Chapter 4 Coping

Feb. 13, 2104

Chapt. 4: Coping and hoping to change

• Most people with stress and coping problems know they need to change but…………..

• most people don’t change, e.g., Internet addiction,

eating disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, procrastination, poor time management, etc.

• Why not?

• inspirations and barriers to change

Why not change if person admits there is a problem?

When addicted/dependent - motivation to change varies

Person:• may be perceive self to be weak and incapable• usually ambivalent – pros and cons• sees recovery or change as a distant dream or

fantasy• motivation fluctuates

3 methods of reducing addictive behavior

1. Contingency management: one of largest effect sizes with addictions=>behavior therapies: reward and punishment

2. Motivational interviewing

3. CBT =>cognitive behavior therapy

Motivational interviewing

What can we do to increase motivation to change and improve coping?

2 ways to increase motivation:1. Increase internal motivation2. Focus on the positives for staying

the same

1. five types of motivation: Self-Determination Theory (Vansteenkiste et al, 2005): increase internal

motivationType of moti-vation

amotivation external motivation

introjected motivation

identifiedmotivation

intrinsic motivation

Motiva- tionalForce

discourage-ment and helpless-ness

expectations/rewards/punishmentsfrom others & environment

guilt, shame, guilt-inducing internal pressures

personal values/Commit-ment

enjoyment, pleasure, interest, satisfying, fun

Locus of causality

impersonal external external internal internal

2. Focus on positives for staying the same: use Decisional Balance Sheet: (Miller and Rollnick, 2002)

Positives for staying the same

Negatives of change

Negatives for staying the same

Positives of change

It is the positives for staying the same that keep

people stuck

pros for anorexia (Gale et al, 2006)

safe and structured:-makes me feel safe -gives structure to my life-helps keep control-organizes world-gives purpose

-feel protected-secure-get me through life-dependable/consistent

skill/special:-something I am good at-ED a skill- in ED, I am an expert-I can do at least one thing

better than others-lifts me up above others

Young’s solution: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

CBT is effective treatment for compulsive disorders

Thoughts• monitor thoughts • identify trigger thoughts: “Life is unfair to me.”• learn to respond with new coping skills: Behavior establish baseline of compulsive behaviors moderate/eliminate dysfunctional behaviors enhance non-online computer life (social,

occupational)

Video-Resilience in Children

Facts about Annette Rutues’ life circumstances (p.112)

• Moved from 5 bedroom house, orginially two-parent household, family income was $70’s, moved to Homeless Shelter twice

• Annette is single with three children: -14 y/o Kelly – private school, B+ ave. - 11 y/o Justin A ave. - 6 y/o Andrew

• Annette has cancer

Ann Masten, Developmental Psychologist, U. of Minnesota:studies resilience in children

• Resilience = ability overcome risk and adversity that could have otherwise negatively altered life in significant ways

• Qualities Andrew has that allow him to overcome adversity:

1. good attention skills2. ability to follow instructions3. effortful control: can control themselves during a task and switch rules during task

Summary of Masten’s protective factors that promote resilience

• Protective, competent, caring adult

-optimistic -talk to children, don’t talk at them -let children grow, don’t over-control

• Community factors:

school, teachers

• Spiritual experiences

• Personal qualities: - optimistic - good learning skills -good attention skills

Coping Processes

Part 2

Meyers Briggs ProfileThis Class, Last Class & National

NN LCN CN ISTJ 11.6% 1% 3% ISFJ 13.6% 7% 5% INFJ 1.46% 12% 8% INTJ 2.1% 10% 12% ISTP 5.4% 1% 0% ISFP 8.8% 0% 3% INFP 4.4% 1% 5% INTP 3.3% 0% 3% ESTP 4.3% 0% 1%ESFP 8.5% 3% 5%ENFP 8.1% 5% 3%ENTP 3.2% 1% 4%ESTJ 8.7% 8% 9%ESFJ 12.3% 18% 13%ENFJ 2.5% 24% 18%ENTJ 1.8% 7% 8%

Hope to Cope

Changes come and changes goTo stay cool be in the knowAt your best there will be stressCausing you to feel oppressedTo get out you’ve got to copeBut cope through hope and leave the dope

Psych of Adj: Raising Consciousness Along With Credit

What is the status quo with regard to coping, among college students as well as general population

-status quo not usually based upon empirical understanding of coping -how to overcome coping of limited value -most empirical studies in psychology use college students as subjects

Stress Revisited“The Nature of Stress”

• Stress -a special stimulus-response transaction in which one feels threatened or experiences loss or harm (Carver, 2007; McEwen, 2000) -viewing stress and stressor combined allows for individualizing our considerations of stress

Stress Relationally Considered

• A LESS REDUCTIONIST VIEW OF STRESS

Stressor=>not separate from response elicited in the person

Stress=>not separate from the troubling external or internal event

Remember Heart Rate Variability

• Enhanced by relaxation, mindfulness and meditation

• Enhanced by RSA and many other forms of breathing exercise

• Enhanced by exercise• Enhanced by peaceful joining with nature• Enhanced by tapping pressure points• Enhanced by I-Doser? (based on binaural beats) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Cq9y4qRCQ

Three General Forms of Coping Behaviors

1. FIGHT2. FLEE

3. FREEZE

Giving Up (Freezing)

• Learned Helplessness=>passive behavior produced by exposure to unavoidable aversive events (Seligman, 1974, 1992)

-Shutting down/Isolating -Associated with emotional reactions of sadness & dejection

Acting Aggressively(Fighting)

• Aggression=>any behavior intended to hurt someone, either physically or verbally

-Some people chronically angry (gene, abuse) -Anger=>an empowering/useful emotion -Displacement (Freudian defense) -Vents frustration, but at the expense of another -Media violence desensitizes=>current increase in violent acts (Bartholow, Bushman & Sestir, 2006)

Indulging Yourself(Fleeing)

• Stress can=>reduced impulse control• Id can become stronger under stress=> Reptilian Brain vs. Executive Functions *overeating *over-drinking *over-interneting

(gambling, surfing, face book, porn, etc) *over-cleaning *over-thinking *over t.v.ing *drugs

*over-socializing

PROCRASTINATION!!

Blaming Yourself(Fleeing)

• Catastrophic thinking: “I am unlovable, and will never find anyone to love me.”

• Negative self talk (Beck, 1976; Ellis, 1973): “I am a disappointment to my parents and family;” “I am the cause of my parent’s unhappy marriage;” “I don’t know why I was born.”

Sets the stage for irresponsible behavior

Using Defensive Coping(Fleeing)

• Defense mechanisms=>unconscious or conscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as guilt and anxiety

*Denial *Fantasy *Intellectualization *Undoing *Overcompensation

Works through self-deception

The Nature of Constructive Coping

• Constructive coping=>efforts to deal with stressful events that are judged to be relatively healthful

1. Constructive coping=>dealing with stress by directly & realistically evaluating options and acting (e.g., taking advantage of T.A.s and professor availability if dissatisfied with an exam result)

The Nature of Constructive Coping

2. Constructive coping=>reasonable appraisal of stress and coping resources (e.g., examining course-load, extra-curricular activities, social/relationship demands against what level of resilience one has)

3. Constructive coping=>learning to manage potentially disruptive emotional reactions to stress (e.g., psychotherapy)

The Nature of Constructive Coping

4. Constructive coping=>learning to exert control over potentially harmful or destructive habitual behaviors (e.g., nicotine & AOD addictions, harmful food restricting or binge eating, procrastination tendencies, etc.)

The Nature of Constructive Coping

• Categories of constructive coping1. Appraisal-focused coping=>changing interpretation

of stressful events (e.g., acceptance/diffusion)

2. Problem-focused coping=>altering stressful situation (e.g., changing a major)

3. Emotion-focused coping=>managing emotional distress (e.g., raising one’s threshold for handling stress=>exercise, diet, rest, healthy friends, meditation, diversion, etc.

Emotion-Focused Constructive Coping

*Changing how we fee about others -minimize anger, contempt, hatred

*Changing how we feel about ourselves -minimize negative self talk -enhance confidence through “pose”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

• Meditation (10-20 min, 1x daily) 1. Breath Watching 2. Exhale Pause Watching: Inhale (“I”), Exhale (“AM”), Pause (Very..Relaxed..And..At..Peace.. Right..Now) 3. Mantra 4. Mind Watching (use monitoring words @ every 5 seconds like “image,” “words,” “quiet.”

Mind Watching with Monitoring Words: Becoming the Observer

Classify 3-4 types of thoughts

ImageWordsQuiet

Your challenge is to have an empty or QUIET mind. About every 5 seconds mentally say the type of thought you are having IMAGE, WORDS or QUIET (absence of thought). Build up gradually to 20 minutes. There may be points where you are unaware of NOTHING but PURE AWARENESS

RSA Breathing

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

Inhale 3 seconds, exhale 7 (more PS)

Inhale 7 seconds, exhale 3 seconds (more S)

Inhale 5 seconds, exhale 5 seconds (maintenance)