Summary: Stress 2

There are many psychological or physiological factors which may cause heart attacks and heart diseases. One of the reasons why people suffer or even die from diseases related with heart is stress.

After a strong earthquake in Los Angeles, the number of deaths from heart attacks was increasingly growing among people who survived the catastrophe. According to the research, a major number of deaths was caused by stress developed when earthquake occurred.

Some research was done to find out which factors cause heart attacks. Participants who had indications of heart attacks and diseases and those who were treated from heart attacks and diseases had to fill in questionnaires related to their life experience. According to the research, the main reason for heart attacks is stress and childhood problems such as violence and abuse. Smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol also cause the risk of heart attack in later life.

Stress has a positive side - activities which cause eustress prevent from common stress and reduce heart attack risk.

Smoking and eating habits, happy childhood, eustressial activities are crucial in individual’s life. Having positive view can help living longer life and have healthier heart. 




According to R. Feldman's "Understanding Psychology" 9th edition, p.495.

Summary: Stress

Every person can experience stressful situations in lifetime and feel stress in various situations. For every person stress is different but coping with it is almost the same. People use some kind of techniques that can be helpful but as people are different the ways of coping with stress are varying.

Techniques of reducing stress are common and uncommon. Common techniques are going for a walk, listening to the music, laying in bed or on the beach and listening or watching waves, music listening. These ways do not require much energy or thinking. They are more relied on time. Uncommon techniques are cooking, domestic tasks, gardening, writing, various sports and yoga. These kinds of relaxing require more energy. Activities replace bad minds and a person thinks only about a current task.

All techniques are useful and help to cope with stress but the most important thing is a person. Individual choice and personality type can help to find the most relaxing activity and reduce stress by makeup pleasant activities.



According to handout.

Short talk: Stress test

Overall score: Measure overall emotional well - being.

• 2,96 in range 1-5.
• higher score is well adjusted.
• my score indicates that I am severally stressed and benefit from intensive help [especially if score is over 2,99]

Quality of life score: Measure how happy or satisfied person is in his life including over-all self-esteem, health, friends and family, work, school.

• 2,8 in range 1-5.
• extremely stressed

Symptom distress score: Symptoms of depression, anxiety, hostility.

• 2,67 in range 1-5
• extremely stressed

Level of functioning: How well person is able to get along in the community.

• 3,5 in range 1-5.
• very stressed.

Stress level is similar to those who benefited from psychological care.

Test: http://stresstest.net/