet the threat, the most effective behaviour of which the person is capable of often comes forth. The Exhaustion Stage.Stress is a natural and unavoidable part of our lives, but it becomes a problem when it persists and becomes long term. Continuous stress will not enable the important resistance step to take place. And you will go from step one - alarm directly to step three - exhaustion. Stress is a problem because it is linked to a number of illnesses. It is estimated that between 50 percent and 80 percent of all illnesses have emotional components and are stress related. Stress can lead to such physiological responses as increased heart rate and blood pressure. Physical Effects of Stress.We do not bury our emotions dead - they remain alive in our subconscious minds and intestines to hurt and trouble us. These physical problems are your body's natural way of telling you that there is too much stress and tension in your life, and most of us have a special physical organ or target area that lets us know when the stress is too great. Do you know what your special target area is? Once you learned to tune into your own signals, you will be able to recognize stress when it starts, before it takes a toll on your body. Physical effects are: headaches, ulcers, asthma, common colds, skin rashes, allergies, dizziness, muscle spasms, rapid heart rate, stomach aches, neck and shoulder tension, excessive sweating. Another measuring tool for you to help recognize excessive stress in yourself and others is through behavioural changes (effects): nervous tics, door slamming, fist clenching, tears, hair twisting, jaw tightening, nail biting, grinding of teeth, apathy, depression, irritability, acts of violence, impatience, changed eating/drinking habits, worry, boredom. Date: 2016-01-03; view: 1281
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