Stress and the Immune System

1. Stress and the Immune System • A. Psychoneuroimmunology—This word was coined by psychologist Robert Ader, who began the study of the interaction of psychological and physiological processes that affect the body’s ability to defend itself against disease. • B. The perception of stress leads to the suppression of the immune system. • C. Stress is associated with susceptibility to the common cold • D. Stress is associated with slower wound healing.

2. Step on the GAS (general adaptation syndrome) • Despite the fact that there are many different types of stressors to which an organism can respond, the stress response itself follows a predictable pattern. • Hans Selye (1976) called this pattern the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). • The first is the alarm reaction, in which the sympathetic nervous system is suddenly activated by the detection of the stressor. • During the resistance phase, you cope with the stressor, and the sympathetic nervous system remains aroused to provide energy and protection against illness. • The final stage, exhaustion, occurs when the body’s energy is depleted. During this stage, the organism’s resistance to illness is diminished, and energy levels are low.

3. Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Responses • Stress is associated with emotional (crying), cognitive (memory loss), and behavioral responses (compulsive eating). • Some responses do not affect functioning, while others can severely disrupt normal functioning.

4. Traumatic Stressors • Situations that threaten your own or others’ physical safety, arousing feelings of fear, horror, or helplessness. • Catastrophe – Sudden, violent calamities, including both natural disasters (2004 tsunami) and human-made tragedies such as terrorist attacks and warfare. • One’s response to a catastrophe can have devastating effects on physical and mental health (i.e. firefighters find themselves reliving the events in nightmares and in daytime flashbacks.

5. Complicated Research • Ethical guidelines prevent psychologists from recreating disastrous events in order to study their effects on volunteer subjects. • The only way to study these events is to be on the scene after the catastrophe, getting the story from the survivors while it is fresh in their minds.

6. Five Stages to Deal with Catastrophes • Immediately after the event, victims experience psychic numbness, including shock and confusion, and for moments to days cannot comprehend what has happened. • During the phase of automatic action, victims have little awareness of their own experiences and later show poor recall for what occurred. This phase is worsened by a lack of preparedness, delaying rescue and costing lives.

7. Communal effort, people pool resources and collaborate, proud of their accomplishments but also weary and aware that they are using up precious energy reserves. Without better planning, many survivor lose hope and initiative for rebuilding their lives. • Survivors may experience a letdown as, depleted of energy, they comprehend and feel the tragedy’s impact. Public interest and media attention fade, and survivors feel abandoned although the state of emergency continues.

8. An extended final period of recovery follows as survivors adapt to the changes created by the disaster. The fabric of the community will change as the natural and business environments are altered. On the national scale after 9/11, survivors demanded to know how the attacks could have happened in the first place – reflecting a basic need to know “why? And to find meaning in loss.

9. Why study stress? • Stage theories of stress response are useful because: • We can anticipate what survivors will go through. • Allowing individuals to share stories make individuals feel more understood and help survivors work through their pain. • When an event is especially surprising or unpleasant, we are especially likely to formulate explanations.

10. People who undergo any type of trauma are more susceptible to physical illness. However, survivors who discuss their experiences in detail with others suffer fewer health problems. • Second-hand stress traumatization – people who obsess with the media coverage will often find themselves experiencing symptoms of stress.

11. Posttraumatic Stress DisorderPTSD • The individual reexperiences mental and physical responses that accompanied the trauma. • Nearly one adult in 12 in the US has suffered PTSD at some time in his/her life. • Symptoms can last up to 10 years.

12. Most common: witnessing another person being killed, living through a natural disaster, surviving a life-threatening accident. • Gender Differences: • Men – Physical, Military, being held captive • Women – Rape, sexual molestation, physical abuse, neglect during childhood.

13. Symptoms • Distracted, disorganized, and experience memory difficulties. • Suffer psychic numbing to everyday events. • Feel alienated from other people. • Emotional Pain – problems sleeping, guilt, startled response, feeling of betrayal by people close to them, anger about having been victimized, fear of being alone • Biological – Brain may undergo physical changes, hormone-regulating system may develop hair-trigger responsiveness

14. Tendency to accomplish too many things in too little time. Free-floating hostility Irritated by trivial things Exhibit signs of struggle against time and other people. Very independent, direct and to the point. React to stressors with larger increases in pulse rate and blood pressure. relaxed and have a laid-back attitude and posture. Friendly, accepting, patient, at ease, and generally content. tend to be trusting is able to lead and be led very important for the "B" personality to be liked by others and can be easily hurt if they think someone doesn't care for them. Friedman & RosenmanType A – The Leader Type B – The Socializer

15. Social BehaviorsA v. B • As then to be more impatient with others and become angry when other people hold them back in any way. • In general, Type As report feeling less comfortable around others than do Type Bs. • As prefer to work alone rather than as a team, and they seem to resent being told what to do. • As are more ready to do the opposite of what is demanded of them.

16. Work BehaviorsA v. B • As seem to work faster even when no pressure or deadline is involved. • As complain less about hard work and report being less tired when it is finished. • As do more poorly on tasks requiring patience or careful, considered judgment. • Most members of top management are Bs not As.

17. 12 Steps to Help Type As • Monitor your cynical thoughts • Confession is good for the soul (talk) • Stop those cynical thoughts. As soon as a cynical thought enters your mind, tell yourself to “STOP!” • Reason with yourself. • Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. • Learn to laugh at yourself. • Learn to relax – meditation • Practice trust. • Learn to listen. • Learn to be assertive by calmly telling others what is bothering you. • Pretend today is your last. Stop nitpicking. • Practice forgiving.

18. Hassles and Uplifts • Lazarus suggested that the petty annoyances, frustrations, and unpleasant surprises we experience every day may add up to more grief than life’s major stressful events. • The counterparts to daily hassles are daily uplifts: pleasant and satisfying experiences like hearing good news, getting a good night’s sleep, solving a difficult problem. • Hassles may cause physical and psychological changes that may result in illness. Uplifts may serve as emotional buffers against those disorders.

19. Common Young Person’s List • Hassles • Troubling thoughts about the future • Not getting enough sleep • Wasting time • Inconsiderate people • Physical appearance • Too many things to do • Misplacing or losing things • Not enough time to do the things you need to do • Concerns about meeting high standards • Being alone • Uplifts • Completing a task. • Relating well with friends • Giving a present • Having fun • Getting love • Giving love • Being visited, phoned, or sent a letter • Laughing • Entertainment • Music • Every time that you feel a hassle try to give yourself an uplift!!!

20. Strategies To Deal With Stressand To Promote Health • Cognitive Strategies • Appraisal/Reappraisal • Ignore • Problem-Solve • Cognitive restructuring—Examine underlying assumptions and automatic thoughts associated with the problem, use techniques such as “reframing” to view the problem as more of a challenge than threat.

21. Emotional Strategies • Cope with difficult emotions and apply self-regulation. • Obtain emotional support and social support, and have close, loving relationships (Erikson). • Use imagery that generates pleasant emotions.

22. Behavioral Strategies • Time management • Behavior modification • Relaxation training • Biofeedback—This is a person’s using information about his or her biological state in order to learn how to control it. • It often involves electronically recording information about changes in the person’s physiological state (e.g., muscle tension), providing informational feedback to the person, and the person’s using that information to learn ways to physically control that function (e.g., relax). • Meditation. • Avoiding the stressor

23. Physical Strategies • A. Aerobic exercise—This is sustained exercise that can increase cardiovascular lung capacity and can help alleviate depression and anxiety. • B. Diet and nutrition—This is eating balanced meals; making healthy choices.