AU PSY350 M5 A1 Rodriguez A Essay

Stress is very well known for just what it means: STRESS. Its effect on human beings from a local and a global standpoint is far greater than any of us imagine. Stress can overtake one’s body physically, mentally, emotionally, as well as behavioral aspects. This is not something to take lightly. This is actually very serious. If you notice, it’s not just older people that die this day and time with heart attacks, suicide, and things of this nature. People of all ages. Older people, younger people, and even really young people. Children, yes, I said children. Don’t automatically think that stress only affects older people that have lived a longer

Stress Is the body’s way of responding to the hectic lives most of us live, whether good or bad. The body releases chemicals into the bloodstream, which creates a rush of energy and strength If an individual is feeling stressed. This energy can prove useful if an individual is in physical danger. Because it enables a person’s survival instinct kicks in; it is often described as ‘fight or flight.’ In addition, stress can also have a negative effect on the body, for example: suffering from stress and leaving it unchecked can contribute to health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Tummers (2013) suggest that effective stress management can have a positive impact on health to prevent psychological and mental health illnesses.

From birth, the body and mind go through physical and cognitive changes that human beings will have to adapt to throughout life. Some individuals lose mental and physical abilities age they age that allow them to live a normal lifestyle. The most common age-related physical changes include hearing impairment, weakening vision, and the increasing probability of multiple chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis (Abeles, 1998). The most common cognitive changes associated with normal aging are short-term, or primary, memory loss, long-term, or secondary, memory loss, and the overall levels of performance in sustained attention. Other issues relative to aging and cognitive memory impairments are anxiety disorder, panic disorder, chronic pain, and mood disorders. This issue may cause several social, medical and family problems as individual

The brain develops in such a way that it leaves itself vulnerable to these negative influences. The prenatal brain develops an overabundance of neurons, some of which are then carefully eliminated before age 4 (5). In a process similar to this, the amount of synapses between neurons is built up during early childhood and then pruned back for the next 30 years of life (5). These two processes are both disturbed by elevated levels of stress hormones (5). The two centers of the brain with the most postnatal changes, including the growth of new neurons after birth, are the hippocampus, which is part of the limbic system, and the cerebellar vermis (6). The hippocampus is in charge of creating and retrieving memories, working together with the other parts of the limbic system, such as the amygdala, which records the emotions for each memory. The vermis controls the production and release of two of the catecholamine neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine (6). Both the vermis and the limbic system have higher concentrations of receptors for the stress hormone cortisol than anywhere else in the brain (6). Due to this fact, these still-developing areas are the most vulnerable to the damage done by elevated levels of stress hormones.

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand; it can be caused by both good and bad experiences.

In his recent article, “Can We End the Meditation Madness?” published in The New York Times on Oct. 9, 2015, Adam Grant wrote that he himself has nothing against meditation, but he feels that meditation is not for him. He writes that people try to push onto others like “They approach with the fervor of a football fan attacking a keg at a tailgate party. “Which method of meditation do you use?” Grant makes a statement that meditation is one way of many to fight stress but that it is not the only way. Which I have to agree with him because there are many other ways to help reduce stress and are several studies to prove that there are different ways. The list can go on for pages, I am not saying there is a 300 page book about the different ways to relieve stress, but you catch my drift? Right.

Stress is a very common everyday thing. People have stress so much that most of the time they don’t even know how much it’s affecting them. Stress can really affect your body, mind, and behavior. It is a normal response to situations that make you feel upset or threatened in a way. Stress is the body’s way of change. The change can either be good or bad.

Cavanaugh & Blanchard (2005) point out there are two important age related differences in the stress and coping paradigm. People across the ages experience stress in different areas. Young adults experience stress in the area of finance, work, family and personal life than older adults. The stress experienced by older adults is age related than role related .For example environmental stress may be caused by immobility rather than a specific role. As people get older they become better at managing their lives to avoid stress.

Stress is a common health issue for the body and mind, but it can be managed if not avoid.

According to ULifeline, “stress is a burst of energy that basically advises you on what to do. In small doses, stress has many advantages. For instance, stress can help you meet daily challenges and motivates you to reach your goals. In fact, stress can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently. It can even boost memory… [And] help to fortify the immune system.”

Stress could be defined as a normal physiological response by the body to situations or stimuli which the brain perceives as dangerous or threatening to the body. The body is a complex system and over time developed a way of responding that was designed to keep us safe. Our subconscious mind is alert for anything that might threaten our well being and when the brain perceives a threat a physiological response occurs that prepares us

So what is stress? Stress is a normal physical response that happens when you feel threatened or upset. When you feel that you are in danger whether it is real or imaged. Your body has a response when stress occurs and it is a way of actually protecting you. Many times, stress helps people stay more focussed and energetic.

The external component of the Biopsychosocial Model of stress involves environmental events that precede the recognition of stress and can elicit a stress response. A previously mentioned, the stress reaction is elicited by a wide variety of psychosocial stimuli that are either physiologically or emotionally threatening and disrupt the body's homeostasis (Cannon, 1932). We are usually aware of stressors when we feel conflicted, frustrated, or pressured. Most of the common stressors fall within four broad categories: personal, social/familial, work, and the environment. These stressful events have been linked to a variety of psychological physical complaints. For example bereavement

      Stress can affect all aspects of one's mind and body.  Behaviorally, stress can cause anger, excessive crying, depression, apprehension, increased alcohol use, mood swings, and even suicide.  It can cause problems physically as well.  Anorexia, fatigue, trembling, loss of appetite, and headaches are just a few of the symptoms that overly stressed individuals may experience (Morrison 2).