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Week 310.0 / 10.0
10.0 / 10.0
CheckPoint: Stress Disorders / 30.0 / 30.0
Comment:Pleaseseeassignmentforfeedback.
Week 3 Subtotal : / 50 / 50
Cumulative Week 3 Subtotal : / 230 / 230
Axia College Material
Appendix D
Psychological and Psychophysiological Stress Disorders
Respond to the following:
1. Stress can be the root cause of psychological disorders. Name four symptoms shared by acute and posttraumatic stress disorders.
a. Re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares, etc.
b. Avoidance of activities which remind the individual of the event or trauma.
c. Reduced responsiveness; feelings of detachment, dissociation, derealization.
d. Increased levels of arousal, anxiety or guilt.
2. What life events are most likely to trigger a stress disorder?
Life events which are most likely to trigger a stress disorder include combat situations (war), disastrous events (hurricane, tornado, accident), and abuse or victimization (physical or sexual assault).
3. Traumatic events do not always result in a diagnosable psychological disorder. What factors determine how a person may be affected by one such event?
Factors which determine how a person may be affected by a traumatic event include those of biological and genetic factors, personality, childhood experiences, social support and the severity of the trauma.
Biological and genetic factors would include changes in hormones triggered by the trauma which would increase the likelihood for adverse reaction and impairments to areas such as the hippocampus or amygdale. Personality may also play a factor if there is a history of prior psychological disorder, the individual exhibits a highly anxious personality, or has a pessimistic personality. Childhood experiences which may determine how an individual is affected by trauma may include a history of childhood abuse, been raised in poverty, witnessed a catastrophe in early life, children who have close relatives who have been diagnosed with psychological disorders, or had parents who divorced before the child was 10 years of age. Individuals who do not have a strong social support network are also more likely to develop stress related disorders. Finally, the severity of the trauma plays a significant factor in determining the response of the individual.
4. What are the four stages in meeting the psychological needs of disaster victims?
a. Intervention – psychological debriefing and/or medical care immediately following trauma.
b. Therapy to aid in ending stress reactions.
c. Therapy to help gain perspective on traumatic event.
d. Therapy and assistance to enable individual to successfully return to normal levels of functioning after trauma.
5. What is the link between personality styles and heart disease?
Individuals who possess a repressive coping style tend to suffer increased heart rate or blood ressure when encountering stressful situations. In addition, those with Type A personalities show increased likelihood for coronary heart disease due to personalities which are comprised of traits such as anger, hostility, cynicism, competitiveness and high ambitiousness. There may also be a connection between pessimistic personalities and increased risk for heart disease.
7. List and briefly describe four psychological treatments for physical disorders.
1. Relaxation training – The nonchemical approach to reducing anxiety and stress through a series of exercises in which the client is taught to identify muscle groups then instructed to tense those particular muscles and then release the tension. In performing these exercises whole body relaxation is possible and the client is then empowered with the ability to reduce stress and anxiety at will.
2. Cognitive intervention – This approach enables the individual to develop new attitudes and responses towards illness or pain while arming themselves with more productive and positive coping skills. One example is that of self-instruction training where the individual is taught to identify and discard negative attitudes or thoughts and replace them with positive coping self-statements. For example: The individual who suffers chronic pain who thinks negative, self-defeating thoughts of “this is too much for me to handle” is taught to replace this thinking with something more positive such as “alright, this does hurt but I can handle it. Just relax and focus on something pleasant and soon this will pass”.
3. Biofeedback – This approach uses a machine which provides the individual with continuous readings in relation to involuntary body activity. By providing these readings the individual is able to analyze and gain control over the activities.
4. Hypnosis – Using this approach the therapist guides the individual into a relaxed, sleeplike, suggestible state of consciousness where they can be directed to behave in a certain manner, recall suppressed events, or even forget events. Some people can even be taught to self-hypnotize.
PSY 270