Health psychology
Health psychology is the way to explore the powerful connection between our mental states and the physical health. With an emphasis on how conflict, stress, and coping mechanisms shape our well-being. This section will guide you through key concepts like the nature of conflict and the defense mechanisms we use to protect ourselves from emotional stress.
By the end of this section, you should know about:
- Conflict
- What are defense mechanisms?
- Learned Helplessness and Depression— Is There Hope?
- Stress and Health—Unmasking a Hidden Killer
- Stress Management
Let’s take a closer look at them.
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Health Psychology: Conflict
Faced with conflicting needs, desires, or goals, a person must choose between them. These internal struggles can stem from decisions such as career and school choices, or balancing marriage and personal freedom. There are four main types of conflict, each with their own unique characteristics and methods of resolution.
Health psychology: Approach-Approach Conflicts
Treatment-procedure conflict occurs when an individual must choose between two better alternatives and his or her preference. This conflict is the least difficult because both options are attractive, and the decision is usually made quickly. For example, choosing between two flavors of ice cream, or choosing between two large service offerings are typical examples of strategic conflict Although these situations lead to indecision temporarily, but usually easily fixed.
Health psychology: Avoidance-Avoidance Conflicts
In the avoidance-avoidance conflict, the person faces two undesirable or unfavorable options, resulting in a difficult decision “between the devil and the deep blue sea” This conflict is often characterized by “damned if you do, damned if you. n.” For example, the decision to have an unwanted pregnancy and abortion, the choice to endure a monotonous career or face poverty are examples These conflicts can lead to indecision or inaction, when the person struggles to choose the lesser evil In some extreme cases, such as sleeping in a hotel fire, the person freezes, and cannot do nothing about it because both options are equally undesirable.
Health psychology: Approach-Avoidance Conflicts
Avoidant conflict is particularly insidious because individuals are attracted and repelled by the same goals or activities. The person feels uncertain—there are positive attractions, but there are negative ones that cause sadness and hesitation. For example, a high school student may enjoy dating a girl, but is afraid of her terrible father. Similarly, your parents who want to marry someone or buy a car but are afraid of financial burdens are really examples of such conflicts. Conflicts are often partially engaged—people continue to pursue the goal, but have emotions mixed types, and vacillating between beautiful and ugly options.
Health psychology: Double Approach-Avoidance Conflicts
Real-life decisions are often more complex than in the examples above, and many involve two strategic avoidance conflicts. This happens when each option has both good and bad qualities. For example, deciding between two job offers can present a dilemma with one offering high pay but not good working hours, the other offering good hours but low pay In these situations, individuals may feel that they are incompatible with each other for both options, resulting in indecision or wavering when considering the pros and cons of whichever option you choose
These conflicts are especially complex when there are multiple options involved, each with its own set of pros and cons. For example, choosing between colleges, career paths, and even major life decisions like marriage can cause a lot of stress and uncertainty.
Health Psychology: Reactions to Conflict
How people react to conflict depends on the type and severity of the situation. The most common answer is:
Indecision: In conflict, especially avoidance and ambivalence, individuals often freeze and struggle to make decisions, weighing pros and cons endlessly
Escape or withdrawal: Some people try to avoid the conflict altogether by leaving or mentally withdrawing from the situation (e.g., procrastination or denial).
Conflict: People often feel torn between their cravings and fears, especially in an avoidant, conflict-avoiding binary treatment, leading to conflicting emotions and difficulty making clear choices
Health Psychology: Dealing with conflict
Consider these strategies for managing conflict effectively:
Avoid rushing: Take time to make important decisions. Quick decisions are often regretted later. Good judgment helps reduce mistakes.
Experimental Decision Making: If possible, experiment with options before fully committing. For example, if you are thinking about moving to another city or changing jobs, try spending a few days there first, to get a feel for it.
Find a workaround: If all options seem poor, look for middle ground or alternatives that you may not have considered. Sometimes talking to a trusted advisor, counselor, or consultant can lead to viable solutions that you may not have considered.
Decide and commit: Consider all factors, choose a strategy and stick to it. Delaying an indecisive decision adds to the pressure. Better to make a decision and learn from it than be paralyzed by uncertainty.
What are defense mechanisms?
Psychological defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that people can use to cope with anxiety, especially when faced with situations that threaten their self-image When we feel anxious—whether it’s stress, threat, or feeling emotion not because we are inadequate—help solve problems by avoiding, distorting, or denying the source of that threat do These strategies work almost unconsciously, viz We may Not so know how to use them, but they play an important role in emotional balance.
Health Psychology: Common Defense Mechanisms
Denial is the refusal to accept reality even when the facts are obvious. People use denial to protect themselves from painful truths. For example, a person who is diagnosed with a chronic illness may initially dismiss it as a mistake. Similarly, individuals may cope with the loss of a loved one and struggle to believe that the person is indeed gone.
Repression involves pushing painful memories or thoughts out of his mind. Freud argued that people forget traumatic events from childhood or negative emotions such as anger at loved ones because their actions are so painful and the repression is often unconscious, and repressed memories can return has occurred later under stress.
Reaction Formation: To mask anxiety-provoking emotions in formulating a response, one expresses the opposite of one’s true feelings. For example, a mother who hides anger from her children is too loving and too protective. He thus protects himself from the painful recognition of his hostility.
Health Psychology: More Defense Mechanisms
Regression: Relapse is the return of behaviors from an earlier stage of development in the face of anxiety or stress. Children may revert to childish behaviors such as bedwetting or finger sucking when a new sibling arrives. Adults also showed signs of withdrawal, such as throwing tantrums or parents seeking comfort from distressed parents.
Projection occurs when individuals attribute their own unacceptable feelings or traits to others. This mechanism helps reduce anxiety by deflecting attention from personal faults. For instance, someone who is angry may accuse others of being hostile or irritable, deflecting their own uncomfortable emotions.
Rationalization is when someone justifies their behavior by providing logical but often false explanations to avoid facing the real reasons behind their actions. For example, a student who fails to submit an assignment might rationalize their lateness by saying, “My printer broke,” rather than acknowledging their procrastination.
Health Psychology: The Positive Side of Defense Mechanisms
While defense mechanisms often serve to protect the individual from immediate emotional discomfort, they can also have drawbacks. Overusing these mechanisms can lead to reduced adaptability and may prevent someone from facing reality. However, when used in moderation, defense mechanisms can provide temporary relief, allowing a person the time and space to cope with stress or emotional turmoil in more constructive ways.
Positive Defense Mechanisms
Compensation involves making up for perceived deficiencies or weaknesses in one area by excelling in another. A person who feels insecure about their appearance may focus intensely on academic or athletic achievements. Similarly, individuals who face physical challenges might compensate by excelling in intellectual or creative pursuits. For example, Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind, became an outstanding writer and thinker, compensating for her disabilities with remarkable achievements.
Sublimation is a process where individuals redirect socially unacceptable impulses, such as aggressive or sexual desires, into socially acceptable activities. Freud believed that creative or productive outlets, such as art, music, or sports, could help channel intense emotions in a positive way. A person with strong aggressive tendencies might find expression through competitive sports, while someone with high sexual energy might engage in creative pursuits like writing or dance.
Learned Helplessness and Depression— Is There Hope?
Helplessness is a psychological state in which a person who is repeatedly exposed to situations beyond his or her control feels unable to change his or her situation, even when offered opportunities for control the latter for even Psychologist Martin Seligman was the first to study this phenomenon through experiments on dogs. In these studies, dogs experienced unavoidable shock, causing them to abandon escape attempts even if later escape was possible and humans could feel learned helplessness in the face of repeated failure or punishment if they don’t look in the way. This feeling of helplessness can extend to various areas of life, often leading to a tendency to give up when challenges arise.
For example, a student who struggles with schoolwork and is considered inherently “lazy” may leave school feeling that success is out of reach. The key to dealing with learned helplessness is to attribute failure to specific circumstances or modifiable factors rather than to unchangeable internal characteristics such as intelligence
Health psychology: Coping with Depression
Students struggling with depression can benefit from strategies such as creating a daily schedule, setting small goals, and practicing positive self-talk. By focusing on small successes and learning to manage negative thoughts, students can avoid the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that fuel depression. It’s also important to seek support from others, whether through friends, family, or professional resources.
Health psychology: Overcoming Hope and Helplessness
Seligman’s research provides some insight into overcoming scholarly helplessness. One of the strategies in animals is to give them a chance to escape from unavoidable situations. This gives them a sense of control and helps them regain hope. Creating opportunities for people to achieve small victories or successfully deal with challenges can help break helplessness. Skill-based training, where individuals overcome repetitive challenges, is a potential strategy to make people more resilient to feelings of inadequacy.
Hope is a powerful antidote to academic helplessness and depression. It has been shown to improve well-being, and hopeful attitudes are linked to better emotional health. People find hope in a variety of areas, such as religion, personal relationships, or meaningful employment.
Health psychology: Depression and College Students
Depression is common among college students, often triggered by stress, isolation, academic struggles, and relationship issues. It can hinder academic progress, leading to a greater sense of failure. College students can experience the “college blues” as they face the pressures of schoolwork, career choices, and the transition to adulthood.
Recognizing depression involves identifying symptoms such as persistent sadness, feelings of guilt, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in activities. Mild forms of depression can often be managed by breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps and avoiding self-critical thoughts. Students should learn to recognize setbacks as temporary rather than signs of personal failure. If necessary, professional help should be sought for more serious forms of depression.
Health psychology: Coping with Depression
Students struggling with depression can benefit from strategies such as creating a daily schedule, setting small goals, and practicing positive self-talk. By focusing on small successes and learning to manage negative thoughts, students can avoid the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that fuel depression. It’s also important to seek support from others, whether through friends, family, or professional resources.
Stress and Health—Unmasking a Hidden Killer
Stress has a well-documented relationship with health and disease, and understanding this relationship can help us better manage our well-being.
Health psychology: Illness and Stress
Major life events, both positive and negative, can exacerbate frailty. Lifestyle changes require adjustments, which can be stressful and, over time, lower the body’s natural defenses. For example, Mi Jung’s illness after finals week illustrates how stress can trigger physical symptoms. Researchers such as Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahey developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), which measures disease risk by assigning numerical standards (LCUs) to life events higher LCU scores and greater chances of being will have the disease is related, that even positive life events (e.g., vacation, marriage) can be stressful confirms that it can cause health risks
Health psychology: Daily hassles and health
In addition to major life events, daily hassles (small things like traffic or job frustrations) can also have a significant impact on health Studies show that these daily stressors often show recent health issues better than major events. Chronic daily stress can accumulate and damage physical and emotional health over time, although major lifestyle changes can also have long-term health consequences.
Health psychology: Mental and physical illness
Chronic or repeated stress can lead to mental illness, and psychological factors contribute to physical health problems. These include diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure and the common cold. Stress-related health complaints such as muscle pain, headaches, or indigestion are common and can be serious and even fatal in some cases. The mind-body relationship in these disorders highlights how chronic stress can disrupt bodily functions.
Health psychology: Biofeedback
One approach to managing stress and its effects on health is through biofeedback, a technique that helps individuals learn to control bodily functions that are often considered undesirable (e.g., heart rate or muscle tension). by using biofeedback sensors and feedback mechanisms has shown promise in clinical situations such as these.
Health psychology: Personality and stress
Personality types such as Type A characterized by competitiveness, urgency, and hostility are associated with a higher risk of heart disease due to the stress these individuals cause themselves Type A individuals tend to they are motivated and ambitious but have high levels of frustration They can also have anger, which can be harmful to health. On the other hand, those with strong personalities—defined by commitment, control, and perceiving life as a series of challenges—are more resilient to stress.
Health psychology: Optimism and Stress
Optimism is another factor that influences stress and health. Optimists tend to expect positive outcomes, which motivates them to deal with adversity effectively. They experience less stress and are in better health than pessimists, who may deny or avoid dealing with problems. Optimism promotes better health habits and coping strategies, further illustrating the importance of attitude in managing stress.
Stress Management
Effective stress management involves a combination of cognitive behavioral strategies that can help reduce stress and improve overall coping. One of the most important aspects of managing stress is addressing the physiological triggers. Exercise and other forms of physical activity—whether it’s karate, yoga, swimming, even easy walking—can help relieve stress-induced physical tension, especially for about minutes 30 exercises regularly every day to change hormones and improve circulation, which reduces anxiety and enhances condition. Participating in activities or hobbies, such as nature walks, is another great way to relax your body and mind. In addition, progressive relaxation techniques, where you systematically strengthen and relax muscles, can help release physical tension. Visualizing where you imagine yourself in quiet places is also a powerful tool for reducing anxiety and stress when used consistently.
Another important strategy is to change ineffective behaviors that tend to increase stress. For example, slowing down and streamlining can reduce the stress associated with rushing and multitasking. Plus, staying organized can greatly reduce stress by focusing on important tasks and letting go of unnecessary tantrums. Balancing different aspects of life—such as work, school, hobbies, and leisure—helps make any one area less stressful. Setting goals, knowing and accepting your limits, and saying ” no” when it matters is key to dealing with stress.