31 Dec • Offer and support an

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.