Received controllable shocks Essay Example for Free

Received controllable shocks Essay They both said that the extent of a persons social network and their perceived sense of support are positively linked. The role of control in the perception of stress also plays a part. A sense of control reduces the extent to which a situation may be experienced stressful. It has been suggested that control affects the immune system. Laudenslager et al. (1983) showed direct effects on the immune system. He used rats that were placed in three groups, one received controllable shocks, the second group were a yoked control (received the same shocks as the first rat, but they had no direct control over the shocks), a third group received no shocks. All the rats were injected with cancer cells. Laudenslager found that 65% of the controlled shock group rejected the cancer cells, compared with only 27% of the yoked controlled and 55% of the no-shock group. His study suggests that control is important to the functioning of the immune system. Psychological approaches have also been applied in anger management courses since anger has been found to increase vulnerability to heart disease. B) Asses the strengths and weaknesses of two biological approaches (6) One biological approach is biofeedback. It is a technique to learn how to control involuntary muscles, or voluntary muscles that are not normally controlled, such as blood pressure and heart rate. The aim of it is to reduce ANS activity and therefore the bodily sensations associated with stress. In turn this will reduce the consequent effects of stress in terms of illness. An individual is attached to a monitor that produces feedback about some physiological activity. (E. g. The machine would produce an auditory or visual signal to indicate weather an individuals heart rate is too high or about right. ) These machines provide all different feedback to the patient, who is then taught techniques to reduce the levels. (Such as relaxation training. ) This means that physiological activity is brought under control. The key thing is that physiological activities are ones we wouldnt usually be able to control. Biofeedback has been shown to produce short and long-term reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and brain-wave rhythms. Biofeedback training does fit into three main stages; developing an awareness of the particular physiological response (e. g. heart rate), learning ways of controlling that physiological response in quiet conditions. This can include providing rewards for successful control in addition to feedback. Then transferring that control into the conditions of everyday life. Dworkin and Dworkin (1988) did a study with teenagers who were suffering from curvature of the spine (scoliosis). The teenagers successfully used biofeedback techniques to learn how to control the muscles of their spine and thus alter the posture and overcome the disorder. Another biological approach is Anti-anxiety drugs. The body produces chemicals (hormones) that create anxiety. This can be countered using other chemicals (i. e. drugs) that reduce anxiety. There are several different types of drugs that all work differently. Barbiturates are depressants of the central nervous system, and long-acting barbiturates are effective in reducing anxiety. However, they do have various side effects. They can create problems of concentration, lack of coordination, and slurred speech. They also tend to be addictive. Anxious patients who stop taking barbiturates report numerous symptoms such as delirium, irritability, and increased sweating. The problems with them led them to be replaced by benzodiazepines in the 1960s. These are the most used anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium and Librium. They promote GABA, the bodys natural relief of anxiety relief which reduces serotonin levels, which will in turn reduce arousal. Although, they are very effective and used by millions of people, they also have some of unwanted side effects. They often have sedative effects, and can make people feel drowsy. They can also cause cognitive and memory impairments, they sometimes lead to feelings of depression. Also, many people become dependent on benzodiazepines, and find it very hard to stop taking them. Sudden removal of benzodiazepines can lead to a return of the initial symptoms of intense stress and anxiety. Ants-anxiety drugs can be very effective at reducing feelings of stress. However, they do not address the problems that are causing stress. They help cope with stress but not to manage it.