Coping with Stress

The dynamics of 21st century life have created a social environment full of stressful situations. A Journal of The American Psychological Association noted that stress in the workplace has reached a critical point, and studies suggest that the most common aspects of our lives, such as relationships and daily activities, often cause the greatest degrees of stress. This book provides a comprehensive look at what professionals know about coping with stress, drawing upon research to assert which methods of coping seem to be effective and which do not. The book begins with a discussion of the nature of stress, looking at the effects of stress in daily life, considering some of the ways researchers study stress, and examining how the human body reacts to stressful events. The book then turns to the ways psychologists conceptualize, measure and study coping mechanisms, and to specific techniques, beginning with those that appear to be ineffective in reducing stress such as obsessing and ruminating about the problem and proceeding to those that appear effective such as seeking social support, exercise and improving interpersonal skills. For individuals considering professional help, the final chapters present some basic information about medications, psychotherapy and alternative medicine approaches.

Paul R. Robbins is a psychologist who has held a number of positions as a researcher in the Department of Psychiatry of the George Washington University Medical School, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Public Health Service. He has served as a consultant to the Drug Addiction Ward of the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Washington, DC, and had a private practice of psychotherapy for over twenty years. He has published numerous research papers in psychological and psychiatric journals, written many books on psychological topics for general readers and is the author of several novels. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Paul R. Robbins

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 207
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2007
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2875-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2172-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Introduction      1

1. Some Basics About Stress      5

2. A Psychological Analysis of Coping Behaviors: What Do We Mean by Coping and How Do We Measure and Study It?      33

3. Things to Avoid      53

4. Better Ways of Reducing Stress      77

5. Improving Your Relationship Skills      105

6. Defenses, Deliberate and Unconscious      120

7. When Should You Consider Professional Help?      130

8. Using Prescription Drugs to Cope with Stress      137

9. Psychotherapy      142

10. Some Alternative Approaches to Controlling Stress      154

11. The Goal: Improving Self-efficacy      159

12. Putting It All Together      162

Chapter Notes      175

Bibliography      181

Index      193

“Recommended…excellent”—Catholic Library World.