What Are the Most Common Stressors?

Stress is a cognitive and behavioral experience process composed of psychological stressors and psychological stress responses. Stress is a foreign word that comes from the Latin "stringere", which means pain. The word now written is an abbreviation of "distress." It means "tension, stress, emphasis", etc. Stress will affect people's physical and mental health, and it has long been recognized. Psychologist Han Selye was the first to use the term "stress."

Chinese name: pressure
Foreign name: stress

Applied discipline: psychology
Application range: Social psychology

Stress group

Group pressure is a kind of psychological coercive force formed by groups with the help of normative forces to achieve restraint on their behavior. Group pressure is not an authoritative command. It does not force individuals to change their behavior, but it is a force that is difficult for individuals to resist.

Formation of stress groups

Levitt analyzes the process of forming group stress, including four stages:

Stressful debate

Group members fully express their opinions, and try their best to be patient with other people's opinions. After discussion, members gradually divided into majority and minority. At this time, the minority had felt some pressure, but the group still allowed them to argue on grounds, and the minority had expectations of fighting for the majority.

Pressure counseling stage

The majority has shifted from listening to persuasion, persuading the minority to abandon their claims. Minorities are under increasing pressure from the community, and some have abandoned their original views and obeyed the majority.

Stress attack phase

Individual minorities still insist on their opinions and refuse to compromise, and most people attack their stubborn opinions. At this point, individual minorities felt extremely stressed, but may be reluctant to yield to their faces.

Stress psychological isolation

If individual minorities still do not change their original intentions, everyone will begin to cut off contact with him and isolate him. At this point the individual either yields or leaves the group under great pressure.

The role of stress groups

Group pressure maintains group solidarity, contributes to the completion of group tasks, and has a positive effect on the formation of a sense of security for the majority of members; but it is a huge threat to the minority of opinionated people in the group, to a certain extent It will obliterate the personality and creativity of members. Group stress is one reason for group polarization. The polarization response often depends on the bias of the majority in the group. If most people are inclined to take risky decisions at the beginning, the decision will shift to risky; if most people begin to take conservative decisions, the decision will be conservative. It can be seen that due to the existence of group pressure, the minority obeys the majority, thereby strengthening the opinions of the majority and shifting decision-making to extremes.

Stress psychological stress

Stress is a cognitive and behavioral experience process composed of psychological stressors and psychological stress responses.

Pressure source

Stressor refers to the factors that cause stress response, including biological stressors, mental stressors, and social environmental stressors. Biological stressors directly hinder and disrupt the survival and racial continuity of individuals, including physical trauma and disease, hunger, sexual deprivation, sleep deprivation, infections, noise, and changes in temperature. Psychological stressors directly hinder and undermine the internal and external events of the individual's normal mental needs, including wrong cognitive structures, individual bad experiences, moral conflicts, and poor personality and psychological characteristics caused by long-term life experiences (susceptible to hints, doubt, and jealousy) , Punishment, remorse, resentment, etc.). Social stressors directly hinder and undermine events of individual social needs, including those that are purely social (major social changes, important interpersonal relationships, etc.) and interpersonal adaptation problems (such as poor social communication) caused by their own conditions. Most of the stressors that cause psychological problems are comprehensive. When analyzing the root causes of helpers' psychological problems, three stressors must be considered as an organic whole. Behind biological or social stressors, there are also deep spiritual stressors.

The assessment of stressors includes the social readjustment scale (measures major life events), the measurement of minor disturbances in daily life (measures minor disturbances in daily life and exciting things in daily life), and the perception stress scale (determined to transcend individual responses Ability thing).

Stress introspection experience

The existence of a pressure source is a necessary condition for generating pressure. But the stress that psychology refers to is the stress that we can experience and experience, that is, the inner conflict of a person and the intense emotional experience accompanying it. It can also be said that it is various psychological conflicts and setbacks and a series of negative emotions caused by them.

Pressure doubles or conflicts-tends to conflict

A bi-directional conflict or an approach-approach conflict, that is, two goals that are equally attractive but incompatible, want to be achieved. Due to the constraints of the time, only one goal can be reached. Psychological conflict: fish and bear paw.

Avoid double conflict or avoid-avoid conflict

Avoidance or avoidance-avoidance conflict (avoidance-avoidance conflict), that is, when a person is facing two nasty things that both want to avoid at the same time, but because of the constraints of the conditions, it is not possible to avoid the psychological conflicts: Cliff, followed by chasers. . Double avoid conflict is more harmful to people than double trend conflict, and it is more difficult to resolve.

Stress avoidance conflict

Approach-avoidance conflict is the psychological conflict that arises when you want to achieve the same goal and avoid it. Such goals are often attractive and require certain risks to be achieved. Such as tooth extraction, marriage, etc. Avoiding conflict is the most common psychological conflict.

Double or multiple stress avoidance conflicts

There are two or more options at the same time, both of which have advantages and disadvantages. Such as choosing a job and determining a treatment plan. Multiple conflict avoidance is the most difficult psychological conflict.

Type of pressure

Single life stress

In a certain period of life, we experience certain events and try to adapt, and the intensity is not enough to cause us to collapse. We call this kind of stress as a general single-life stress. The aftereffects of singularity are often positive, and most of them help people cope with future stress.

Superimposed stress

Simultaneous superimposed pressure: There are several events that can constitute stress at the same time. The pressure experienced at this time is called simultaneous superimposed pressure.

Sequentially superimposed pressure: Two or more events that can constitute stress have occurred one after another. The pressure effect produced by the former has not been eliminated, and the subsequent pressure has occurred. The pressure experienced at this time is called the superimposed pressure.

Destructive stress

Also known as extreme pressure, including wars, earthquakes, and air crashes, as well as being attacked, abducted, and raped. The consequences of destructive stress can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), catastrophe, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. A stress response that occurs only after a period of intense stress is a delayed stress response. Common emotional depression, irritability, flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty concentrating, and alienation of relationships. Catastrophic syndrome refers to the psychological response to a powerful natural disaster. It can be divided into three phases: the frightening phase, the recovery phase, and the rehabilitation phase.

Stress adaptation

Serry proposes that each disease or harmful stimulus has the same, characteristic, and physiological and biochemical response processes involved throughout the body. He called it the "general adaptation syndrome" (GAS). He believed that GAS is a universal form of the body's defense response to harmful stimuli. It can be divided into alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. )three phases. Serry's theory ignores the psychological component of stress.

Alert period: sympathetic nerve excitement, promote metabolism, release stored energy.

Fighting period: The surface of physiological indicators returns to normal, internal psychological and physiological resources are consumed in large quantities, and individuals become sensitive, vulnerable, and irritable.

Depletion period: Energy is almost exhausted and cannot continue to resist stress. ^[1]

Stress intermediary mechanism

The mediating mechanisms of stress include psychological regulation mechanisms-cognitive evaluation, biological regulation mechanisms-neuroendocrine and immune systems, social regulation mechanisms-social support.

Stress Cognitive Evaluation

Primary evaluation: When an event occurs, an individual judges whether he has an interest in himself or not through cognitive activities.

Sub-evaluation: If the individual judges that the relationship can be related to himself through the primary evaluation, he will immediately estimate whether the event can be changed, that is, the individual's ability.

Both evaluations are necessary to experience the stress of the event. When a person perceives the threat of an event, he will not experience a stressful reaction if he is confident in the coping methods he has.

The cognitive evaluation of events does play a very important role between life events and stress response, but cognitive evaluation itself is also affected by various other factors: the predictability of stressors, the controllability of stressors, individuals Personality characteristics, individual life experience, state of mind and body at that time.

The content of cognitive evaluation affects the relative intensity of stress.

The nature of stress : the presence or absence of threats, the severity of stress / objective events, self-assessment, the type of situational control, self-control of behavior, self-control of cognitive / thinking activities, and environmental control.

The influence of personality : How to treat, understand and deal with stressors will be affected by personality characteristics.

Externally controlled personality: I believe that the dominant force in personal life is external force, and I am powerless.

Internal Control Personality: I believe that the root of things that happen in life is in myself.

Results of cognitive evaluation:

Positive: Cortical awakening level is improved, positive emotional response, focused attention, positive thinking, adjusted needs and motivations according to reality, correctly evaluate incoming information, and exert coping ability.

Negative: excessive arousal (anxiety), excessive emotional arousal (excitation) or depression (depression), cognitive decline, blurred self-concept, unable to judge correctly and respond effectively.

Pressure biological regulation system

Psycho-Neural Mediating Mechanism: Regulation by the Sympathetic-Adrenal Medulla Axis

Psycho-neuro-endocrine mediating mechanism: regulation of hypothalamus-adenohypophysis-target gland axis.

Psycho-neuro-immune mechanism: The immune system and the central nervous system perform bidirectional regulation.

Stress social support system

Specific support parties: give information and material support.

Provide spiritual support to the parties: care, influence, education, encouragement, guarantee.

A good social support system can relatively reduce the intensity of stressful events.

Clinical consequences of stress

Constitution and stress theory: Stress and the physical fitness of an individual play a role in the occurrence of disease at the same time. Under the influence of stress, individuals' more fragile systems develop first.

Organ sensitivity theory: When dealing with stress, the organs that are most sensitive and have the highest intensity and frequency of activity are most susceptible to disease.

Psychosomatic reactions (psychosomatic reactions): Psychosocial factors caused by the individual changes in biological, psychological, social, behavior and other aspects.

Psychosomatic disorders: Psychosocial disorders are physical dysfunctions that play an important role in the pathogenesis and development.

Psychosomatic diseases: Psychosocial diseases are physical and organic diseases that play an important role in the pathogenesis and development.

Stress psychosomatic disease

Definition: Psychosomatic diseases are a group of diseases that are closely related to psychosocial factors, accompanied by organic changes or obvious pathophysiological changes.

The role of psychosocial factors : pathogenic effect, induced effect, and disease outcome.

Characteristics of psychological factors: chronic, long-term, organic changes or pathophysiological changes.

Frequent sites: organs or systems dominated by autonomic nerves.

Age: Frequent for middle-aged people.

Common psychosomatic diseases:

Essential hypertension

Bronchial Asthma

Ulcer

Hyperthyroidism

Rheumatoid arthritis

Ulcerative colitis

Local enteritis

Diagnosis of psychosomatic diseases: the occurrence of diseases includes psychosocial factors, and the time relationship between physical and physical symptoms is clear; the body has clear organic pathological changes, or there are known pathophysiological changes; exclude neurosis or psychosis.

Treatment of psychosomatic diseases: elimination of psychosocial stimuli, elimination of psychological causes, elimination of biological symptoms, and the principle of the same treatment of mind and body.

Type A Behavior and Coronary Heart Disease: Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) refers to behavioral characteristics that are aggressive, ambitious, hard working, and irritable. They are summarized as time-urgency and competition. Competition and hostility.

There is a positive link between type A behavior and coronary heart disease. Current research has found that TABP patients who are hostile to the environment and others have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, while those who adapt, enjoy, and love life are at increased risk. It has not increased.

Stress self-regulation

David Spiegel is an associate professor in the School of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and serves as the director of the School's Center for Stress and Health. He gave the following suggestions to people under extreme stress:

1. Make a list of priority items according to the needs to be resolved and complete them one by one;

2. Don't be afraid to get help from others;

3. Know your limits and keep the bottom line;

4. Rest, get enough sleep, and develop the habit of "being good to yourself";

5. Maintain a healthy diet and daily exercise.

Stress stretch relax

1. Express your feelings. Spiegel said, "Don't make trouble with yourself. Think of them as your friends, not your enemies." For example, some people need to be strong and patient for their family. This kind of injection of one's emotions into the problem is a misunderstanding . Not only does this not solve the problem, it also goes against expectations. "He also said that people should stop" competing with themselves. "In addition, emotional release will bring everyone together, which is exactly what it takes to heal.

2. Find social support. Spiegel says that "the overall mortality rate for people with social isolation is twice as high", and the death rate of socially isolated people needs to be given the same weight as the impact of smoking on people's health or the risk of high cholesterol. It is true that when people get sick or in trouble, they often don't get but social support. Spiegel has organized a mutual help group for women diagnosed with breast cancer. He said that such a mutual help group can give everyone an opportunity to share experiences and make suggestions. No matter what aspect of life, the sick person may feel like an outsider who has been "deathed", but "a sense of belonging in a mutual aid group."

As a result of his research, Southwick has been very convinced of the power of social support. He is now working with his patients to draw out their social network relationships, ensuring the participation of each individual, and making them believe that they are trusted and dependent. He said that social relationships are good and we are all social people.

3. Find a way to relax. Whether it's prayer, meditation, or deep relaxation techniques, these behaviors provide powerful help in relieving stress. Psychologist Carol Goldberg said, "It's really impossible for you to be nervous and relaxed at the same time. They are opposites." She is the producer and host of the New York area TV show "Carol Goldberg's Companion". She suggests, for example, imagine a calm scene, repeat a soothing verse, or take a abdominal breath to increase oxygen supply and help remove carbon dioxide. "This is something you can do at any time, without any assistance, you just close your eyes and take a deep breath."

4. Face your fear. Southwick said, "Most of us find it difficult to do this because it is not a happy thing." However, "if you want resilience, you will have to face these things sooner or later, or something similar." He said, in fact "avoidance is at the core of all anxiety." When veterans look for a therapist to address post-traumatic stress disorder, they have to expose themselves to the problem in order to find a way to live peacefully with the source of the problem.

The trick is to recognise and face fear before it becomes panic, otherwise some brain responses to rational thinking will turn off. To overcome fear, you must learn it and understand it. Then, "When you have fear, try to overcome it with someone you trust."

5. Find an example. "We often learn by imitation," Southwick said. See how others respond to challenges, negotiate successfully, ask their coping skills, and try to do it yourself. For example, if someone talks to a friend on the phone during a stressful period, you can learn the tricks.

Southwick has found an example in research for his book. She is a young woman with spina bifida and has won the Paralympic Swimming Gold Medal. Not only did she excel in college, she graduated with distinction, and she averaged 26 miles of swimming practice per week. These days, when Southwick can't swim for a few laps, he often misses her and says to himself, "What, are you kidding me? 26 miles a week ... I have to continue swimming."

Stress psychological adjustment measures

Psychological stress in modern life generally has three stressors: society, life and competition. Excessive or excessive stress can harm your health. Modern medicine has proven that psychological stress can weaken the body's immune system, thereby causing disease in the body caused by external pathogenic factors. The pressure of modern life squeezes us like air all the time.

So how can we get rid of stress? The following 20 psychological adjustment measures are effective decompression methods. Maybe give it a try.

1. Spit it fast. If you're troubled by something, don't get bored and tell your troubles to your credible, calm-headed person to get relief, support and correction.

2. Laugh. A healthy laugh is the best way to relieve stress and a pleasant way to vent. "Smile with a smile, ten years less", sorrow and stress will naturally miss you.

3. Listen to the music. Relaxing music helps relieve stress. If you know how to play a piano, guitar, or other musical instrument, you can use it to deal with your upset mood.

4. Read books and newspapers. Reading can be said to be the simplest and least expensive way of relaxing pastimes. It not only helps relieve stress, but also increases knowledge and fun.

5. Re-evaluate. If you do something wrong, you must think that anyone may make mistakes. If things go wrong, you should re-evaluate yourself so that you can continue to work normally without digging into the corners.

6. Yelling. Shouting or crying in a secluded place, crying is not shameful, tears can release sad feelings, and it is also a way to reduce stress in the body.

7. Be good to others. Don't be resentful when you are in trouble (including that you are right). The price to pay for hatred is to make your emotions tense and punish yourself with the mistakes of others.

8. Don't be picky. Don't expect too much of others, you should see the advantages of others, and you should not be too critical of others' behavior. There is no perfect world, and there may be a lack of justice, so I must tell myself: I worked hard, and it was not my fault that I could be the best.

9. Leave room. Don't try to scramble everywhere, and force yourself to appear in a perfect image all the time. It doesn't have to be this way. You leave room for others and you tend to be more at ease. Learn to say "no".

10. Learn to dodge. Get rid of unnecessary and complicated activities, and get rid of some man-made mess and fatigue. It is best to remain silent when it is not necessary to speak, and listening to others can also reduce psychological stress.

11. Avoid being superman. Don't always think that you should do everything well, understand what you can do well, and focus on those things. Being indifferent to contentment and contentment can not only reduce the psychological pressure, but also prevent the tragedy of "early death in the youth".

12. Make some concessions. Even if you are completely right, making concessions will not degrade your identity. As the saying goes: Take a step back and open the sky. Besides, some things may be better handled coldly, and there is more room to step back.

13. Calm down. Calmness is one of the signs of a person's maturity. Dealing with complex problems calmly and calmly can help relieve tension.

14. Solve one by one. Tensions and hurdles can make people lose their ability. At this time, you can pick out one or two urgent things first, and deal with them one by one. Once successful, the rest will be solved.

15. Extinguish anger. Don't get angry when you are in trouble, learn to restrain yourself and temporarily stop the anger. After the anger subsides, it will help you deal with problems more confidently and rationally, thinking more about "there must be a road to the mountain".

16. Do something good. If you have been distressed about your own affairs, you may wish to help others do something good. This will alleviate your troubles and add joy to helping others.

17. Look into the distance. Once you are restless, open your eyes and look into the distance to see what weird sight will be in the sky. Since yesterday and the past are passable, today and the future will surely pass.

18. Change the environment. Appropriate changes in the environment can alleviate psychological pressure. This is not a negative avoidance. Useful "hopping" can find new positions, reflect on oneself, and learn lessons.

19. Traveling. Excessive ideological pressure, may wish to go out for a short trip with your family and friends. The beautiful mountains and rivers of the motherland will surely make you enchanted. At this moment, all your sorrows and worries have flown out of the clouds.

20. Slow down. When the authorities are in a mess and can't control it, they may wish to slow down the pace, do not arrange idle things in the schedule, and do a "cold treatment". ^[2]