definitions

• Benzodiazepines


  A type of medication that is a sedative, used to treat anxiety
• Beta blockers


  A class of medication that works by reducing heart rate. They also reduce noradrenaline and adrenaline receptors which decreases the effects of stress
• Biofeedback


  A procedure that will allow you to be alerted to usually undetected changes in your body like heart rate, via sensors and signals
• Challenge


  • A trait found within the "hardy" personality type, which is to perceive stressful/negative events as "challenges" to be overcome
• Control


  • A trait found within the "hardy" personality type, which is to perceive yourself as in control of your life and the events within it
• Cortisol


  A hormone produced in response to stress
• Emotional support


  Support in the form of listening to a person talk about their stress
• Esteem support


  Support in the form of raising a person's self-esteem
• General adaptation syndrome


  The body's adaptation to stress, which occurs in 3 stages
• Hardiness


  • A personality type that allows people to experience less stress, or deal better with it. This personality trait exhibits 3 traits; commitment, challenge and control
• Hassles and uplifts scales


  A questionnaire that aims to measure the views of people on common negative and positive experiences
• Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system


  The main physiological system in our body that responds to stress
• Immunosuppression


  A term used to describe the reduced functionality of the immune system, meaning its response to disease is suppressed. This leaves an immunosuppressed person very prone to non-fatal illnesses like the flu
• Instrumental support


  Tangible, physical forms of support such as offering money or doing a task for a person
• Personality type A


  • A high stress personality type, which prioritises working and avoiding failure
• Personality type B


  • A healthy, calm personality type, which is characterised by flexibility and acknowledgment of limits
• Personality type C


  • A nonassertive personality type, which deals with stress by suppression and avoidance
• Skin conductance response


  Measuring the stress response via measuring electrical activity conducted on the skin
• Social readjustment ratings scale

  A self report questionnaire that allows for people to find the impact of stressful life events on people
• Social support


  Forms of comfort that can be provided by people in difficult times
• Stress


  Emotional, physical or mental pressure
• Stress inoculation therapy


  Therapy that aims to manage stress through 3 phases; conceptualisation, skills acquisition and rehearsal
• Sympathomedullary pathway


  The way our brain activates the sympathetic response to stress