Chapter 7 Flashcards
Relaxation Response (Benson)
- Slower brain-wave patterns
- Mental quieting
- Reduced stress hormone production
- Reduced heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure
- Increased blood flow
- Muscular relaxation throughout the body
Transcendental meditation (TM) (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)
- Sit in relaxed, upright position
- Close eyes
- Mentally repeat mantra (eg. “ohm”)
- Practice twice a day
- Promoted to improve physical and mental health and to reduce stress
What are the necessary conditions for the Relaxation Response? (Benson)
- Quiet place and closed eyes
- Comfortable position and muscle relaxation
- Mental focusing device (Eg. breathing, mantra, image)
- Passive disregard for everyday thoughts
What are the medical health benefits of the Relaxation Response?
- Chronic pain
- GI problems (Eg. IBS)
- Cardiovascular diseases
- PMS, menopausal symptoms
- Nausea and vomiting from chemo
- Sleep improvement
What are the psychological benefits of the Relaxation Response?
- Anxiety disorders and panic
- Depression
- Stress
- Socio-behavioural problems with learning disabilities
- Cognition with intellectual disability
- Job interview skills
Relaxation Training
- Breathing Exercises
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
- Guided Imagery
- Music
- Nature
- Tai Chi
How does one engage in meditation?
- Quiet place
- Body position
- Breathing control
- Internal focus
Why does one engage in meditation?
- Deep relaxation
- Sense of peace
- Altered state of consciousness
- Disease treatment
What are the health benefits of meditation?
- Lower respiration
- Lower heart rate
- Lower blood pressure
- Less muscle tension
- Less inflammation
- Lower lipid levels
- Enhanced immune function
What are the psychological effects of yoga?
- Improved cognitive function
- Improved mood
- Reduced stress
- Reduced OCD
What are the physiological effects of yoga?
- Reduced cortisol
- Reduced inflammation
Body-scan meditation
Successive awareness of individual parts of the body while in a meditative stance.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (Kabat-Zinn)
- Systematic training in meditation to assist people in self-regulating their reactions to stress and any negative emotions that may result
- Originally developed for chronic pain in the 1990s
- 2-hour group sessions over 8 to 10 weeks
- Program content: awareness, breathing skills, mindfulness skills, altered response to distressing thoughts and feelings; home daily meditation)
What is MBSR used to treat?
- Fibromyalgia
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Lower back pain
- IBS
- HIV
- MS
- Dementia
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Nonjudgmental acceptance of experience
- Identify life values
- Commit to action toward those values
- Goals: improved psychological flexibility and functioning, and less suffering
What is ACT used to treat?
- Depression and anxiety
- Chronic pain
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer
- Diabetes
Psychoeducational Approaches
Awareness of one’s stress response is enough to reduce that stress response in most people.
NUTS Model (for stress) (Lupien et al.)
N: novelty
U: unpredictability
T: threat to personality
S: sense of low control
