I read this chapter and it is all about stress, the ways of coping with stress, and the effects that stress has on the body(in case you couldn't tell from the title). I felt this chapter was especially important for college kids because we deal with so much stress with our classes that we need to know how to deal with it at times. I was very intrigued by this chapter, especially since when I was home for break me and my family went to a play called "Next to Normal" which is about a woman who suffers from an acute form of bipolar disease as the result of a traumatic experience in her life (I don't want to give anything away if anyone wants to see it). This chapter really made me think about what I had seen in the play and the effects that stress can have on a person who was perfectly healthy before their experience. This play also features a psychiatrist and I personally like the phrase he continues to tell the worried husband, and that is that psychiatry ,"isn't an exact science." I feel it is good to remember this because I'm sure many of us will feel we know everything about the human condition after this class but we need to understand that there are multiple exceptions to the rules and that we are really only receiving a basic understanding of those rules in this class.
Chapter 12: Stress, Coping, and Health
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Your blog made me wonder if the college pressure I feel is really stress or do I just say it to give meaning to how I am feeling. I realized that stress really can be hard to cope with and I am thankful for not having to go through the same situation.
I completely agree with that last statement of yours, about only gaining a basic understanding of the human condition. It is important for us to remember that there are exceptions to every rule, even in psychology!
You bring up an interesting idea..I usually caution students when we talk about mental disorders to not feel they can just go about diagnosing people! I have studied this stuff for several years and still don't feel comfortable doing it!
Stress is an important part of all of our lives. One thing to keep in mind is that there is not only bad forms of stress but also good ones that we encounter throughout life.
I think when dealing with stress it is important to remember that everyone has stress in their life to a certain degree. Along with that, everyone handles stress differently. To your last sentence, I feel like a lot of people forget this is just an introductory course and they may feel like they may be an expert on a subject just because they know more about it than most people.
As I read your first sentence I immediately thought, wow this chapter would be great for me to read because college really stresses me out (especially paying for it) and then you go on to say the same thing I thought!