COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

1. STRESS

                                                                             STRESS

Ø  The word stress comes from the Latin word “stingere”  meaning “to draw fight”.
Ø  It is a reaction to a changing, demanding environment.
Ø  It is a force exerted when one body part presses on, pulls on, pushes, or tends to compress or twist
another body or body part.
Ø  It is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding
circumstances.
Ø  It is a biological and psychological response experienced on encountering a threat that we feel we do
not have the resources to deal with.
Ø  Hans Selye coined the word, “stress” back in 1936. He defined it as the “nonspecific response of the
body to any demand for change”.

CATHARSIS
Ø  Releasing your pent-up emotions, which is achieved through talking and crying.

                                                          SOURCES OF STRESS

Ø Stressors  is the term used to denote those which cause  stress. Stressors are things, events, situations,
or thoughts that bring about stress.
Ø  Stressors are classified as  Internal  and  External.

Ø Internal stressor comes from personal goals, expectations, standards, perceptions, desires, etc. In
other words, come from within. Example: If you are stressed out because you came to your class late,
that is an internal stressor. You set a standard for yourself that you will never be late to class.

Ø External stressors  are forces from outside that stress you out. It could be conflict in a relationship and
are not directly under your control. Example: you are supposed to come to class on Sunday etc.
 
                                                     TWO (2) KINDS OF STRESS 

1.    EUSTRESS – or positive stress, has the following characteristics:

Ø  Motivates focuses energy.
Ø  In the short term.
Ø  Is perceived as within our coping abilities.
Ø  Feels exciting.
Ø  Improves performance

2.    DISTRESS – or negative stress, has the following characteristics:

Ø  Cause anxiety or concern.
Ø  Can be short-or-long-term
Ø  Is perceived as outside of your coping abilities.
Ø  Feels unpleasant.
Ø  Decreases performance.
Ø  Can lead to mental and physical problems.
                                            THREE VIEWS IN UNDERSTANDING STRESS

1.   STIMULUS STRESS – caused by situations that may be life-threatening or life-changing, such as

separation, moving into a new home, or having a new job. These situations or events are often
called stressors.

2.   RELATIONAL STRESS – is when a person experiencing stress takes a step back to look at the situation
that is causing the stress and assesses it. An example of this is flight delay. 

3.      RESPONSE STRESS – is the way the body reacts to challenging situations. This involves the
interactions between the hormones, glands, and nervous system where the adrenal gland drives the
production of cortisol or better known as “stress hormone”.  The adolescent’s physical response to
stress is faster than an adult simply because the part of the adolescent’s brain the prefrontal cortex, that
assesses danger and directs action during stress is not yet fully developed.
 

                 SIGNS OF STRESS IN ADOLESCENTS IS EVIDENT IN THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS

COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS
Ø  having memory problems
Ø  unable to concentrate
Ø  poor judgment
Ø  seeing only negative
Ø  being anxious
Ø  worrying constantly

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
ü  moodiness
ü  irritability and short-tempered
ü  restlessness
ü  feeling of being overwhelmed
ü  sense of loneliness and isolation
ü  depression and unhappiness

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
ü  body aches and pains
ü  diarrhea or constipation
ü  nausea and dizziness
ü  chest pain
ü  rapid heartbeat
ü  frequent colds

BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
ü  eating more or less
ü  sleeping too much or too little.
ü  Isolating yourself from others
ü  procrastinating
ü  neglecting responsibilities
ü  drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking cigarettes, taking illegal drugs, or paying computer for several
hours.
ü  Having nervous habits such as nail-biting.

2. STRESS RESPONSE
                                               STRESS RESPONSE

STRESS RESPONSE is the body mechanism for protecting or caring for the stressed individual. It helps
people to be alert and focused. It enables us to endure challenges and threats and assists us to be firm
and composed during stressful situations

 SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF STRESS

 
  - Mind becomes alert.
  - Dilated pupils
  - Dry mouth.
  - Tension in shoulders and neck.
  - Faster breathing
  - Faster heart rate
  - High blood pressure
  - Sweaty palms
  - Nausea (a feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit)
  - Constipation or diarrhea
  - Increase need to urinate

                                            LONG TERM EFFECTS OF STRESS

  - Headaches
  - Dizziness
  - Blurred vision
  - Ulcer
  - High blood pressure
  - Excessive sweating
  - High blood sugar
  - Hyperventilation (rapid or deep breathing, usually caused by anxiety or panic.)
  - Palpitations
  - Disturbed sleep
  - Neck and back problems
  - Bowel disorders
  - Rashes, allergies
  - Sexual difficulties

                                                 KINDS OF STRESS RESPONSES

1.    Fight or Flight response / Acute stress response

Ø  In the 1920s, Walter Cannon introduced the fight or flight response or acute stress response. This
kind of stress response involves the occurrence of physiological reactions when one is under stress or
pressure.
Ø  When the fight or flight stress response is elicited (evoke or draw out (a response, answer, or fact)
from someone in reaction to one's own actions or questions), our sympathetic nervous system instantly
becomes engaged in generating a multitude of physiological changes including adrenaline surge, the
release of cortisol (a steroid hormone that regulates a wide range of processes throughout the body,
including metabolism and the immune response), redirection of blood towards the major body organs,
and heightened pulse rate, metabolism, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
Ø  When this response is frequently stimulated, this can be harmful and may result in uncomfortable
physiological changes such as headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, and shallow breathing.
2.    General adaptation syndrome
Ø  Medical doctor Hans Selye, the proponent of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), observed that
the human body has a natural adaptive response to stress. He believes that the body naturally adapts to
external stressors in a predictable biological pattern. It involves three stages: Alarm,
Resistance, and Exhaustion.

(a)  Alarm phase
Ø  The theory concurs that the body naturally reacts to stress by activating its fight or flight response
system. Stress hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol are released when one is
stressed. These hormones help the person to combat stress stay in control, and perform extraordinary
activities.

(b)  Resistance stage
Ø  This response stage which involves the secretion of additional hormones is for long-term protection.
In this stage, the adrenal cortex produces hormones called corticosteroids. The hormones released in
this phase cause an increase in blood sugar levels which sustains or further raises blood pressure.

(c) Exhaustion stage

Ø  The body begins to weaken and lose its capacity to fight or lessen the harmful effects of the stressors
because all the energies and defensive reserves have been used up. The exhaustion stage may be
considered as the entry point to stress overload or burnout. Stress overload or burnout, if not settled
right away, more often than n leads to more serious health problems and distressing life.

3.    Relaxation response
Ø  Dr. Herbert Benson, the founder of Harvard’s Mind / Body Medical Institute, coined the
term “relaxation response”. It is the body’s capacity to release chemicals and brain signals that slow
down the movements of muscles and organs, thereby boosting the flow of blood to the brain. The
relaxation response puts a halt (bring or come to an abrupt stop) on the physiological responses,
thereby bringing back the body and mind into a state of equilibrium (a state in which opposing forces or
influences are balanced).

3. STRESS AND ITS SOURCES DURING ADOLESCENCE

Ø Stress is the means your body reacts to challenges and makes you all set to face them with strength,
attention, and energy. When you sense that you can deal with the challenges coming your way, stress
gives you the necessary enthusiasm to get things done. However, stress can be challenging if the
problems are too difficult to solve especially being an adolescent.

Ø Not all stress is terrible. A certain intensity of stress can be beneficial for one’s overall development.
Stress may furnish a healthy rush that digs up the individual to perform higher than normal in situations
like beating deadlines or important events. However, abnormal levels of stress are proved to be highly
damaging to adolescence.

Ø Stress impacts the thinking and feelings of adolescents plus their behaviors later in adulthood.
Adolescents who experience a high amount of stress can experience more mood disorders later in life.
Stress is also a cause for concern because of the incidence of illegal or socially undesirable behavior, like
smoking, drug use and abuse, and substance addiction among adolescents. These behaviors may cause
even further stress. Stress influences the manner adolescents deal with social groups, like family, peers
in school, and peers outside school. Changes in the social environment oblige adolescents to look for
new means of responding and adapting. These changes create a stressful environment. Little by little
stress to which adolescents are exposed due to these changes can build up over time.
4. SOURCES OF STRESS and CAUSES OF STRESS

                                                        SOURCES OF STRESS 

1.    ENVIRONMENT
Ø  Stressors that are found in the surroundings are called environmental stressors. Our environment is
constantly bombarding us with a diverse array of allergens, toxins, pollution, noise, and traffic. Everyday
life is full of environmental stressors that cause minor irritations such as the use of alarm classes to wake
you up in the morning. The daily traffic or a loud noise in the neighborhood. Our bodies are constantly
adapting to whatever our current environment is throwing at us.

2.    SOCIAL
Ø  There is a wide array of stressors within our social world, placing demands on our time and attention
as well as our mental and emotional resources. This social context is constantly presenting us with
interpersonal challenges to juggle: work demands, financial obligations, family life, and loved ones. In
order to successfully navigate our social worlds without becoming overwhelmed by stress, we must
learn how to balance obligations, needs, and desires effectively.
 
3.    PHYSIOLOGICAL
Ø  Physiological or biological stress is an organism’s response to a stressor. Our bodies are constantly
undergoing changes as we go through the days, weeks, months, and years. There are times that our
bodies get enough sleep, adequate exercise, and balanced nutrition. However, there are times that we
abuse our bodies with lack of sleep, a sedentary lifestyle (a lot of sitting and lying down, with very little
to no exercise), and poor diet. We become unhealthy due to poor lifestyle choices that would increase
the levels of stress in the long term. It is important to find a healthy balance of our work-study-life that
can be maintained as an ongoing lifestyle.

4.    THOUGHTS
Ø  Our own internal processes are unimaginable sources of stress. Our own interpretation of
environmental changes has a great deal to do with the subjective levels of stress that we actually
experience. For example, there are two people experiencing the exact same life change; however, if
they have different thoughts about this life change then there will be a difference in their levels of
stress.

                                                        CAUSES OF STRESS

1.    Family and Friends

2.    Life Changes
3.    Finances
4.    Work
5.    School
6.    Health Issues
7.    Death of a loved one
8.    Marital Separation
9.    Personal Relationships
10.  Pregnancy

5. WAYS IN COPING WITH STRESS

 1.    APPRAISAL-FOCUSED COPING
Directed towards challenging one’s own assumptions, adaptive cognitive. It occurs when the person
modifies the way they think, for example: employing denial or distancing oneself from the problem.
People may alter the way they think about the problem by altering their goals and values, such as by
seeing the humor in a situation. 
2. PROBLEM-FOCUSED COPING
Directed towards reducing or eliminating stressors, adaptive behavioral. People using this type of coping
try to directly attack the problem. They do this by focusing on a specific problem and finding solutions to
the stressful experience. 

3. EMOTION-FOCUSED COPING
Directed towards changing one’s own emotional reaction. It involves releasing pent-up emotions,
distracting oneself, managing hostile feelings, meditating, or using systematic relaxation procedures. It is
oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress.

                                     STOP STRATEGY IN ORDER TO COPE WITH STRESS

 
S – Stop – When you feel the stress response surfacing inside you, pause for a moment.
T – Take a breath –We cannot control all the physiological responses to stress, but we can control the
breath. When the breath is calm, the rest will follow.
O – Observe – Notice 3 things: see, hear, and feel. Negative thoughts, regrets, past failures, worries,
anxieties. What you should do and should not do.
P – Proceed –  If you take time to STOP, respond, rather than react.

                                        CALM STRATEGY IN ORDER TO COPE WITH STRESS

C – Catch yourself getting anxious

A – Assert yourself “I can do it “or say “NO”
L -  Long deep breaths
M – Muscular relaxation