Stress
By: Haley Escalante
Physical/Mental Stress
A. Stress is the body’s response to a perceived threat, where the nervous system releases hormones including adrenaline to have the body peak to a state of emergency action. Physical stressors include chronic pains or illnesses, allergies, and lack of sleep. This effect the body by producing poor conditions in which it enacts on causing the body to depreciate and cause harm to itself. With an extended period of time under stress the body can produce harsh conditions for itself including heart attacks or strokes. Mental stressors can take root from a negative early childhood and an over abundant amount of self-criticism. This can also lead to server depression lowering your mental health causing an abundant amount of mental stress.
links:
http://www.stress-less-boise.com/main-causes-of-stress.html
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm
Aron Ralston
A. 35-year-old Aron Ralston was forced to amputate his arm in a life or death circumstance after getting stuck in a narrow canyon while rock climbing in late April. This experience near Caynonlands National Park in remote Utah struck the emergence of an emergency action of life or death within himself. Aron recollects his experience and thought process of how he conducted his amputation through interviews with CBS and The Telegraph, a UK sponsored paper. His trip started on April 26 and was only planned as a day trip, however his nightmare lasted five and a half days with a chockstone boulder that pinned his arm against the canyon wall. With only a hydration system, backpack, climbing equipment, and his pocketknife Ralston was forced to conserve the little nutrition he had left to stay alive. With numerous efforts to lift the rock from is arm he decided the only way to live was to amputate his arm. “The realization that the knife was too dull to get through the bone,” made him use the bolder to his advantage by using his body weight to violently bend his arm until the bolder snapped it. After he freed himself, he was forced to climb out of the 60ft canyon covered in blood with his arm in a make shift sling and walk until he found a small family where they called for emergency services. From there he was transported by helicopter for a 12-minute flight to the nearest hospital and was stabilized for further treatment. His family and friends reported Ralston missing only a day before he was freed from imprisonment within the canyon, however his greatest mistake was not informing anyone of his plans to the Caynonlands National Park or having someone with him were he could have an alternative plan. His story also inspired the movie 127 Hours.
Links:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8223925/127-Hours-Aron-Ralstons-story-of-survival.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/climber-describes-amputation-ordeal/
Techniques for reducing stress
A. Dr. Sinatra explains eight ways to reduce stress in your life including breathing deeply, releasing anger, laughing, exercising, categorizing stressors, remembering a better time, meditating or praying and petting animals. By doing these things he explains will lead to a longer and healthier life style. A yearlong experiment explained the benefits of laughing, “cardiac patients who watched a comedy show on a daily basis had significantly lower stress hormone levels and blood pressure readings, and needed less medication than those who didn’t.” This shows positive influences improve an individual’s life style and span. Then pets are a major factor to lowering stress as well; “the survival rate of people who suffer a hear attack has been found to be five times greater among those who leave the hospital and go home to a loving pet than those who go home to an empty house.” This shows that companionship is an important key for relieving stress as well. Susan Lark M. MD identifies major stressors within women mainly consisting of negative self-talk. She recommends focusing treatments such as meditation like Oak Tree and Grounding Cord meditation. These allow your body to imitate nature to become grounded and strong mentally. She explains by “practicing either of these exercises it will allow you to organize your energies and proceed more effectively with your daily routine,” then doing these an individual discovers muscle tension and is able to relax them and create a stronger and less stressful life.
Links:
http://www.drsinatra.com/top-8-heart-health-tips-for-reducing-stress
http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/Relaxation_Techniques_for_Relief_of_Anxiety_Stress/1205