ABSTRACT
If someone were to ask you to dene stress, you may nd it a difcult task even though you experience it on a daily basis. Your thoughts may turn to unpleasant situations, such as being berated by
6.1 Learning Objectives.............................................................................................................. 101 6.2 Background and Signicance ............................................................................................... 101
6.2.1 An Introduction to the Human Nervous System ...................................................... 102 6.2.1.1 Central Nervous System ............................................................................ 102
6.2.2 The Peripheral Nervous System ............................................................................... 105 6.2.2.1 The Sympathetic Branch of the Autonomic Nervous System ................... 105 6.2.2.2 The Parasympathetic Branch of the Autonomic Nervous System ............. 105
6.2.3 Stages of the Stress Response ................................................................................... 107 6.2.3.1 Immediate Stage of the Stress Response ................................................... 107 6.2.3.2 Intermediate Stage of the Stress Response ................................................ 109 6.2.3.3 Prolonged Stage of the Stress Response .................................................... 111
6.2.4 The Physiological Measurement of Stress ................................................................ 114 6.3 Signicance of Current Findings .......................................................................................... 115
6.3.1 Physiological Consequences of Chronic Stress ........................................................ 115 6.3.2 The Concept of Homeostasis in Health and Disease ................................................ 116 6.3.3 Stress and Eating Disorders ...................................................................................... 118
6.4 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................ 118 6.4.1 Closing Statement ..................................................................................................... 120
Appendix 6.A Breathing Meditation ........................................................................................... 121 Appendix 6.B Progressive Muscular Relaxation ........................................................................ 122 References ...................................................................................................................................... 123
your boss, being stuck in trafc, or having nancial difculties. All of these certainly qualify as stressors, but why, what binds those situations together? Externally nothing, aside from all being situations we would like to avoid. Internally, however, there is an important link between them-the similar way that our body responds to each of these different situations. Within human physiology, a cascade of reactions occurs that prepares us to deal with threatening situations. What is fascinating is how general this response is. Your body responds similarly to the threat of physical harm, such as encountering an aggressive dog on the street, and to your negative thinking, whether it is realistic or not (i.e., if I mess up again I am going to be red).
