Explain and evaluate two or more methods/strategies for reducing stress.
By Manisha Patel
Stress is something that everyone will experience throughout his or her life. Many things such as the death of a spouse, a divorce, an exam or even just moving house, can bring on feelings of stress. A state of stress exists when there is a mismatch between how a person perceives the demand placed upon them and how they perceive their ability to cope.
As the autonomic nervous system gets aroused many changes occur in the body. Heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rates can all increase, and if continuous can even be linked with illness. It is for this reason that reducing the amount of stress in a person’s life is essential. The best thing to do would be to remove the stressor all together but often this is impractical or even impossible. If it were therefore impractical to remove the stress completely then the next best thing would be to reduce the level of stress felt. This can be done using both psychological and physiological methods.
Biofeedback is just one way to control levels of stress. The individual is provided with information (feedback) about certain biological functions such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure EEG and galvanic skin response. If for example an individuals heart rate began to increase a signal is given (most likely a buzzer) alerting the patient of the rise. This is the feedback. The patient will carry out a series of learned techniques to control this change.
The idea of biofeedback came from a series of experiments that were carried out by Dicara and Miller (1968). These experiments were carried out on rats and they were given a reward of hypothalamic electrical stimulation whenever their breathing rate as well as other autonomic functions reached the desired rate. The psychologists claimed that these involuntary autonomic responses were controlled using operant conditioning. This was an impressive find as in the past it was believed that autonomic behaviour could only be controlled through medical methods and that operant conditioning was only applicable to voluntary actions. Although this experiment has been highly criticised other research into biofeedback has continued.
Many studies claim that autonomic functions can be brought under control. Most of these were conducted early on and have never been repeated. Biofeedback has been applied to a large variety of problems but there is still doubt about its effectiveness. Many believe that the simple training of muscle tensing is not in the least effective while others (LeFrancois 1983) believe it to have a great deal of potential. Miller (1978) also argues that the studies that have been carried out in this area were extremely successful. He believes that the only thing else that is needed is for biofeedback to be tested against existing therapies and placebos.
Yet apart from the lack of research in this field there are other draw backs to this treatment. One is the price. It is extremely expensive not only to provide the equipment but also the training that is needed for a person who is under stress to undergo this treatment. The government simply would not be able to fund the demand there would be for such an item. And although the machines are getting smaller and more compact there are still rather large and impractical.
Another factor effecting the success of biofeedback is dedication. In most cases the benefits of biofeedback are not immediate. Techniques must be learnt and practised and often people do not have the patience to carry out the course. The final downfall comes in the application of the treatment. In many cases stress is found in the workplace. If a teacher for example was using biofeedback and he or she came across a troublesome student their stress levels would rise. How practical would it be for a buzzer to sound and the teacher to stop what they are doing in order to carry out breathing exercises? It can be argued that the treatment is only practical in certain situations i.e. the home.
Although biofeedback is becoming increasingly popular it is still unclear exactly how it works. This could not only raise ethical issues but also makes progress in the field very difficult. If it is unclear how something works then it is more difficult to improve it.
Another treatment that is most widely used is that of drug therapy. Stress involves the activation of the sympathetic branch of the ANS. This leads to bodily arousal e.g. increase in heart rate. At the same time the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, while the stimulation of the adrenal medulla by the ANS secrets adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood. The main groups of drugs used to combat these changes are beta-blockers. They act directly onto the nervous system and by interfering with neurotransmitters, reduce physiological arousal. Anti-anxiety drugs such as Benzodiazapines e.g. Valium and Librium are often used in this therapy. Antidepressants such as prosac are also used to relieve the symptoms of stress.
Such drugs may reduce physiological symptoms of stress but are only suitable as a short-term solution. One of the first drawbacks is that the drugs do not work on every one. In most cases they are successful but in some they do not have a great effect. They may also lead to physical dependence. The body begins to build up a tolerance for the drugs and therefore higher and higher doses need to be administered. This in itself can be a danger to the health of the patient. The final problem is that the drugs may have side effects, one of them being lethargy. The reason for stress may have been an inability to cope with workloads or demands and a side effect of this nature is not going to help the situation. On the other hand it must be said that the drugs are very successful in reducing the physiological arousal brought on by stress and they are simple to use. No therapy or training is necessary and the treatment is not time consuming. It is very discrete and the effects or benefits are felt almost immediately.
But some people would rather try a different technique instead of using drugs. Meichenbaum (1983) produced "stress inoculation". This treatment is psychological and consists of three basic elements. The first is conceptualisation. Through detailed discussion and subject analysis the source of stress in the person’s life is recognised. They discuss the method they have used to cope with this stress in the past and also assess the success of the method. Step two is skills training and rehearsal. In this stage the therapist helps the patient acquire the skills that they need to cope in the situation. These techniques may be general such as relaxation, adopting a realistic approach to the stressor or increasing social support. Other skills may be specific to the problem e.g. revision techniques. The final stage is application and follow up. Here the subject is placed again in a therapeutic environment and practises his or her new skills under the supervision of the therapist. After this there are follow up sessions, which check on the progress of the patient.
The program does look complicated but it is based on the idea of recognising the stressor, which is the key factor to a stress therapy. The large cognitive element in the therapy allows for the stressor to be identified and discussed, reducing the gap between coping ability and perceived coping ability, thereby reducing the stress. The experience of successful coping using the skills adds confidence to the patient and reinforces the felling of calmness and control.
But the training does take a long time and, as in the case of biofeedback, the techniques must be learnt and practised. This again can deter people or be the reason why so many would not complete the treatment. Even so the program is full of support and guidance allowing a person the comfortably come to terms with their stressor. But in most of our lives there are many things that cause stress and different situations arise all the time. In this case the therapy would be never ending, as a person would always have something new to cope with.
Another psychological therapy for dealing with stress is meditation. In meditation the individual takes or assumes a comfortable position and attempts to clear disturbing thoughts from their mind. They may make use of a mantra (ohm) to help their level of concentration. According to Burns and Dobson (1984) the different varieties of meditation are all ways of achieving an inner quiet and heightened awareness.
In order to be successful in this therapy four things are needed. Firstly the participant must be in a quiet environment where they will not be interrupted. They will also need a device such as a mantra to help their level of concentration. A passive attitude is also needed, as is a comfortable sitting position.
There have been many cases in which people, using meditation, have been able to take control of their autonomic functions. An example of this is that of Ramanand Yogi. He was a 46 year old Hindu and in 1970 he managed to survive for over five hours in a sealed metal box. During this time he was filmed and various measurements were taken while he was still inside. The results showed that he used just over one half of the calculated minimum amount of oxygen that was needed to keep him alive. It was believed that Yogis’ meditation induced him into a trance like state, whereby the bodies metabolism was considerably slowed down. However others believe that meditation is simply inducing relaxation responses and there is nothing special or unique about it. Jacob et al (1977) found that both progressive relaxation and meditation were able to reduce blood pressure more effectively then a placebo.
The regular practice of simple meditation encourages a relaxation response, which triggers the parasympathetic branch of the ANS. But regular is the key word. Unless regularly practised relaxation techniques tend to have short-lived effectiveness. The technique must also be incorporated into the modern lifestyle and used accordingly. Meditation may be criticised as it does not deal with the stressor but mealy ignores it while others argue that meditation is a way of dealing with the stressor. The treatment can be performed almost anywhere and at any time. It is inexpensive and does not harm the body in any way. But the techniques are very difficult to learn and perfect making it suitable for only certain people.
As we go through life we are given greater responsibilities and greater worries. These effect everyone and different people cope with situations in different ways. It is therefore up to the individual which treatment is right for them. Drug therapy is highly effective but should only really be used in the short term. The other physiological therapy is that of biofeedback. This successful yet underestimated treatment is effective and appropriate for long term use. Meichenbaum also put forward an excellent therapy highlighting the importance of recognising the stressor, while meditation, although effective is still highly controversial as well as being difficult to perfect.
References:
Psychology the study of mind and behaviour - R.Gross
Psychology for A Level- M. Cardwell
Psychology review
Psychology- A level letts
Stress management- E. Charlesworth.
