Lesson 20: Stress and Illness: Slide 17





Relationships Increase Or Decrease Stress
- Difficult social interactions can have negative effects and act as stressors to stimulate stress hormone responses and thus increase the risk of illness
- Gestures of support from a significant other as simple as hand-holding can reduce physical and hormonal responses to a stressful stimulus
- Too much negative interaction and our stress response goes into over drive
- Positive relationships can decrease our negative response to stress and decrease our susceptibility to illness
Notes:
Pg 156-157, Sternberg, Esther M., 2001, “The Balance Within,” W.H. Freeman and Company, New York.