Week 2 discussion
DQ1
Discussion 1: Types of Stress and Coping
Not all stress is bad stress. In fact, a little bit of
short-term stress keeps you motivated. Acute stressors such as public speaking,
taking an exam, or parachuting from a perfectly good airplane usually cause an
immediate and intense stress response. Occasional acute stress actually has a
positive effect on immune function. A single episode of acute stress doesn’t
usually cause a problem for the healthy adult.
Consider the chronic stress of being a family caregiver to
an Alzheimer’s patient. Betty has been caring for Fred since he was diagnosed.
She is not sleeping well because more than once she has awakened during the
night to find that Fred has turned on the stove. Also, finances are tight
because of the cost of care and resources Fred needs. Fred is increasingly more
angry and confused. This chronic, relentless stress has cumulative effects on
Betty’s immune function. Her ability to cope is stretched, and her own health
issues, seemingly minor compared to Fred’s, are ignored. There are few
opportunities for Betty to rest and return to a calm baseline. As a result, she
becomes ill.
Distant stress, another type of stress that stems from
previous trauma, can be unrelenting and influence immune function for years.
For example, the long years of posttraumatic stress disorder’s (PTSD) wearing
effects on the immune system does cumulative damage to health.
For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources.
Review the concepts of acute, chronic, and distant stress. Also, re-examine the
“Pathways of Stress” graphic from Week 1. Then consider the characteristic and
physiological differences of these three types of stress, how each impacts the
immune system, and the populations most at risk or least susceptible to these
types of stress and why. Finally, reflect on how stress management approaches
might be different for specific examples of acute, chronic, and distant stress.
With these thoughts in mind:
D1-A: Students with a last name beginning with letters A– M,
post by Day 3 a brief description of differences between acute, chronic, and
distant stress. Then explain the differing effects these types of stress have
on the immune system. Finally, provide an example of one population at
particular risk for acute stress, one population at particular risk for chronic
stress, and one population at particular risk for distant stress and explain
why. Be specific.
D1-B: Students with a last name beginning with the letter
N–Z, post by Day 3 a brief description of acute, chronic, and distant stress
and provide an example of each. Then using an understanding of the stress
pathways, explain two physiological differences among these three types of
stress. Finally, explain how stress management strategies might be different
for these types of stress. Be specific.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific
references to the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Respond by Day 5 in one of the following ways to at least
one of your colleagues whose posting is in response to the portion of the
Discussion to which you were not assigned:
• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the
responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any
insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for
entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
DQ2
Discussion 2: How Do You Cope?
While on vacation at the beach, you might see the swelling
waves as an excellent opportunity to test out your new surfing skills. However,
your traveling mate might take those same aggressive waves as a cue to head for
shore. Not everyone interprets a given stressor in the same way; nor will their
responses always mirror each other when encountering the same stressor. There
is plenty to learn about stress and coping from analyzing the way individuals
manage stress. In fact, there are a number of assessments psychologists use to
determine individuals’ coping styles, how they cope, and the frequency of their
coping behaviors.
While theorists place a great deal of emphasis on the types
of coping, coping traits should not be viewed as exclusively adaptive or maladaptive.
Not all coping traits fit into problem-solving or emotion-focused coping as
Lazarus and Folkman discuss. Generally, positive/functional coping mechanisms
(e.g., planning) are linked to good self-esteem, higher functioning, and lower
perceived stress. While less positive strategies (e.g., denial, self-blame) are
associated with more distress and lower esteem.
How you manage stress in your life can modify the stress
response and subsequent health consequences. Recall the Primary Appraisal and
Coping chart from last week. Imagine your disruptive and argumentative
mother-in-law has announced that she is coming for a two-week visit. Once you
appraise the stress potential of this situation, how would you respond to the
scenario:
You could solve the problem by calling her and asking her
not to come.
You can change how you feel about her coming by deciding to
focus on the positive aspects of her visit.
You could manage this stress by changing the physical
response to it with the use of relaxation techniques.
You plan a business trip for the same two-week time frame
your mother-in-law plans to visit.
These approaches to managing a stressor are termed
problem-focused, emotion-focused, biology-focused, and avoidance approaches.
While the mother-in-law example tends to fit the concept of stress globally, it
in no way implies that a visit from your mother-in-law would be stressful.
For the Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources
including “The Focus of Coping” handout and “The Assessment of Coping”handout.
Take the COPE assessment. After completing the COPE assessment, consider the
different ways in which you cope with stress.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a description of two coping mechanisms you
have used (problem-focused, emotion-focused, or biology-focused) to reduce
stress. Then explain whether these coping mechanisms were effective in reducing
the level of stress you experienced. Why or why not? Finally, propose two other
coping mechanisms you might employ that also may be effective in reducing
stress levels and explain why. Be specific.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific
references to the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’
postings with another suggestion for a coping mechanism he or she might find
useful and be specific using the Learning Resources to support your response. Then
response to another one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the
following ways:
• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s
posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the
responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any
insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for
entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
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