Week 5 Post 2: Stress

     Over time, research has broken down stress into a sort of process of cause and effect. To focus specifically on cause, there are two appraisals, primary and secondary. Primary appraisal is the evaluation of whether a stressor is a threat (negative) or a challenge (more positive). Secondary appraisal is the evaluation of individual skills and surrounding resources are available to succeed in coping with the stress.  There are also four foundational types of stress; frustration, conflict, change and pressure. There are multiple kinds of conflict stress, including the approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and approach-avoidance. Approach-approach is the choice between two positive options, avoidance-avoidance is the choice between two unattractive options, and approach-avoidance is the choice of whether one will pursue a choice that has both positive and negative aspects. As for change stress, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale isa measure used to access change in people's lives. Out of the list of top stress-inducing changes, most are perceived as negative. However, the Subjective Cognitive Appraisal explains that people will experience different levels of stress for the same situations based on the function of appraisals-- differences in peoples' overall perception of the situation.

    Stress itself is not as much of a serious mental health issue as it is a worldwide concept. The ignorance of extreme stress, however, could lead to bigger mental health issues. The interconnections not only between mental disorders themselves, but also with stress highlights the fact that anyone is capable of developing a mental illness. Humans' proneness to stress from internal and external triggers shows the human brain and body's ability to take on larger mental health issues that also often stem from internal and environmental factors. It is clear how important it is to understand stress-- appraisals, types, and scales are relevant to everyone. When it comes to stress, the idea of "taking care of mental health" by understanding causes, effects, and solutions of stress is important in order to keep from crossing the boundary into more serious, higher risk mental health issues.