ChapTER 13 Emotion, Stress, and Health 475compassion for others: “healing through help
ing.” The ability to look outside yourself is
related to all of the successful coping mecha
nisms we have discussed. It encourages you to
solve problems instead of blaming others or just
venting your emotions; helps you reappraise the
situation by seeing it from another person’s per
spective; fosters forgiveness; and allows you to
gain perspective on your own problems (Brown
et al., 2003). Healing through helping thus helps
everyone to accept difficult situations that are
facts of life.have never been in the same situation and do not
know what to do to help, they may try to cheer you
up, saying, “Everything will be fine,” rather than
let you talk about your fears or find solutions, or
they may try to press you to join a support group
“for your own good,” even if it wouldn’t be.
Finally, we should not forget the benefits of
giving support, rather than always being on the
receiving end. Julius Segal (1986), a psychologist
who worked with Holocaust survivors, hostages,
refugees, and other survivors of catastrophe,
wrote that a key element in their recovery was
Recite & Review
Recite: Find a friend to whom you can describe ways of reducing the physiological arousal of
stress, cognitive strategies for coping with stressful problems, and the benefits and potential harms
of close relationships.
Review: Next, reappraise any negative attitudes you might have about reviewing this material,
and reread it.Now take this Quick Quiz:
- You accidentally broke your glasses. Which response is an example of reappraisal? (a) “I am
such a stupid, clumsy idiot!” (b) “I never do anything right.” (c) “What a shame, but I’ve been
wanting new frames anyway.” (d) “I’ll forget about it in aerobics class.” - Finding out what your legal and financial resources are when you have been victimized by a
crime is an example of (a) problem-focused coping, (b) emotion-focused coping, (c) distrac-
tion, (d) reappraisal. - “This class drives me crazy, but I’m better off than my friends who aren’t in college” is an ex-
ample of (a) distraction, (b) social comparison, (c) denial, (d) empathy. - Your roommate has turned your room into a garbage dump, filled with rotten leftover food and
unwashed clothes. Assuming that you don’t like living with rotting food and dirty clothes, what
coping strategies described in this section might help you?
Answers:
Study and Review at MyPsychLabreappraise You might solve the problem by finding a compromise (e.g., cleaning the room together). You could 4. b3. a2. c1.the seriousness of the problem (“I only have to live with this person until the end of the term”) or compare your roommate toothers who are worse (“At least mine is generous and friendly”). And you might mobilize some social support, perhaps byoffering your friends a pizza if they help you clean up.Psychology in the news revisited
J
oe Stack, whose story opened this chapter, burned
down his house, with callous disregard for his wife
and young stepdaughter, and then killed himself and
two IRS employees. In the rant he posted on the
Internet, he wrote: “Violence not only is the answer, it
is the only answer.” Really? What did it accomplish?
As we saw in this chapter, when we are feeling
extreme emotions or when major stressors require the
body to cope with threat, fear, or danger, the body
whirls into action to give us the energy to respond.
Just about everyone has had the unpleasant experi-
ence of a racing heart, sweaty palms, and other
emotional symptoms when we feel betrayed, anxious,
or angry. But does that mean we have no control over
our emotions, especially those caused by extremely
stressful experiences?
As we also saw, biology does not give us the whole
picture. It is equally important to understand the role
of perceptions, beliefs, and expectations in generat-
ing emotions and stress. Stack blamed the IRS for^446The Nature of Emotion: Body (^) The Nature of Stress (^) , Mind, and Culture
Stress and Emotion
Psychology in the News,^ Revisited Coping^ Wi th Stress^ Yo^ TAnger: “Let It Out” or^ aking Psychology u: The Dilemma of With
13 “Bottle It Up”?
miles flight. Stack^ His from also wife the crash set and fire her site, to young his before house, daughter embarking which had on was escaped the about suicide six the
night before. never Stack spoke married of his troubles Sheryl Housh with the about IRS three to her years familyago. , who He
thought he seemed fine when they gathered at Christmas.
AUSTIN,^ Man Crashes Plane Into Austin,^ IRS Offic^ TX, e February 18, 2010. A software engineer Texas,who^ was
angry plane cide attack into with a the seven-story on Internal the agency office Revenue Thursday building Service by crashing housing launched nearly his a smallsui- 200
IRS employees ers fleeing employees, died for their in setting the lives. blaze off In and a addition raging two fire others to the that were attackesent seriouslr,worktw o y -
burned Stack The III,. pilot 53, has of Austin, been identified who posted as Andrew a furious, Joseph six-page(Joe)
antigovernment with into the his plane IRS and for ranted farewell his suicidal about note on taxeflight. s, the government Stack Web before cited bailouts, gettingrun-ins
and man, had all let’corporate I can s try stand,” something America’he wrote. s different, “thugs “Well, and takeMrplunderers.”. my Big pound Brother “I of I.R.S.haveflesh (^)
and Stack Officials sleep well.”was connected almost immediately ruled out the possibilit (^) to terrorist groups. Friends described y that
him against husband as the an with easygoing tax marital authorities. man, troubles, a Although talented and a he amateur citizen was with only musician, a 53, grudgetheya (^)
said, backs had requihe felt pushed red him to postpone his retirement dreams.“over the brink” because financial set -
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE NEWS
EMOTION, STRESS,
AND HEALTH
a man who was angry at the IRS and upset about recent financial Fire inspectors assess the damage to the office building destroyed by^ setbacks. Two workers died in the blaze.