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stressors
changes with the potential to disturb equilibrium
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homeostasis
a relatively stable state of physiologic equilibrium
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adaptation
how an organism responds to change
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nuerotransmitters
chemical messengers sythesized in the nuerons
common types are serotonin, dopomine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine
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serotonin
stabilizes mood, induces sleep, and regulates temperature
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norepinephrine
hightens arousal and increases energy
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substance p
pain sensation
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cortex
the higher functioning portion of the brain
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subcortex
responsible for regulating and maintaining physiological activities that promote survival
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reticular activating system
RAS
the communication link between body and mind
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autonomic nervous system
- peripheral nerves that are largely automatic and beyond voluntary control
- divided into two parts...
- sympathetic and parasympathetic
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sympathetic system
fight or flight
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parasympathetic
restores equilibrium after danger is no longer apparent
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hormones
chemicals manufactured in one part of the body whose actions have physiologic effects on target cells elswhere
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feedback loop
- the mechanism for controlling hormone production.
- can be negative or positive
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stress
the physiologic and behavioral responses to disequilibrium
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general adaptation syndrome
- the collective physiologic processes of the stress response
- has 3 stages
- 1. alarm
- 2. resistance
- 3. exhaustion
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alarm stage
immediate stress response that releases cortisol, the stress hormone, and primes the body for fight or flight
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stage of resistance
characterized by restoration to normalcy
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stage of exhaustion
when one or more adaptive or resistive mechanisms can no longer protect a person experiencing stressors.
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coping mechanisms
unconcious tactics to defend the psyche
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coping strategies
- stress-reduction activities selected conciously to deal with stress
- drugs and alcohol as stress relief cause more problems than they fix
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stress-related disorders
diseases that result from prolonged stimulation of the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems
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social readjustment rating scale
a rating scale that is based on the number and significance of social stressors a person has experienced in the last 6 months. it predicts a person's potential for developing a stress-related disorder.
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primary prevention
eliminating the potential for illness before it occurs.
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secondary prevention
screening for risk factors and providing a means for early diagnosis of disease
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tertiary prevention
minimizes the consequences of a disorder through agressive rehabilitation or appropriate management of the disease
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stress-reduction techniques
methods that promote physiologic comfort and emotional well being
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endorphins
natural body chemicals that produce effects similar to those of opiate drugs such as morphine
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