Page 12 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 14
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Steven L. Voss (USA)                                                        Ph.D.,   Hannibal-

             A Holistic Perspective of                                                   LaGrange  Univer-

             Stress                                                                      sity,  USA.  Steven
                                                                                         is  currently  an  As-
                                                                                         sociate   Professor
             I  recall  my  first  introduction  to  an  academic                        of  Psychology  at
             understanding of stress during a college course                             Hannibal-LaGran-
             I took in the 1980’s. It was a psychology course                            ge  University  in
             and  the  instructor  had  us  read  about  Hans                            Hannibal,  Missou-
             Selye,  the  Hungarian/Canadian  endocrino-                                 ri, USA.
             logist who studied the effects of stress on the                             He  received  his
             body. I still recall the basis of his theory by the   Ph.D.  from  New  Orleans  Baptist  Theological
             acronyms of “GAS” and “ARC.” “GAS” was how        Seminary  and  a  Masters  in  Psychology  from
             I remembered the key ideas of the General Ad-     New Mexico Highlands University.
             aptation Syndrome. The acronym “ARC” dealt        He  also  have  graduate  work  in  International
             with the effect of long-term stress on the body.   Psychology from the Chicago School of Profes-
             The letter “A” represented the alarm reaction,    sional Psychology.
             which is the initial response to the stressor. “R”   He has a passion for the integration of psycho-
             stood for resistance, which is the body’s mobi-   logy and theology, both in the classroom and in
             lization effort to deal with the stressor and “C”   the clinical office. He practice psychotherapy as
             was  the  crash  or  exhaustion  that  would  take   a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
             place after a prolonged period of stress.
                                                                                              SVoss@hlg.edu
             Development of the Construct of Stress
             Selye’s research (1976) was focused on the phy-   I  recall  my  first  introduction  to  an  academic
             sical effects of stress on the body. The major im-  understanding of stress during a college course
             plication of his work showed there was a physi-   I took in the 1980’s. It was a psychology course
             cal and psychological connection: a body-soul     and the instructor had us read about Hans Selye,
             connection. Psychological and environmental       the Hungarian/Canadian endocrinologist who
             stressors  could  lead  to  physical  and  emotio-  studied the effects of stress on the body. I still
             nal exhaustion and bodies could pay the price.    recall the basis of his theory by the acronyms
             Selye borrowed the term stress from enginee-      of “GAS” and “ARC.” “GAS” was how I remem-
             ring, a field where stress was defined as effects   bered the key ideas of the General Adaptation
             of pressure or force on metal or other objects    Syndrome. The acronym “ARC” dealt with the
             and the total amount of resistance that could be   effect of long-term stress on the body. The letter
             withstood. Since the time that Selye developed    “A” represented the alarm reaction, which is the
             his theory, a more complex understanding of       initial response to the stressor. “R” stood for re-
             how stress impacts health and bodily systems      sistance, which is the body’s mobilization effort
             has  emerged.  Maté  (2003)  has  summarized      to deal with the stressor and “C” was the crash
             more  recent  findings  of  this  connection  in  a   or exhaustion that would take place after a pro-
             book for the general public entitled, When the    longed period of stress.
             Boy Says No.
             The term stress eventually became a household     Development of the Construct of Stress
             term, but it has not always been that way. Hut-   Selye’s research (1976) was focused on the phy-
             macher (2019) stated that the term stress only    sical effects of stress on the body. The major im-
             came into use during the last half of the 20th    plication of his work showed there was a physi-
             century. Kugelmann (1992) has also addressed      cal and psychological connection: a body-soul
             the  history  of  the  construct  and  emphasized   connection.  Psychological  and  environmental






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