Describe The Role Of Stressors In Our Life

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Stress has a substantial effect on memory, learning, and other bodily processes. Environmental stressors may be harmful, but the amygdala is able to distinguish which action to take. Personal stressors may be harmful as well. Stressors come in various structures and are able to affect one’s life. Our bodies are able to use a stress response to deal with each stressor that happen within our lives and these functions are essential in managing our stress. Environmental stressors may be harmful to one’s personal life, especially if it is uncontrollable. For instance, losing a job due to being laid off; a person may or may not have a plan as another source of income. Imagine this, you are sitting at your office desk attempting to get work done on your computer when suddenly, your boss comes behind you and …show more content…
When there are low levels of stress, cortisol acts on NMDA receptors within the hippocampus. This process promotes long-term potentiation that improves learning and memory for the person. After the threshold is at its limit, long-term potentiation ceases to work; this promotes long-term depression to become dominant. After the threshold is reached this involves a decrease in learning and memory causing a lowered overall affect. The hippocampus is able to regulate the stress being received, but long-term potentiation learning and memory may have potential or at risk depending on high the stress level has been acquired (Powerpoint: Emotion regulation). Stress effects health in all ways, one major way would be how it affects the poor. Sapolsky (1994) states, “Poverty is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, ulcers, rheumatoid disorders, psychiatric diseases, and a number of types of cancer, just to name a few” (p. 272). Being in poverty heightens stress levels to dangerous levels causing these types of diseases and outbreaks within the