Stress Paper
Part I: Article related to stress and coping
The identified article is by Pascoe, Hetrick, & Parker (2019) and discusses the impact of stress on students in secondary school and institutions of higher education. According to the authors, students in secondary and tertiary institutions face a varied range of stressors that relate to there academic demands. The research hypothesizes that academic-related stress reduces academic achievement and reduces motivation among students, increasing the risk of school dropout. In the long run, the impacts of the academic-related stressors include the likelihood of reducing employment opportunities and leading to high costs by the government in treating such individuals (Pascoe, Hetrick, & Parker, 2019). The article’s narrative presents one of the most recent research on the impact of academic-related stress and the discussion on the learning capacity, mental health, and substance use. The methodology used includes a literature search in Google schooler and PubMed for peer-reviewed articles that included academic, medical, stress and mental health, youth and substance abuse, as well as stress management. The study results indicated that substance abuse, among other health risk behaviours, is the primary determinant of the youth’s health status and high academic-related stress levels.
Relevance to Neurobiology and Clinical Practice
Neurobiology has become prominent studies in the public spheres leading to the questions of how the public engages with neuroscientific ideas. Besides, the commentaries on the role of neuroscience in society are often presented as revolutionary aspects with many implications that fundamentally overturn and lead to the establishment of beliefs about the behaviour of an individual. According to Sinha (2010), the psychological resilience to life’s adverse events represents a process of adapting to the environment through neurobiological features that resist stress. These features are sophisticated, and their scope goes beyond the discussion in the article by Pascoe, Hetrick, & Parker (2019). However, the literature tends to suggest that the sympathetic nervous system, as well as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system, are responsible for the response to stress and enhance resilience (Yuenyongchaiwat, 2015). In clinical practice, it is clear that the sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate, increases blood pressure, and slows down digestion in the face of adversity. This notion has been supported various studies on psychophysiology that indicate that the noradrenergic system is usually dysregulated in PTSD. Therefore, Neurobiology and clinical practice are relevant in helping people cope with multiple stressors.
Part II: Current Stressors
The stressor that I am currently encountering in my life is academic-related and substance abuse, mainly psychological and physical. The level of academic-related stressor is moderate, while that of substance abuse is mild. Like many of the students in the secondary and tertiary institutions, I face a wide range of normative stressors in regards to the ongoing academic demands. In particular, academic-related stress includes pressure to achieve high marks, poor grades that emanate after exams and a strained relationship with tutors and fellow students. In a survey by OECD, about 60% of students usually report being stressed about their grades and taking of tests, which often worry them (Sinha, 2010). This stressor has had an impact on my academics outcomes as well as my health wellbeing. In addition to the academic-related stressor, substance abuse is another stress resulting from the increased academic stressor. According to Sinha (2010), students who have reported high academic-related stress levels also show high rates of drugs and alcohol use. Substance abuse, in my case, is a result of a greater desire for high academic achievement and an alternative coping strategy.
How the stressor affects my life
Academic-related stressors are a well-known factor that leads to substance abuse and addiction, especially among young people. In my case, the academic-related and substance abuse stressors have affected my physical functioning. It has led to the deterioration of my health, reduced appetite, and lower immune system. In regards to my emotional functioning, the stressor has taken a toll on my mood as I am less motivated to attend to my daily activities unless I manage substance abuse. My cognitive functioning has also been affected as the stressor, especially substance abuse, has affected my thinking and reduced my memory ability to recall simple tasks, poor decision making, as well as poor judgment. According to Yuenyongchaiwat (2015), young people with academic-related stressors usually engage in substance abuse as a coping mechanism. They see it as having a positive outlook and supports relaxation and problem-solving. However, from my experience, substance use inhibits social functioning such as relations with family, friends, and community and helps to exaggerate the problem further. Overall, the stressors have impacted my academic life and functioning as it has led to poor outcomes.
Current Response to the Stressor
Psychological stress has been seen to lead to repeated elevation of blood pressure as well as the simulation from the sympathetic system, which may lead to hypertension. In this regard, my current response to my stressor includes staying healthy, eating healthy foods, reducing alcohol use, and other substance use. I eat foods that boost my energy, immune system, as well as provide stamina to work and engage in my daily activities. Another response is having a restful sleep before going to school, as this gives the body enough time to rest and recuperate. To enable a good night’s sleep, I have stopped working from the bedroom and removed all technological gadgets from the room, which is meant for rest only. Most importantly, I have sought social support from friends, family, and professionals. Social support is described as the kind of support available to a person through social ties (Steptoe & Chida, 2010). The conceptual models that support social support activities have several dimensions, including the structural size, which comprises a frequency of interaction and functional aspects, including emotional support such as empathy and love.
Improvement of Current Coping Strategy
My current coping strategy can be improved to decrease the adverse effects of the academic-related stressors on my life. First, to ensure I eat healthily, I have avoided foods with high sugar and fat content as they have been proven to make one relaxed and unmotivated to complete tasks. In this regard, I have focused on vegetables, fruits, and other high fibre foods (Yuenyongchaiwat, 2015). Secondly, to get enough sleep, I have avoided using technological gadgets as they have been found to decrease the quality of sleep. Besides, I have started routine exercise for about half an hour, which will help restful sleep. Moreover, I have increased my social interactions as a way of seeking social support. In this case, I have found parental help, which seems to be more valuable, especially in early adolescence stages as well as late adolescence. The perception of social support is usually associated with the degree of social interaction and is essential in conferring resilience to stress.