Stress: What Is It? Edward A. Dreyfus, Ph.D. You come home from work feeling as though you have been run through the spin cycle of your washing machine. You can't wait to take off your shoes and pour yourself a stiff drink. Stress! Stress is an integral part of our urban lifestyle. It is a normal part of life. However, prolonged and unwanted stress can have undesirable effects on mental and physical health. Stress is the body's adaptive response to abnormal circumstances. The term "stress" refers both to certain heightened mental and body states and to the causes of such states. A person in a physically or mentally demanding or dangerous situation is said to be under stress. Internal medical and mental disorders can also produce stress responses. Chronic repetition of certain emotions such as anger or despair, changes in work or home situations, or reactions to surgery are just a few of the other ways in which stress can occur. More than one stress-causing factor can be present at a time. While some producers of stress (such as physical exercise, various emotional states, and creative activity) are usually healthy, continuous high levels of stress are not. Just Beyond the Ridge by Al Dawson Mental states, such as severe melancholic depression, are closely linked with stress-inducing anxiety; the complex syndrome known as post-traumatic stress disorder is produced by traumatic situations, such as war and natural disaster. Physiological effects linked with stress include ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Stress can also adversely affect the immune system, causing the body to be less resistant to a wide range of other health problems. The effects of stress can be complex, but they all involve a certain group of basic body responses. These responses arose in the course of evolution, as organisms met situations of physical danger. When the human body perceives danger (whether real or imaginary), the pituitary gland releases a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone. This in turn triggers the adrenal glands to release epinephrine and various other hormones that speed up the heart rate, raise blood pressure, and increase muscle tension. These effects are all part of the body's "fight or flight" response to a threatening environment. We observe these same effects in certain social, emotional or occupational situations, however inappropriate they may be in such circumstances. Usually the responses are of short duration. If their effects persist beyond a reasonable length of time, they can lead to the above-mentioned mental and physical problems. Recognizing Stress Just Beyond the Ridge by Al Dawson The first step in learning to manage stress is to recognize the triggers or stressors in your life. Each individual may have different reactions to the same stressor depending on how one interprets the event. Some individuals relish change; others fear it. A great deal of stress has to do with the degree to which we need to be in control of events in our life. People who have less of a need to be in control of their environment tend to experience less stress. Many people are not aware of being under stress. Some are frequently under so much stress that they assume the feeling is normal. This is especially true for those individuals who are not aware of their emotional responses. For them, it is often necessary to rely upon the physical manifestations of stress. Some of the common signs and symptoms of stress are: insomnia digestive problems irritability headache undue fatigue Other signs might include the return of old habits such as: nail-biting hair-twirling You may feel more criticized by others, become more pessimistic, cynical, or resentful than usual. You may feel unappreciated, misunderstood, and feel like a victim. Things you normally look forward to may seem like a burden. Sometimes the changes you experience may be so gradual, they go unnoticed until your health or relationships change. Identifying the stressors would be an important first step in changing them. Another step is to be more accepting of your reactions to events. Many of us are critical of ourselves, expecting our reactions to fit some pre-conceived standard. ---------- How to Manage Sources of Stress Edward A. Dreyfus, Ph.D. Family, marriage, work, and even our own thinking can become sources of stress. Life today is filled with sources of stress much of which cannot be avoided. Often the best we can do is find ways of effectively coping. To be effective we must recognize both the source of stress and appropriate techniques for dealing it. Family. Families are a complex network of interactions. Each family is a system and hence each interaction and each personality affects the entire system. If one person is ill in your family, it is clear how that illness disrupts the everyday flow of the system. Likewise, it affects the system when one member of the family is angry or depressed. An alcoholic in the family disrupts the system and often leads to the system trying to adapt to the family member. Sometimes that adaptation creates difficulties as well. The family, like the human body, tries to compensate for an organ that is not functioning up to par. Our entire body may be thrown out of alignment by an injury to an arm or a leg, for example. Similarly, the family in an attempt to compensate for one of its members, may be thrown out of alignment and become dysfunctional. When this occurs it is time to seek professional help. Psychologists and family therapists can help the family focus on the communication styles that throw the family out of alignment. Relationships. A primary relationship is often stressful. Two people, each with different histories, different personalities, different needs, and different ways of doing things are trying to live under the same roof and get along with each other on a daily basis. That's a pretty tall order even under the best of circumstances. Yukon Too by Al Dawson One of the main difficulties that couples face revolves around expectations. Each person in the relationship brings expectations -- a set of explicit expectations, a set of implicit expectations, and a set of unrealistic expectations. These expectations, when in conflict with the other person's expectations, can create a great deal of conflict; and this conflict is stressful. During the course of a relationship, each partner may go through a series of transitions, such as the death of a parent, the loss of a job, or physical illness. The couple may go through transitions, such as relocation, the birth of a child, or the change of a job. All of these changes have an impact on the relationship and produce stress. Occupational. Work is a significant source of stress for many people. Conflicts on the job, dissatisfaction with one's supervisor or with the job itself, insufficient financial compensation, fear of losing one's job, fear of changing a job for greater advancement, feeling stifled in a quest for power, not feeling appreciated or acknowledged, all produce significant stress. The degree of stress will vary depending on the personality of the individual and the amount invested in each issue. How we think. Stress increases as a function of how we think about events. Some folks tend to catastrophize events, making mountains out of molehills, or exaggerating the consequences. They tend to react to small things with larger than warranted feelings, exaggerating the event to match their feelings, rather than adjusting their feelings to the event. People with low stress reactions tend to make molehills out of mountains. The following questions can help gain a perspective on situations to reduce the impact and hence the stress. What is the worst that can happen? What is the likelihood of the worst happening? Have I done everything that I reasonably can do to alter the outcome? Will my life change substantially and will I even remember it years from now? How would I counsel a friend in a similar situation? All you need are a couple of helpful statements for yourself for coping when you are under stress. These might include refocusing thoughts such as: What's my goal? I need to calm down. I'll think of sitting in a warm jacuzzi, and just letting my muscles relax. This situation isn't worth it. I'll take a few seconds here to relax. My body is telling me it isn't happy. What can I do to calm down? Ok, time for a shower! Ok, time for a walk around the block. What's the best way out of here? I'm just human. So, I'll do the best I can, and let the rest go. There are several common activities that are useful in reducing or coping with transitory, situational stress. These techniques, when applied regularly, can significantly reduce or soften the brunt of the stress reaction to temporary events. Relaxation techniques Yukon Too by Al Dawson There are many different forms of relaxation techniques including auto-hypnosis, progressive muscle relaxation, some forms of yoga, to mention a few. One that I have found helpful combines several aspects of these approaches. Start by seating yourself in a comfortable position in a quiet area. Loosen your clothing so that you do not feel constricted in any way. Close your eyes and squeeze them shut as tight as you can. Progressively move from one muscle group to another, teeth and jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, fists, chest, back, thighs, buttocks, calves, and feet. Tighten each in turn until your entire body is tight. Then relax one group at time, feeling the contrast between the tight experience and the relaxed experience. Notice the tingling or what ever sensation you have. Just notice it, don't do anything about it. As you relax each area, focus on your breathing. Breathe slowly and rhythmically until your entire body relaxes. Finally, imagine yourself in a location that you find especially relaxing, safe, and comfortable. For some people, it might be a secluded beach, for others a mountain lake. Each of us has our own place. Once you have the image in mind, make it as clear as you can, almost as though you are there. Let your thoughts go, don't try to capture them or block them; just let them go by like so many butterflies fluttering. Stay in your "place" for five or ten minutes and then slowly remind yourself to come back to present time or home. Gently open your eyes and gradually re-orient yourself. This approach takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You should feel refreshed when you are through. Breathing Deep breathing has long been known to have relaxing properties. All forms of yoga, athletic exercises, and meditation have a breathing component. Oxygen itself tends to revitalize; it both energizes and relaxes as we cleanse our system. Breathing exercises are simple. Sitting quietly, breathe in as deeply as you can through your nose and exhale through your mouth expelling all of the air. Repeat this three times. Then, focusing your attention on your breathing, breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Breathe rhythmically. Repeat this ten times. You will notice the difference. Physical exercise All form of exercise, aerobic exercise in particular, has relaxation qualities. Getting oxygen into your blood stream, releasing stored toxins in your body through sweat, and increasing the production of endorphins into your blood stream will have a calming effect on your entire system. That is one of the reasons so many people are participating in these forms of exercises. Dr. Edward A. Dreyfus is a Clinical Psychologist, Marriage, Family, Child Therapist, and Sex Therapist. Dr. Dreyfus has been providing psychological services in the Los Angeles-Santa Monica area for over 30 years. He offers individual psychotherapy to adolescents and adults, divorce mediation, couples counseling, group therapy, and career and vocational counseling and assessment. Email: Edward A. Dreyfus Copyright (c) 1994-1997 by Pioneer Development Resources, Inc. All rights reserved