STRESS AND STRESSORS.pptx

STRESS & STRESSORS
Owondo Thomas
Bwindi Community Hospital
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION
• Stress isn’t always bad.
• In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and
motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly
running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the
price.
• If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and
overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous
system back into balance.
• You can protect yourself and improve how you think and feel
by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of
chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 2

DEFINITION
• Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of
demand or threat.
• Eustress – Kind of stress that results from something
good and we react positive.
• Distress – Kind of stress that results from something bad
and we react negative.
• Stressors are things that cause stress. Almost
everything is a stressor depending on the individual.

DEFINITION
• When you sense danger whether it is 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 a car
accident.
• Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your
toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re
attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam
when you’d rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops
being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, mood,
productivity, relationships, and your quality of life. 4

TYPES OF STRESS
 Acute stress
• Acute stress is the most common type of stress. It’s your body's immediate
reaction to a new challenge, event, or demand, and it triggers your fight-or-
flight response. As the pressures of a near-miss automobile accident, an
argument with a family member, or a costly mistake at work sink in, your
body turns on this biological response.
• Isolated episodes of acute stress should not have any lingering health
effects. In fact, they might actually be healthy for you, as these stressful
situations give your body and brain practice in developing the best response
to future stressful situations.
• Severe acute stress such as stress suffered as the victim of a crime or life-
threatening situation can lead to mental health problems, such as post-
traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder.

TYPES OF STRESS
 Episodic acute stress.
• When acute stress happens frequently, it’s called episodic
acute stress. People who always seem to be having a crisis
tend to have episodic acute stress. They are often short-
tempered, irritable, and anxious. People who are “worry
warts” or pessimistic or who tend to see the negative side of
everything also tend to have episodic acute stress.
• Negative health effects are persistent in people with episodic
acute stress. It may be hard for people with this type of stress
to change their lifestyle, as they accept stress as a part of life.

TYPES OF STRESS
 Chronic stress
• If acute stress isn't resolved and begins to increase or
lasts for long periods of time, it becomes chronic stress.
This stress is constant and doesn’t go away. It can stem
from such things as: Poverty, a dysfunctional family, an
unhappy marriage, a bad job.
• Chronic stress can be detrimental to your health, as it can
contribute to several serious diseases or health risks,
such as: heart disease, cancer, lung disease, accidents,
cirrhosis of the liver, suicide.

CAUSES OF 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.
• 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.

CAUSES OF 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.
• While some of us are terrified of getting up in front of people to
perform or speak, for example, others live for the spotlight.
• Where one person thrives under pressure and performs best in
the face of a tight deadline, another will shut down when work
demands escalate.
• And while you may enjoy helping to care for your elderly parents,
your siblings may find the demands of caretaking overwhelming
and stressful. © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 9

CAUSES OF STRESS
• Common external causes of stress include:
o Major life changes
o Work or school
o Relationship difficulties
o Financial problems
o Being too busy
o Children and family

CAUSES OF STRESS
• Common internal causes of stress include:
o Pessimism
o Inability to accept uncertainty
o Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility
o Negative self-talk
o Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism
o All-or-nothing attitude

STRESSORS
• Stressors are things that cause stress. Almost everything is a stressor
depending on the individual.
• Examples of stressors may include among others;
o Family Relationships
o School
o Peer Groups/ Friends
o Discrimination
o Injury
o Sickness
o Fatigue
o Any Major Changes © 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 12

TYPES OF STRESSORS
• Stressors can be- Physical, Emotional or Social
 Physical stressors are physical conditions of your body and the
environment that affect your physical well-being. E.g; Thirst,
hunger, lack of Sleep, sickness, accidents or catastrophes.
• Emotional stressors are the stressors that affect your physical
and emotional well-being. E.g: Worry, fear, grief, depression and
anger.
• Social stressors arise from your relationships with other people.
E.g; Family, friends, teachers, employers and peers

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
• The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it
can creep up on you.
• You get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal.
You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it
takes a heavy toll. That’s why it’s important to be aware of
the common warning signs and symptoms of stress
overload.
• The symptoms can be classified into; cognitive,
emotional, physical and behavioural symptoms.

Cognitive symptoms:
 Memory problems
 Inability to concentrate
 Poor judgment
 Seeing only the negative
 Anxious or racing thoughts
 Constant worrying
Behavioral symptoms:
 Eating more or less
 Sleeping too much or too little
 Withdrawing from others
 Procrastinating or neglecting
responsibilities
 Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs
to relax
 Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting,
pacing)

Emotional symptoms:
 Depression or general unhappiness
 Anxiety and agitation
 Moodiness, irritability, or anger
 Feeling overwhelmed
 Loneliness and isolation
 Other mental or emotional health
problems
Physical symptoms:
 Aches and pains
 Diarrhea or constipation
 Nausea, dizziness
 Chest pain, rapid heart rate
 Loss of sex drive
 Frequent colds or flu

How Do We React?
• Our body goes through 3 stages under stress. The first is an “Alarm Stage”
which is referred to as Fight or Flight. This is when the body reacts to the
stressor. Anything that causes you to worry or get excited, or causes
emotional or physical changes can start the alarm reaction.
• Fight or Flight is the body’s natural protective technique. We react the
same to both positive and negative types of stress.
• The “fight or flight” reaction sends a tremendous burst of adrenaline to all
parts of the body—the blood vessels, heart, stomach, kidneys, lungs, eyes,
muscles, and more. If the stress is short-term (acute) or not severe (in
biological terms, a short time would be a few hours, perhaps even a couple of
days), we quickly recover without any detrimental effect to the body. If the
stress is chronic or long-term, the body's resistance is affected, making us
more susceptible to illness or disease.

Stage 2 - Resistance
• In stage two, the resistance stage, the immune system starts
to resist or fight the stressor. You feel exasperated and are impatient with trivial
matters. You miss your sleep schedules and find your resistance lowering. The
normal indications of this level are exhaustion, weariness, anxiousness, and
being forgetful.
• At the resistance stage, the body tries to become balanced (a process called
homeostasis). You may think you can handle anything because the stress
symptoms noticed in the alarm stage have now calmed down—until you become
completely exhausted. As the stress continues, you may suffer with fatigue,
sleep problems, and an overall malaise. If you get poor sleep, you may become
quite irritable and have difficulty concentrating or being productive at home or
work. This creates even more stress and a vicious cycle has started.

Stage 3 - Exhaustion
• In extreme cases our body is unable to handle the stress and it succumbs to the stressor
and we call this the exhaustion phase. We may become sick or medical treatments
may become necessary.
• After combating stress for days to weeks, the body shuts down completely. Sometimes
after days of unending stress, the body succumbs to illness—either a viral or bacterial
infection. If you look back over a period of several years, you may find that the times you
developed a cold or flu were immediately after a stressful event in your life.
• It is during this exhaustion stage that you may pay the price of abuse with premature
skin aging. Chronic or long-term stress depletes the epidermis of water, oxygen, and
vitamin C, as well as increases hormone levels, histamines, and sebum production.
While completely unaware of the internal damage from chronic stress, you will notice
how it manifests in skin symptoms such as bumps, excess oil, breakouts, acne, rosacea,
pimples, and a host of other unsightly conditions.
• If the stressor is too great, as in the case of disease that the body cannot fight, death
can occur.

How does our body react?
• Allergy flare-ups
• Backaches
• Perspiring
• Shortness of breath
• Hyperventilation
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Tightness in throat or chest
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Trembling
• Muscle spasms
• Acne flare-ups
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Neck-aches
• Blurred vision
• Increased blood pressure
• Light-headedness
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting

EFFECTS OF STRESS
Emotional Effects of Stress
• Upset or nervous feelings
• Anger
• Anxiety or Fear
• Frequently criticizing others
• Frustration
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty paying attention
Emotional Effects of Stress
• Difficulty making decisions
• Irritability
• Lack of motivation
• Boredom
• Mild Depression
• Withdrawal
• Change in appetite

EFFECTS OF STRESS
Physical Effects
• Increase stomach acid can create
or irritate ulcers.
• High blood pressure can lead to
heart disease and disorders.
• Lowers the effectiveness of the
immune system.
• Cancer or severe illness can
occur.

MANAGEMENT OF STRESS
• One of the best and most productive ways to handle stress is to exercise.
Exercise releases stress reducing chemicals in the body called
Endorphins.

Eat a Healthy Diet
• Your diet can create a great deal of stress within your body and its
systems. Your body cannot function properly without adequate nutrition.
Eat 3 healthy meals each day.

Get Enough Sleep
• Lack of sleep can contribute to distress and can make decision making
difficult. You should get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

Other ways to manage stress:
• Avoid unnecessary, distressful situations
• Tackle one thing at a time / take action
• Manage your time effectively
• Try not to let little things bother you
• Accept what cannot be changed
• Think positively
• Find a way to relax your muscles/ reduce tension (muscle relaxation,
imagery, yoga, etc.)

STRESS AND STRESSORS.pptx

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