STRESS MANAGEMENT I

Introduction

“Stress” is perhaps one of the most commonly-used words in our country today. It is not uncommon to hear the word being used in situations such as when: preparing for an examination, job or promotion interview, etc. having a job that demands a lot (in terms of responsibility, time & performance) having to meet a target or deadline flying in an aeroplane, especially for the very first time; and many others.

What, really, is ‘stress’?

Stress is the unpleasant emotional and physical state that people experience when they find themselves in situations that they perceive to be dangerous or threatening. It is the way the body responds to events or situations perceived as threatening. Stress can have both positive and negative effects. Moderate stress can help to improve performance on various assignments. For instance, it can help a student to prepare very well for an examination, or a worker to prepare for a promotion interview. However, if stress is excessive or lasts for too long, it can lead to serious problems including various diseases and even death.

Thus, stress can improve one’s performance up to a certain limit. Beyond that limit however, it can be very damaging.

Sources of Stress Situations or events that cause stress can be grouped into three main classes:

1. Catastrophic Events: These are sudden, often life- threatening, disasters that most people will have difficulty coping with. They include wars, terrorist attacks, road traffic accidents, armed robbery incidents, fire incidents, political riots, and natural disasters like floods. For example, one can imagine the state of mind of residents of those parts of the country that were seriously affected by kidnapping, banditry and religious insurgency. Victims of such disasters may continue to experience severe emotional problems long after the event had ended. The emotional problems may be in form of frightening dreams, avoidance of activities and situations that may remind them of the catastrophic event, poor sleep, poor concentration, irritability and depression, among others.

2. Major life changes: Many people experience quite severe stress when they are still adjusting to a major life change. Such major life changes include the death of a loved one (e.g. a spouse or other family member), separation or divorce, loss of job, migration to foreign land, etc. Sometimes, an obviously positive and desirable event may be stressful. For instance, a child leaving his parents at home and going to school for the very first time is experiencing a stressful life event. In the same way, getting married, becoming a parent, getting promoted at work, and retiring after years of meritorious service are examples of obviously positive events that can be very stressful. People undergoing stressful life changes may appear anxious, unable to cope and have difficulty performing even routine daily activities.

3. Problems of daily living: These include traffic jam, noisy environment, financial problem, difficult neighbours, pressure to achieve, taking important decisions, etc. Even though each of these everyday problems (“daily hassles”) may seem minor, if one is exposed to them regularly for a long time, they may cause quite severe stress and result in major health problems. Appropriate coping strategies must therefore be developed.

Effects of Stress

An individual undergoing a stressful situation typically appears anxious and may have difficulty remembering things or even concentrating. He may be seen pacing up and down, biting his nails and breathing heavily. He may be sweating profusely. His heart beats rapidly and his blood pressure rises. He may complain of headache. Sometimes, however, the signs may not be so obvious. When a person is confronted with a stressful situation, his body responds by producing certain chemical substances (stress hormones, such as adrenaline, nor adrenaline and cortisol) that prepare him to take action. The person may then confront and deal with the dangerous or threatening situation, or he may run away from it (“fight or flight” response). If he is able to deal with the stressful situation, or is able to get away from it, he will feel better. However, if he is not able to deal with the situation, and is unable to get away from it, this may lead to very serious health problems. The chemical substances (stress hormones) that the body continues to produce in that stressful situation will keep the individual in a tense, overactive state and he gradually becomes exhausted. With time, even his immune system is affected. At this stage, the individual is vulnerable to various diseases and even death.

Some physical health problems are particularly associated with stress. These include hypertension, heart and blood vessel disease, peptic ulcer, infections, and even cancer. Intense and prolonged stress may also result in various emotional problems such as severe anxiety and depressive states. People who survive severe disasters sometimes develop a type of anxiety disorder called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Such individuals continue to experience the disastrous/ traumatic event again and again in their dreams and in disturbing memories (“flashbacks”) during the day. They avoid activities and situations that may remind them of the trauma and they are often hyper-vigilant, easily startled, highly irritable and sleep poorly.