| Stress is the physical and emotional response to situations that are frightening, confusing, exciting or tiring. Stress is necessary to deal with such situations, but if there is too much stress, one can be over-stimulated. It is like having your car revved up all the time, you could imagine the loss to the engine!
Stress is now a household word but having different interpretations for everybody. We are witnessing some extreme positions — intense public interest in stress and thirst for information, practitioners who are confronted by everyday experiences of stress, contrasted with most doctors’ unwillingness to do more than prescribe tranquilisers, and champions of alternative therapy who see it as part of a critique of allopathic medicine. These entrenched positions are a necessary part of growth of knowledge and working out of the strengths and limitations of various approaches to stress, but they may not be so good for people who want help now in finding their way through the maze of media hype and conflicting views.
We are living in a time where too much information is coming too suddenly from too many sources, mostly Western. The coping strategies to be employed, psychosocial support, interpersonal relations, socio-economic and political situations, trends in society, childhood experiences and personality profile differ from culture to culture and determine the ultimate result of stress on the individual.
Stress is becoming ubiquitous. We are seeing changes like
urbanisation, industrialisation, widening of rich-poor divide, crumbling of social systems like close knit family and institution of marriage, changing psyche of the individual to consumerism, high (at times unattainable) ambition and competition, increasing cost of living, rapidly changing political system and uncertainty about the future. Power failures, water shortage, pollution, newer types of illnesses, rising medical costs, deteriorating law and order situation all contribute to the common pool of stress.
The problem is here and is likely to stay. It cannot be denied or wished away. Although 'Stress' is difficult to define precisely specially in group or an individual, we know enough about it to be able to do something positive to alleviate it. Stress is caused not only by external factors but is also generated internally by our hopes and aspirations, beliefs and attitudes, as well as by our personality attributes. Stress occurs at work, at home and in our social life and is affected by a wide variety of national and international, economic, political and ecological factors.
These are some of the common symptoms of Stress—Body Changes—sweating, shaking, high blood pressure, racing heart, dry mouth;
Feeelings—choking sensation, churning stomach, fear;
Behaviour—resentment, insecurity, irritability, anger, depression, confusion, restlessness, violence, avoidance, denial, criticism, escape.
It is frequently made worse by individuals themselves by abusing tobacco, alcohol, drugs, eating more, 'meaningless relationships' and a host of other
'mis-management strategies' that backfire. Stress is known to cause insomnia, lack of appetite, worsening of existing physical and mental illnesses or causation of those illnesses individual is prone to. Stress has been implicated in common/ complicated illnesses like Acne, Allergies, Angina, Arrhythmias, Asthma, AIDS, Coronary Artery Disease, Irritable Colon, Immune System disorders, Migraine, Pre-Menstrual tension, Rheumatoid, Arthritis, Ulcerative Colitis etc. to name some. Similarly, Stress can be the beginning or worsening of Anxiety, Depression, Mood Disorders, Obsessions, Schizophrenia, Somatization disorder, Impulse Control and Adjustment disorder etc.
Stress need not be borne with a stiff upper lip, considering it to be a gift of the modern times. Being proactive towards recognising and managing stress and related emotional or interpersonal problems is a step in the right direction towards self, family and society. Examine aspects of life, try to identify sources of stress to see what can be done to change these situations, practicing the skills needed to do so. Methods of relaxation like frequent holidays, hobbies, exercise, eating right, music, yoga and meditation are established ones apart from relaxation techniques and energy healings. A doctor or mental health professional may be required to be consulted and medication taken specially for prolonged/crippling symptoms or when stress is contributing to/causing physical or mental problems.
—Dr Avdesh Sharma is a celebrated mental health expert. He can be reached on
sharmaavdesh@gmail.com, avdeshsharma@rahat.org or +919811078599
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