Rani Shankar

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Recommended: Stress management

Rani Shankar

As much as I would have liked to continue my engaging research on Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's (issues I hold very dear to my heart), during my preliminary research for the third paper I felt drawn to another, equally interesting, topic. As finals rapidly approach and the idea of graduation becomes more real by day, this new topic seemed to have more personal significance to my life. And so I began research on this topic with purely selfish motivations- to better understand the phenomenon of stress.

A relatively new concept involving brain and behavior, Hans Selye first proposed the idea of stress as a normal adaptive syndrome, a fight-or- flight situation, very similar to escape behavior (1). Stress is defined as "the set of all organic reactions to physical, psychic, infectious, or other, aggressions, which are capable to disturb homeostasis" (1). Stress lies at the intersection between personal, social, and economic factors and biology. Although stress is an important, integral part of our existence, there is a point at which it becomes overwhelming and our adaptive responses may break down (2). The breaking point varies from person to person, depending on past experiences, coping responses, and genetics (2). Clearly, socio-economics has a lot to do with the ability to cope with stress over time. We may know of some people that are inherently better able to deal with life's stressors. However, genetic bases for dealing and coping with stress are unknown at this time. Stress, usually used to describe a state of mind, illustrates the important connection between mind and body. Although stress is primarily a neuronal reaction, it's effects reach far past neurobiology. Stress is thought to adversely aff...

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...y. Biology 202 1st Web Papers. 1998. Bonnie Kimmel.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/serendip.brynmawr.edu

11. Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. April (I).

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html

12. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. May 9, 1995. Stress Signs are Often Missed In Victims of Violent Crimes.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html

13. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Body-Mind Queendom.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.queendom.com/ptsd.html

14. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. June (part I), July 1996 (Part II).

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/www.mentalhealth.com

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