Stress is a typical phenomenon in human life and each day, people face stress inducing events. Stress occurs when a person deems the demands of an encounter as about his/her ability to cope. While stress is universal to all human beings, the way it affects people differs. In particular, the personality type of a person dictates how stress affects them.
Studies indicate that personality type is associated with an individual’s level of anxiety as well as stress (Arnten, Jansson, & Archer, 2008). As such, it would be a worthwhile endeavor to discuss in detail how stress affects the major personality types; Type A, Type B, and Type D.
How Stress Affects Different Personality Types
Type A Personality
Type A personality is characterized by competitiveness, hard-driving, achievement oriented, and being hostile and irritable (Heilbrun & Friedberg, 1988). As a result of this, Type A personalities are inevitably exposed to high amounts of sustained stress due to their self drive. Individuals in this group are forced to confront more frequent, severe and prolonged challenges which they manufacture for themselves.
Therefore, Type As who experience relatively normal stress loads may still end up overwhelming themselves since their personality traits enhance stress. Heilbrun and Friedberg (1988) note that the personality attributes of Type A personalities not only make pressured situations more likely but the personality traits also augment stress once it is aroused. Stress is further escalated as the pursuit of achievement reaches high levels as the individual is driven from one competitive situation to the other.
Heilbrun and Friedberg (1988) theorize that Type A personalities are susceptible to putting their self-esteem on the line with little regard for their own welfare. Depending on the effectiveness of the coping strategies adopted, Type As may continue experiencing stress from the same source for extended periods of time. Even so, Type A personalities have low social inhibition and can therefore rely on social support to alleviate their stress.
Type B Personality
Type B personality is regarded as the inverse of Type A since people with this type lack the Type A attributes of competitiveness and time orientation. Kupper and Donollet (2007) describe type B as the psychological flipside of type A and individuals with this personality type are even tempered and patient people. Type B personalities are generally characterized by a low or no desire to achieve, being rarely harried and little sense of time urgency.
Heilbrun and Friedberg (1988) describe Type B individuals as being more easygoing and philosophical about their lives and lower on competitiveness, time urgency and anger/hostility. Type B personalities tend to live at much lower levels of stress than the other groups since they are able to isolate themselves from the stressful situations. Individuals in this group are also able to postpone tasks that cannot be done at the moment for another time instead of fretting about the task.
This can be attributed to the fact that this personality type is characterized by an ability to modify one’s behavior in accordance with the current situation. The individual who has Type B personality is flexible and can control and express emotions appropriately. Owing to their easy going nature, Type B personalities are more social and hence have adequate social support which makes stress less severe.
Type D Personality
Type D personality is also known as the “distressed” type and is characterized by high levels of negative affectivity and social inhibition. Polman et al. (2010) document that the high NA associated with type D increases the likelihood of the individual to experience distress, anxiety, pessimism, and worry.
People with type D personality are therefore more susceptible to stress since this personality type is associated with a negative view of the world, the future and others. Polman et al. (2010) theorize that people with Type D personality do not express their emotions well mostly as a result of fear of rejection or disapproval. The high levels of social inhibition translate to fewer personal ties as well as lack of ability to socialize with other people.
The person is therefore more adversely affected by stress since they exhibit negative emotions while at the same time are unable to cope with these emotions. Social support from others is beneficial in controlling stress in a person (Polman et al., 2010). Individuals with Type D actively reduce their efforts to seek out social support when experiencing stress. This low availability of social support is associated with poorer outcomes for the individual.
Conclusion
From the discussions presented here, it is evident that stress affects the different personality types in unique ways. Particularly, the personality type of individuals predisposes them to experience stressful situations in varied ways. Type B personalities exhibit the lowest levels of stress and anxiety while Type A and D personalities are predisposed to high levels of stress. From this discussion, it is clear that Type D personality is associated with the highest levels of stress since this personality type is correlated with hostility and anger.
References
Arnten, A.A., Jansson, B. & Archer, T. (2008). Influence of Affective Personality Type and Gender Upon Coping Behavior, Mood, and Stress. Individual Differences Research, 6(3): 139-168.
Heilbrun, A.B. & Friedberg, E.B. (1988). Type A personality, Self-Control, and Vulnerability to Stress. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52 (3): 420-433.
Kupper, N. & Denollet, J. (2007). Type D Personality as a Prognostic Factor in Heart Disease: Assessment and Mediating Mechanisms. Journal of Personality Assessment, 89(3), 265–276.
Polman, R., Borkoles, E., & Nicholls, A.R. (2010). Type D personality, stress, and symptoms of burnout: The influence of avoidance coping and social support. British Journal of Health Psychology, 15 (1): 681-696.
Flight or fight is a term that was initially used by Walter Cannon to give an explanation of how human beings physiologically respond to external stressors (Laureate 2012). The sympathetic nervous system of human beings is aroused when it is exposed to a stressor while the body gets ready to either deal with the stressor or to shift locations (Laureate, 2012).
The response of human cadiovascular system in such situations is that the heart beats faster in order to increase oxygen supply to the limbs and the brain for quicker thinking and action (Laureate Education, 2012). This response boosts the immune system while physiological changes prepare the body to deal with resistance and heal wounds (Dhabhar, 2011).
Some of the situations that are believed to cause high stress levels include financial constraints, relationship problems, health complications and situations that are caused by man-made or natural catastrophes. Health psychologists apply techniques of reducing stress to make an analysis of levels of pain, blood pressure, mood, sleep quality and the rate of breathing. These factors determine autonomic stress equilibrium.
Cognitive restructuring and relaxation breathing are two mechanisms that I use to lower stress levels. Cognitive restructuring helps me to find ways through which I can change my relationship with the stressor in situations where the stressor itself cannot be changed. My strategy involves doing exercises for about 45 minutes before I go to work.
According to Carver (2010), the ability of an individual to use reframing to cope with stress is closely related to personality trait of optimism. Relaxation strategy is another mechanism that I apply on a daily basis. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and is occasionally referred to as rest and digest response (Laureate Inc., 2012b).
Personally, I exercise at the gym, walk with friends for short distances, play on slides with other people and go hiking. These experiences enable me to relax and breathe as I take time to forget stressful things that take place in my life. I close my eyes and see myself in places that allow me to relax such as Bermuda and Jamaica.
Coping mechanisms that focus on the problem and others which are biology focused have been helpful to me since they have changed my thinking. Apart from using the mechanisms for my own benefit, I have also been able to advise other clients to apply them. I have realized that spirituality, coupled with coping mechanisms have brought significant changes in my life. Sometimes I experience stress but I have learnt to accept things that I cannot change.
Emotion-focused coping is an appropriate mechanism to use in order to reduce stress. According to Folkman and Lazarus (1984), the mechanism is a cognitive process whose main focus is to reduce the emotional distress associated with certain events. Stress reduction is done through avoidance, escape, self control and distancing oneself from the stressful event.
For example, when we are in relationships with people who always make us experience stress, we can distance ourselves from them or stop talking to them for some time. When we do not want to accept responsibility for things we have done, we try to avoid the outcomes if they would cause us stress.
Individuals who have spiritual backgrounds can effectively utilize meaning-focused, positive and spiritual coping strategies. These are appropriate for outreach programs which are organized in churches. When individuals concentrate on positive things, it amounts to good and satisfactory results.
Many are the times when people have complained about feeling stressed. In this day and age, there are various pressures that are exerted on individuals as they go on with their day-to-day activities, for instance, work related issues as well as family issues (Singh, 2009).
When one experiences stress, they are experiencing their body’s response to some form of demand (Lloyd, Dunn & Hammer, 2009). Stress comes about when one is overwhelmed with a situation or an issue they cannot quite cope with at that particular time. Anything posing a challenge or threat to one’s well-being is perceived to be stressful (Hiriyappa, 2012).
The way one responds to challenges or pressures can also be considered to be a kind of stress. The body tends to activate resources as a measure against stressful pressures, and this in turn makes one to either take flight or fight back (Singh, 2009). Majority of individuals usually interpret stress differently as to what it is about as well as what matters. While there are those who concentrate more on what happens to them, there are those who focus more on the stressful event itself (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
Discussion
Nature of Stress
Stress has become more a part of everyday living and has been defined as tension, excess strain or pressure that eventually has an adverse effect on one’s mental and physical health (Hiriyappa, 2012). Globalization and Industrialization has brought about many pressures with regards to family and work. Individuals no longer find time to relax and are almost always working every day of their lives.
Parents, on the other hand, also do not have time to spend with their children and family members due to their busy and demanding work schedules (Singh, 2009). Despite the fact that living in the 21st Century is more advantageous as compared to living in the past, it does not come without a cost. This cost is stress. People have now removed majority of physically challenging tasks that their ancestors had to deal with and have created days that have numerous emotional and mental stressors (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
There are a number of factors that leads to, or rather, causes stress. Some of these factors include external factors and internal factors (Hiriyappa, 2012). Examples of external factors that cause stress to an individual incorporates one’s job, relationship with others, home, expectations, challenges and situations that one is confronted with daily (Singh, 2009).
On the other hand, internal factors incorporate the body’s ability to not only respond to but also cope with the external pressures bringing about the stress. The amount of sleep one gets, overall health and nutritional status all determine one’s ability to handle stress (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
Symptoms associated with stress include rising of blood pressure, slowing down of the digestive system and rapid breathing. Because the digestive system slows down, majority of individuals experiencing stress usually do not have an appetite for food and end up eating very little by the end of the day (Hiriyappa, 2012). Other symptoms are lack of or very little sleep, tension in the muscles and increased heart rate (Singh, 2009).
Major Types of Stress
Even though there are numerous types of stress such as emotional stress, post-traumatic stress, chronic stress and oxidative stress, stress has generally been categorized into four major types (Lloyd, et al., 2009). The first one is Time stress. This is perhaps one of the most commonly experienced types of stresses in this day and age.
People are currently expected to meet deadlines within a very short time and time stress comes about when they worry about time (Hiriyappa, 2012). Such individuals even feel hopeless when they fail to achieve their goals within the set time. Situational stress is yet another type of stress that is experienced today. This happens when one finds themselves in a scary or traumatizing situation that they have no control over (Singh, 2009). Situational stress usually incorporates loss of status or conflict.
Another major type of stress is Anticipatory stress, commonly experienced when one is concerned about their future (Lloyd, et al., 2009). In this day and age, people are concerned about what they will have achieved in future with regards to their lives. In relations to work, they concern themselves with upcoming presentations that they are to give or concentrate on a specific event (Hiriyappa, 2012).
Those experiencing this type of stress have a sense of fear and expect something to go wrong. The fourth type of stress is Encounter stress which generally revolves around people (Singh, 2009). Individuals who experience this type of stress tend to worry about relating to groups of persons or a particular person. Encounter stress is also experienced by those having lots of personal interactions with clients, such as social workers and physicians (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
Responding to Stress
Stress is not only a biological response but a psychological one that is experienced upon encountering threats that people feel they cannot deal with (Singh, 2009). People tend to respond to stress differently. Initially, one’s body makes judgment as to whether a situation is stressful or not (Hiriyappa, 2012).
Such decisions or judgments are based on stored memories as well as sensory input and processing (Singh, 2009). If the current situation is concluded to be stressful, the hypothalamus gets activated because it is responsible for the stress response. Signals are then sent to the adrenal medulla and pituitary gland, which then brings about the short-term responses of either flight or fight (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
Effects of Stress
Stress affects both the mind and the body. This tends to have an adverse effect on the person where they may end up suffering mental breakdowns (Hiriyappa, 2012). People have, in the course of time, experienced so much stress that they tend to ignore the effects it has on them. When one is stressed, they tend to experience memory loss such as losing track of conversations or misplacing items (Singh, 2009).
Majority of individuals can attest to having experienced this at one time or the other, when under stressful situations. Moodiness is yet another common effect experienced by an individual under stress (Lloyd, et al., 2009). People suddenly become short-tempered and find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster, where, one minute they are happy, and the next they are sad for no apparent reason.
As it has been mentioned earlier, one of the symptoms associated with stress is lack of appetite. There are those instances, however, when one craves for products made with refined sugar and salt (Hiriyappa, 2012). This is where you find an individual indulging in junk foods as a way of calming themselves down.
Other effects related to stress include worrying too much about minute issues, lack of focus and concentration on tasks and recurring tension in the muscles (Singh, 2009). The most ignored effects of stress are on the reproductive organs. Experts have linked stress to erection problems, painful menstrual periods and low fertility (Lloyd, et al., 2009).
Factors Influencing Stress Tolerance
It is rather interesting to observe that there are those who are capable of withstanding the effects of stress as compared to others. In order to understand why this is so, it is important to take into considerations various factors that tend to influence stress tolerance. One of these factors is social support (Hiriyappa, 2012).
Social support incorporates a variety of aid provided by those within the social networks of an individual. When one is given social support by friends or family, they are better able to cope with their current stressful situations (Singh, 2009).
Hardiness is yet another factor influencing stress tolerance. It refers to one’s commitment, control and challenge related to strong stress resistance (Lloyd, et al., 2009). Optimism is another factor where the individual under the stressful situation is expectant of positive outcomes by the end of the day. People are often advised to be positive and think positive thoughts even when the situation dictates otherwise (Hiriyappa, 2012). Being positive is also good as it does not put a strain on one’s well-being.
Conclusion
Since stress has been identified as a leading factor affecting the health of today’s individual, it is important to understand, or rather, learn how to manage stress. Managing stress is directly connected to one’s well-being. There are a number of ways that people can deal with stress, for instance, through humor.
Humor has been used since time immemorial, to reduce stress and help one keep a positive attitude irrespective of the situation. Taking a walk and changing one’s environment is another way that an individual can deal with stress. Eating junk foods or starving oneself is not the solution when experiencing stress. Instead, one should at least eat a fruit and drink plenty of water if they are not in the mood to eat.
References
Hiriyappa, B. (2012). Stress Management: Leading to Success. Booktango.
Lloyd, M.A., Dunn, D.S., & Hammer, E.Y. (2009). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustments in the 21st Century. 9th Edition. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Singh, A. (2009). Stress Management: Mission to Fight Pressure, Mental & Emotional Strain. New Delhi: Global India Publications.
The book “Denial: A Memoir” by Jessica Stern offers a detailed analysis of her trauma and subsequent denial after her adolescent assault by a serial rapist. This book examines the nature of sexual assault and ways to overcome the trauma and pain associated with the experience. The author uses her personal experiences to explain how individuals can deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to sexual assault. The author explores the importance of sincere confrontation as the best strategy to deal with sexual assault.
If human beings can confront their pains and trauma, it can be easier for them get liberated (Stern, 2011). The approach is necessary because it helps people stop worrying and instead focus on their future life. Through “denial”, the author believes that individuals facing stress and trauma can “lock away” the maltreatments of the past (Stern, 2011).
The idea helped Jessica overcome her pains and eventually found her healing from the assault. Without this journey, it is clear that the affected individual will be unable to develop meaningful relationships with his loved ones and friends. It becomes necessary to embrace a compassionate confrontation through denial and eventually develop true human relationships.
The author of the text has used her personal experiences and journey to explain how it can be possible to overcome the challenges affecting many people today. Without determination, courage and resilience, it can be impossible to alter our experiences and live a better life (Stern, 2011). The book is commendable for its insights and ideas through which individuals can dissociate with their past in order to survive. Although most of the experiences are painful and damaging, individuals can embrace the idea of denial in order to overcome.
The text also offers a detailed approach through which individuals can embrace their sociological aspects of denial. This means that affected persons should be conscious about their past and embrace denial. Denial is always necessary until the person overcomes the trauma.
It is advisable that individuals read this text because it provides the best choice to understand the situation and subsequently make the necessary decisions. The individuals will develop a new understanding and reasoning to overcome the stress. Although the author indicates that individuals will suffer from disturbing images and thoughts after sexual assault or trauma, the best thing is to embrace denial and have a positive attitude towards life (Stern, 2011).
Individuals suffering from different experiences such as PTSD and traumatizing sexual assaults can benefit from this text because it presents a psychological guidance to deal with them. The book echoes Robert Sapolsky’s ideas in the book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”.
Traumatizing events in a person’s life results in chronic stress thus increasing the risks of disabilities and diseases (Sapolsky, 2004). Sapolsky explains why self-help can be essential towards dealing with trauma. Jessica’s idea of denial can help individuals overcome trauma associated with PTSD or sexual assault.
The author uses her personal experiences to explain how individuals can deal with PTSD and traumatic thoughts through self-help. The important thing is for the reader to understand that human stress results in increased risk of disability and disease (Stern, 2011). In conclusion, I would recommend this book by Jessica Stern because it presents a pleasant journey that can help people deal with the pains of the past and live a better life.
Reference List
Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. New York: Holt Paperbacks.
Stern, J. (2011). Denial: A Memoir. New York: Ecco Press.
Physical activity and cognitive health are two inseparable concepts. The interdependence is so great that any change in either one will result in immediate effect on the other. Since ancient times it has been known that physical activity alleviates the symptoms of sadness, grief and more even depression.
In a book titled “Fit and Well”, the authors present a close connection between fitness and well being of the mind and body. Not only is physical activity a great way to reduce stress and cure depression, it changes the lifestyle and allows for a better quality of life.
In a book titled “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, Dale Carnegie talks about techniques of stopping stress, and what it is a person needs to live a healthy life. The author starts off with reiterating that it is important to live in the present and let go of the past. It is equally critical to not live in the future and think that the current state or life is simply a transition into something better.
A person creates their own living conditions; all it takes is the will to act. People face stress in almost every aspect of existence. Work, public life and personal encounters all come with some degree of stress and that is why the ability to control and deal with stress is a necessity, which is very valuable in any situation. It is a physical, as well as mental manifestation of emotions that reflect, most of times, negatively on the person (Carnegie, 2010).
Dale Carnegie notes that stress becomes a physical manifestation of emotional problems. Some symptoms include loss of weight or the opposite, gain of weight due to stressful overeating, headaches and the feeling of tiredness and general nervousness, irritability and angry outbursts.
Most of the time stress is depressing and people look for ways to get rid of it. When considering “unwanted” stress, it relates to personal feelings and thoughts. It upsets the balance of the body and the restoration of it requires the calming down of the chemical reaction in the body, as well as the change in a person’s thinking.
As such, stress is a reaction of the central nervous system to the conditions that happen outside of the organism and as such, physical and mental suppression is required. The environmental factors increase the internal frustration, which leads to the body’s chemical response Dale Carnegie writes that self confidence and respect are among the most important ways to think of the self (Carnegie, 2010).
Coping with stress is a skill that everyone must develop. “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” takes an in-depth look at the causes and results of stress, recommending techniques on how to resolve prolonged stress exposure. The first sign of stress is the headaches that it causes.
The key to success is to find a coping technique. But, on the other hand, there is positive stress. It is called “eustress” and it happens when a person must react quickly and without hesitation because their immediate health or sometimes life, depend on it. It gives more energy to the muscles and the brain, to deal with the stressor in the environment. It is a natural reaction, which is given to human beings specifically for this reason (Hughes, 2011).
As stress is very individual and people deal with it differently, it has been shown there are several techniques which must be also unique to a particular person. A timely attention must be given to prevent further development of stress.
References
Carnegie, D. (2010). How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Hughes, M. (2011). Emotional Intelligence in Action. San Fransisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Consecutive studies have demonstrated that stress is common among first year university students as they attempt to adjust and become accustomed to a multitude of new and sometimes conflicting experiences that have never been previously encountered (Ong & Cheong, 2009).
Students abruptly experience new way of doing things upon joining institutions of higher learning, not mentioning the fact that they come to terms with unlimited freedom never encountered before such as absence of inflexible school regulations and the non-existence of dress codes. Upon entry into universities, students are expected to exercise a lot of independence in making fundamental decisions that directly or indirectly affect their lives.
Experts have successfully associated such experiences with stress especially in scenarios where students are not adequately prepared to cope with stress (Flanagan, 1990). It is against this backdrop that this paper wishes to evaluate some issues of stress affecting fresher students on their transition into the university culture.
Brief Overview of Stress and why it has become an Issue
Stress can be defined as an individual’s overall reaction to environmental challenges or pressures (Ong & Cheong, 2009). A person is deemed to be stressed when his interactions with the environment exceed his maximum coping or adaptive thresholds to a point where such interactions become strenuous and a threat to his own wellbeing.
According to Flanagan (1990), “…people experience stress when they feel unable to cope with the demands of their environment, with other people, or with their own self-imposed pressures, or unrealistic expectations” (p. 1). Each person identifies and deals with stress in divergent ways, and an individual’s reaction to stress ultimately depend on whether the stress-causing incidence is assessed as a challenge or a threat (Ong & Cheong, 2009).
Systematic studies reveals that a challenging stimulus more often lead to constructive outcomes such as motivation and enhanced educational achievement while a threatening stimulus occasions anxiety, despair, social dysfunction, despondency and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts.
According to UTS (2004), individuals grow and move forward when they are faced with situations which demand more from them. Nevertheless, such demands may become overbearing, leading to a scenario where the individuals are no longer able to deal with the demands effectively. This leads to stress.
In the university setting, the fresher students encounter drastic changes in their experiences and interactions with the immediate environment. Thomson et al (2006) asserts that there exist many intricate challenges facing students joining universities for their first time, which may affect their physical, psychological, social, health, and academic wellbeing if effective intervention strategies are not put in place.
These challenges can arise from either external or internal sources, and can be broadly categorized into adjustment and situational challenges. Adjustment challenges occur when the fresher students try to fit into the university culture, and include issues of language proficiency, cultural shocks for international students, gender, marital status, age-category, self-esteem, confidence levels, and past cross-cultural experiences (Thomson et al, 2006; Ong & Cheong, 2009 ).
On the other hand, situational challenges occur as fresher students attempt to adjust to new situations, and are influenced by such variables as length of stay at the university, social interaction with students and instructors, information and support availed, health status, and academic capabilities.
Stress has indeed become a major issue to deal with at the institutions mainly due to the negative effects it brings to the affected student’s academic, social, and psychological life (Flanagan, 1990). The stressors named above have the capacity to cause serious problems among fresher students or exacerbate already existing problems.
According to Ong & Cheong (2009), one of the most fundamental objectives why students join universities is to enhance their academic, personal, and social development. This objective can be turned into a pipedream if persistent stress arising from every day hassles and challenges that sprout from academic and social adjustments are allowed to take shape.
Academic stressors in the form of excessive workload, instructor personality and way of teaching, examinations, new responsibilities, and grades have been particularly cited for working against the objectives of joining university. Academic demands and deadlines, learning capacity, competition, and social pressure are also prevalent in institutions of higher learning, often leading to stress especially among fresher students who may not have developed effective coping mechanisms (Ong & Cheong, 2009).
Other causes of stress at the university setting include uncomfortable physical environment, inadequate sleep, prolonged physical activity, financial constraints, pregnancy, negative self-image, hostile emotional relationships, and break-ups (UTS, 2004).
Ways of Dealing with Stress
Many ways have been proposed on how to successfully deal with stress factors. Ong & Cheong (2009) notes that some students fear to engage in particular tasks and activities for fear that they will end up being stressed.
This is the wrong approach since individuals should not let their emotions to block rational interpretation of any given situation. According to Cottrell (2003), subduing a rational interpretation of a given situation in the hope of avoiding stress “…tend to prevent us from working towards the best or most constructive solution to the issues” (p. 76).
Flanagan (2009) posits that the best approaches to stress management are those that enable the individual to develop effective coping mechanisms while still enjoying life’s experiences to the fullest. In the light of this, fresher students must always aspire to attain their maximum potential by developing proper coping mechanisms.
To avoid stress, fresher students must aspire to develop a well balanced lifestyle that caters for all their needs, may they be physical, social, mental, or emotional (UTS, 2004). They should ensure they get adequate sleep, physical exercises, and nutrition, not mentioning the fact that they should avail time from their busy schedules for rest and recreational purposes.
They should institute supportive relationships with peers and be creative in how they approach their academic or social tasks. What’s more, students must always develop an attitude of sharing their concerns, experiences, and anxieties with other like-minded students.
They should be willing to confront their teachers with their worries and seek for constructive advice before the situation gets out of control. They should be driven by the understanding that stress is not unique to fresher students only as everybody experience stressing challenges at some time in their lives. It is fundamentally important for students to accept their failures as they are and forge ahead on the understanding that no progress can be achieved without making mistakes (UTS, 2004).
Recommendations
The university management should come up with orientation programs to assist fresher students to successfully adjust to the new environment. The orientation programs should run throughout the first week of college life, and should focus on inculcating values of self-esteem, planning of academic activities to avoid procrastination, problem solving capacities, and ways of establishing successful social relationships with peers.
Second, counselling services should be brought closer to students and programs should be initiated to encourage students to make use of such services in the event of difficulties. Third, members of the teaching fraternity must be encouraged to offer information and support to the first year students in the hope of assisting them to adjust to the new learning environment.
Forth, Lecturers should introduce simplified instruction methodologies, and should be cautious not to overburden first year students with assignments. Fifth, cultural integration programs should be initiated for international students who are affected the most by issues of culture shock. Lastly, more recreational facilities should be set up, and students should be encouraged to participate more in extra-curricular activities to let off steam.
List of References
Cottrell, S. (2003). Skills for Success. Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Flanagan, C. M. (1990). People and Change: An Introduction to Counselling and Stress Management. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers.
Ong, B., & Cheong, K. C. (2009). Sources of Stress among College Students – The Case of a Credit Transfer Program. Student Journal, Vol. 43, Issue 4.
Thomson, G., Rosenthal, D., & Russell, J. (2006). Cultural Stress among International Students at an Australian University. Web.
Apprehension in human has largely been associated with psychological disturbance. Medical and psychology experts have linked post traumatic stress disorder, a nervousness condition, to mental distress. Post traumatic disorder was related to life situations that troubled a person or group of people.
The situation might have, perhaps, concerned fatality risk, bodily, gender, or mental uprightness that devastated a person’s capacity to survive. Indicative signs of post traumatic disorder combined a repeated occurrence of earlier disturbance through dreadful dreams, evasion of distress related prompts, and amplified provocations.
Recognized investigative measures needed that the indicators had endured and resulted in noteworthy harm. An individual was weakened socially, in their work, and basic utility spheres by the post traumatic stress disorder.
Majority of global nations have soldiers who serve in the army ready for combat if the need occurred. Most of the combatants, usually, tailored a war awareness state to manage the consistent pressure of battle duty. Rapid exchanges between civic and combatant mind frames augmented mental pressure. The combatants were forced to incline to conducts and abilities that guaranteed every day survival. Nonetheless, a war awareness state of mind was vulnerable to combat dreadfulness.
Post traumatic stress disorder had been exposed among numerous combatants. The anxiety condition was largely observed in combatants who returned from a war zone. Symptoms associated with post traumatic stress disorder were noted on returning combatants. However, a prominent challenge was faced by medical practitioners on how they could distinguish between post traumatic stress disorder and gentle distressing mental power damage.
Both health situations had comparable indicators and were common among combatants from war deployment. If combatants suffered frequently alternated mental conditions and rapid mind state exchanges augmented psychological pressure then multiple war zones deployment of combatants that increased mental state exchange led to incidents of post traumatic stress disorders.
Literature Review
War combatants have, recently, suffered increased post traumatic stress disorders. More than a fifth of war soldiers have been diagnose with post traumatic stress disorder. The combatants have suffered hallucination, stimulation, and slumber troubles among other post traumatic stress indicators.
Hurdles have existed for the soldiers to revert back to normal society life. Tough war instructions for endurance in Iraq and Afghanistan had no value in society life setting. However, the instructions did not fritter away. A lonesome sensation might engulf a combatant away from his or her colleagues.
Combatants were projected to constrict their emotions. Nevertheless, the situation led to concealed battle sufferings. Society life could have, probably, been a source of illogical outbreaks and distressing incidents (Scott, 2009 p. 1). War soldiers that returned from duty had mixed feelings from the battle fields. The mind frame applied in the battle grounds was different to that suitable for community living.
The soldiers had a difficult time as they endeavored to conceal their emotions. Eventually, the suppressed emotions led to increased despair among the soldiers. It was through the alteration of different mental frames that traumatic conditions increased. Majority of the combat soldiers that were repeatedly deployed to war zones suffered post traumatic stress disorders.
Combatants on homecoming from army responsibilities in recent Iraq wars had shown indications of post traumatic stress disorder. Projected statistics that an eighth of the Iraq war combatants experienced post traumatic stress disorder was standard. Most combatants opted not to request for wellbeing assistance based on discernment of post traumatic stress disorder.
The condition had been viewed as a disappointment among army personnel. Post traumatic stress disorder state had led many combatants to engage in social misconducts. Redeployed combatants have experienced nightmares that were dreadful than the actual war situation (Radut, 2008 p.1). Repeated exposure to war situations impacted on soldiers psychologically.
A combatant’s mind frame was open to different mind frames that interfered with the thought process. The condition created an inferiority complex among combatants that led to fear of wellbeing assistance. Mental challenges were transferred into the soldier’s social life with severe consequences.
Soldier deployed to war zones repeatedly have suffered numerous social setbacks. Most families tolerated and recognized, honestly, that war uncovered them to unparalleled pressures and danger of lifelong wounds.
Investigations have suggested that marriage pressures, danger of infant abuse, and other hazardous family troubles degenerate as combatants obliged to numerous war deployments. Majority of combatants that returned from war deployment suffered states of despair, shift to drug misuse, restless slumber, and departure from family duties.
These conditions and behaviors were indicators of post traumatic stress disorders (Crary, 2008 p.1). Combatants that undertook multiple war zone deployments suffered social problems. The social challenges could be attributed to the combatants’ state of mind and social connection. Soldiers assigned repeatedly to war zones were expected to change their mind frames frequently from civilian and combatant states. Mind frame variations might have led to a state of post traumatic stress disorder.
Modern wars have been uniquely prepared based on the operation models. Most families found the war deployment durations shocking. Statistics have revealed that 15% of combatants with wives assigned for duty in Iraq planned for marriage separation. It was estimated that the rates would triple with more deployments.
With increased social life challenges, most combatants ended up with post traumatic stress disorder conditions. Military administration has acknowledged that army household violence has increased compared to other citizen families (Vest, 2008 p. 1).
Combatants repeatedly deployed to war zones were destabilized socially. Families of the combatants suffered great loses that led to separations. It is obvious that combatants at war had disturbed mind frames. The though process of most combatants were transformed from social to war zone status interchangeably. Mental reflections of family and war zones created confusion in the minds of combatants. The alterations resulted into an anxiety state of post traumatic stress disorder.
Frequent deployment of combatants to war zones and deficiency of psychological wellbeing personnel in army establishments had assisted in growth of social problems. Recurrent combat personnel assignments have been connected to increased rate of psychological troubles. Self inflicted deaths in the military were anticipated to increase above 140 cases. According to administrators self imposed fatalities have been on an upward trend compared to the general public.
Army overseers revealed that a spotlight on increasing psychologists in the military was unavoidable. The military required 300 additional therapists and 800 extra psychologists. Majority of the combatants suffered post traumatic stress disorders (Schwartz, 2009 p.1). Combatants have experienced increased post traumatic stress disorders when in combat and at home. The situation was worsened by lack of wellbeing assistance. Soldiers like other humans, experienced thoughts.
However, psychological states of the combatants were shifted based on assigned duties. Rearrangement of the mind frame resulted in mental disorders among military personnel away in combat. Ultimately, most soldiers experienced psychological challenges that affected their social lives. Health care attention deficiency augmented the metal disorder predicament among soldiers. Therapy and psychological attention was inadequate for the increased anxiety situation.
Alteration in a soldier’s mental state impacted on their duty performances. Combatants in a single psychological state would respond outstandingly compared to the individual in a mixed psychological state. Research findings have suggested that combatants in a war mind state observed instructions confidently.
Furthermore, combatants in the battle mental state would show less indicators of post traumatic stress disorder (Anestis, 2009 p.1). The focused mental state results had shown that it was better for the combatants to have a single mind state at a time. However, multiple deployments of soldiers to war zones would not permit soldiers to have a single mind frame. Most soldiers were frequently redeployed to war zones. Modern wars have a prolonged tendency. Combatants are constantly called to duty after short periods.
The continued war zone postings forced several combatants to adapt a mixed mind set. A post traumatic stress disorder status would result from the assorted mental conditions. Military personnel administrators ought to develop diagnostic procedures for the army staff. Proper diagnosis of mental disorder conditions can assist war veterans psychologically.
Psychological wellbeing guidebooks were presented for mental conditions identification. Diagnostic and statistical manuals of mental health documents (DSM) have been employed in detection of psychological health. Diagnostic method that applied biological process (DSM IV) contained records and explanations on mental analyses was appropriately applied to the war combatants.
The information on the guidebook assisted investigations and enhanced communiqué for scientific performance. The guideline utilizes identified conduct or mental indicators or models. Post traumatic stress disorder patients had a noteworthy danger of experienced fatality, hurt, inability, or los of sovereignty. The system utilizes a multi aligned arrangement that incorporated multiple disorder indicators (Ma, 2009 p.1).
Mental health diagnosis for the war combatants returning home had to be conducted by consultation of the diagnostic and statistical manuals of mental health guidebook. Standards on how diagnoses of psychological conditions were formulated by the American Psychiatric Association. Updates have been provided with increased research and development of the mental diagnosis procedures. War combatants can be diagnosed effectively by applying principles of the DSM IV approach.
The DSM IV method permitted the psychiatrist to observe multiple indicators of mental disorder in patients. Nevertheless, caution had to be observed to prevent a misdiagnosis of the condition. Post traumatic stress disorders indicators were found to be similar to other mental confusion conditions. Further analyses were required in the determination of psychological status.
Problem statement
Soldiers returning from repeated deployment to war zones have been misdiagnosed for mental conditions. Mental health care providers have failed to present the appropriate diagnosis that led to timely therapy. Therefore, a study that can reveal the significance of adapting a DSM IV diagnostic approach to soldier’s mental health would be proper. It was necessary for research to be conducted on the effects of repeated redeployment of soldiers to war zones and the psychological effects established.
Methodology
Literature review on secondary data would be sufficient to ascertain the validity of the DSM IV approach to mental health diagnosis. Information should be sourced from books, journals, and other relevant publications to support the research theory. Information on combatants’ psychological wellbeing can be gathered from military records and databases. However, primary research ought to be intensified to support existing suggestions.
Conclusion
Repeated military deployments to war zones had a psychological effect on the soldiers. From the texts examined, evidence of post traumatic stress disorders were discovered in combatants that were continually deployed into war zones. Traumatic conditions were caused by alterations in the mental state of an individual. It was discovered that most soldiers were forced to rapidly transform their mental status from battle field to society experiences.
Majority of the combatants had difficulties coping with the mixed mind sets. Consistent change of the mind frame resulted in mind confusion and disturbance. Ultimately, the war soldier’s mental status was led into disarray and they developed anxiety disorder. Post traumatic stress disorder resulted fro a continued alteration of the mind frame.
War soldiers who were constantly redeployed to war zones suffered mental challenges. Research had suggested that the psychological situations of war veterans on repeated war zone deployments were traumatized. In some instances, the experiences were horrific and led to nightmares and social misconducts.
Therefore, the hypothesis that stated; if combatants suffered frequently alternated mental conditions and rapid mind state exchanges augmented psychological pressure then multiple war zones deployment of combatants that increased mental state exchange led to incidents of post traumatic stress disorders was validated. Multiple Deployments to war zones led to Increased Incidents of post traumatic stress disorder
Works Cited
Anestis, Michael D. Battlemind: Testing the efficacy of an early intervention for soldiers returning from deployment. Psychotherapy Brown Bag. 12 Oct 2009. Web.
Very few people in Al-Khobar have given the issue of Stress deliberate consideration. Many among us would easily dismiss talk on stress. We are socialized to believe that there is heroism in appearing unbreakable, untiring and resilient.
The mentioned are great values; however the difference between a fool and wise man is that the former is impulsive and reactive while the former is analytic and rational in his or her choices. Many of us would in a reactive way tend towards Macho tendencies at the expense of our health. Such a choice is foolhardy because it offers immediate gratification and long term detrimental effects.
In this report, I am going to explore the issue of stress in Al-Khobar city. What I will present are findings based on my research in books, electronically and through personal interviews with friends and relatives. I also relied on chats on face book to gauge people’s views on stress.
This report gives a general definition of stress, presents the general causes of stress, provides the effects of stress in individual’s lives and provides ways of handling or managing stress. Finally, this report provides recommendations i.e. what individuals and authority can do to facilitate towards better management of stress in Al-Khobar.
Definition of Stress
Stress is an important ingredient in life because it propels people to seek better standards of living. According to Woolston (1), people couldn’t be getting far in life without some level of stress. Stress helps keep people on toes or excited thus doing their best in life. Stress is the anxiety one feels before engaging in an exciting activity e.g. an interview. The stress or anxiety felt helps keep one focused on the task thus being able to deliver.
Stress is a warning feeling and should generally be a positive element in life. It is the way one’s body communicates the fact that all is not well. Extreme stress is called distress. According to Woolston (1), distress is the hall mark of modern society. Stress is unavoidable in daily living.
However, unless checked, stress causes a lot of harm. Stress is generally a sign by the body that some biological aspect of an individual is stretched or burdened thus not at homeostasis. Homeostasis is the normal state of body cells; it is a certain balance that is normal for the body. When some imbalance in the cells occurs, the brain is triggered to release neuro-chemicals or hormones that prompt us towards taking remedial action.
Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Stress often registers both as a feeling and a physical condition. Some people realize they are stressed when they start to behave in certain awkward ways e.g. making simple mistakes at work. From the people I interviewed I realize that stress induces sleeplessness, headaches, stomachaches, general tension in the body, general fatigue, bouts of anger, nervousness, lack of appetite, overeating, mood swings, loss of enthusiasm for life and unexplained anxiety.
The signs and symptoms vary from individual to individual. In extreme cases, individuals turn to drug abuse or alcoholic tendencies when stressed. Some other people loose sexual desire or become aggressive with their spouses.
Causes of Stress (Stressors)
Stress often results from thinking negatively about daily happenings. It is interesting to note that a given situation that is stressing to one individual can be life giving and exciting to another. The difference is caused by their outlook or interpretation of circumstances.
Stress is also caused by not being able to communicate ones needs properly. Many people in our culture are discouraged from speaking out openly. For example, women are not supposed to answer men back. Due to stifling communication, much is bottled up leading to stress.
Stress is also caused by prolonged sickness or disease. When one is sick for a long time, the physical effects of disease are stressful. However, more crucially, the psychological burden of being dependent and not being able to do something about the disease can be very stressful.
Lack of supportive social contacts can also be very stressful. Lack of social contact makes life boring and can easily lead to loneliness. Without people to interact and socialize with, people often unless they appreciate solitude succumb to stress due to loneliness.
Drug abuse also contributes significantly to stress. People who are depended on drugs and alcohol are more prone to stress than not. Cutting out on use of any drug or alcohol helps keep an individual healthy; there are many healthy complications associated with use of drugs, smoking and alcohol. Drug abuse and alcoholism is an escapist way of dealing with stress. Alcohol makes individual not to deal with problems but rather cover up temporarily from facing the issues at hand.
Effects of Stress
Prolonged stress can have very adverse effects on the performance and general well being of an individual. Stress has physical, mental and emotional or psychological effects. On some people, stress has adverse effects to the extent that it costs their life. Stress leads to depression and even suicide.
Unless checked, some people become totally helpless in the face of stressing circumstances. The helplessness leads to depression, which in turn may result in an individual committing suicide. If the individual does not commit suicide, he or she goes through life like a zombie; gloomy and very negative.
Harmful stress leads to anxiety disorders; due to people not dealing constructively with stress, they tend towards being anxious or worried all the time. They are not sure of themselves thus their self esteem is adversely affected. Self esteem is crucial to proper performance as an individual at work or even at home. When an individual’s self esteem is affected his or her productivity goes down. He or she will tend towards petty mistakes at the work place, feeling small and thus not dealing healthily with workmates and customers.
Some people suffer physical effects such as regular migraine headaches. As a matter of fact, there are people who dependent on pain relievers or sleeping pills due to the levels of stress in their lives. Migraine headaches and sleeplessness easily diminish as long as individuals learn to deal with stress and stressors in their lives.
Another effect of stress is high blood pressure and other heart related diseases. As discussed by Dr. Al-Shahri, the direct cost of hypertension care and treatment in Alkhobar has been on the rise and needs to be contained. He found out that hypertension cares costs were higher for patients who are not well educated (Dr. Al-Shahri, 301).
The fact that costs are higher for those with lower education could be attributed to lack of proper hypertension management techniques. Hypertension has a close link to stress, if people do not know how to handle it, it could also be argued that they do not know how to manage stress.
Al-Sowielem and Elzubier (1) conducted a research on patient’s knowledge and the misconceptions they have about hypertension in Al-Khobar. The research also investigated the compliance of hypertensive patients (Al-Sowielem and Elzubier, 3). The research established that 66.3% of the patients associated hypertension with emotional stress (Al-Sowielem and Elzubier, 4). Although there are other factors such as genetic make up or hereditary factors, emotional stress contributes substantially to hypertension cases around the world.
Apart from high blood pressure and heart diseases, Ulcers are also highly associated with stress levels. Stress affects an individual’s physical development. People who are overly stressed often age earlier. It is stress levels that make some young people to look older than their age.
There is also a high connection between stress and asthma. Stressed people are likely to develop breathing problems because of the tension that pervades their body. When the body is tensed, breathing is affected. Stress induces the release of the flight or fight hormones, which when released in excess increase blood pressure but also affect breathing.
Handling Stress
To l live free of distress, one has to learn to deal positively with life conditions or circumstances. The path to becoming positive consists in being able to eliminate the negative thinking patterns and embracing positive thinking patterns. This requires that people are educated in self evaluation and awareness exercises (Ratcliffe, 71).
Often due to a culture that stresses hierarchy, people live in fear and do not communicate their needs properly. The result is that instead of communicating their desires and wants, they repress or suppress or bottle up their emotions. The bottling up of emotions leads to distress and passive aggressive behavior or anger blow ups.
There is need for individuals to learn assertive communication skills. There is what Charlesworth and Nathan (54) call non violent communication. Non violent communication requires that one assertively makes clear his or her feelings while at the same time expressing respect for the recipient of the message (Charlesworth and Nathan, 59). In such like a mode of communication one is able to communicate anything respectively.
Many people I interviewed expressed that they have strenuous work. Women, especially those in employment, often have to put up with many different roles; combining both job requirements and housework. To reduce work overload related stress, people have to learn to unclutter their lives. To unclutter life consists in identifying what has to be done by necessity as opposed to what can be delegated (Gibson, 89). People need get a perspective on whatsoever matters in whatever context and forget about the rest that only adds pressure.
To effectively handle stress, individuals have to develop flexible routines and plans that allow for enjoyment and relaxation (Ratcliffe, 27). Time has to be set aside for constructive leisure. Idleness can be very stressing thus need to be creative and constructive about daily engagements.
Regular exercises help individuals because they help in burning down some of the neuro-chemicals released by the body in response to stress. Exercise also helps as a response to flight or fight hormones produced by the body in reaction to stressor related stimuli. People who exercise burn fat thus reducing risk of weight related stress. Overweight people suffer stress due to social stigma and other health complications.
A World Health Organization sanctioned cross sectional study, done by the Taha (1), established that most students in Al-Khobar city understand the importance of regular physical exercise in reducing stress and preventing diseases. Majority of the students made a connection between physical exercise and prevention of obesity. However, they did not acknowledge the connection between physical exercise and prevention of diabetes and hypertension (Taha, 3).
Another way of dealing with stress is meditation exercises. Meditation exercises help one to calm down and control own body processes such as breathing. Other exercises such as Yoga and meditation also come in handy in reducing stress. The spiritual exercise of praying and contemplation is also a great way of handling stress. Through prayer, people are able to bring out their frustrations.
Finally, to deal with stress, individuals need to creatively come up with ways of breaking monotone or changing routine. It is conventional wisdom that change is as good as a rest. Taking a break to do something different or changing the environment somehow goes a long way in reducing stress levels.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Following from my research, I realized many people take stress for granted. to live long and happily I would recommend to all individuals that they be more conscious of the amount of stress in their life. Some somatic or physical problems people suffer are mere manifestations of stress. It is thus important that people learn how to recognize stress and deal with it.
The government can help by creating stress sensitization programs. The government can also help by promoting such activities like Yoga, meditation and physical exercise that help to reduce stress levels in individuals. Effort is needed to help students and the general public appreciate the relation between physical exercise and diseases like hypertension. The need for more sensitization not withstanding, the importance of physical exercise is appreciated world over; including the general Al-Khobar populace.
Charlesworth A. Edward and Nathan G. Ronald. Stress management: a comprehensive guide to wellness. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004.
Dr. AI-Shahri, Mohammed, Abdullah, Hypertension: Direct Cost of Care and Primary Health Care Physicians’ Awareness in AI-Khobar City, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine. Web.
Gibson, Katherine. Unclutter Your Life: Transforming Your Physical, Mental, And Emotional Space. London: Beyond Words Publications, 2004.
Ratcliffe, Gail. Take control of your life: the five step stress management plan. London: Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Taha, A.Z.A. Self-Reported Knowledge And Pattern Of Physical Activity Among School Students In Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. World Health Organization. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. Vol 14, Issue. 2. 2008. Web.
Woolston, Chris. Stress and Its Repercussions. Consumer Health Interactive. 2009. Web.
Most of the natural disasters are associated with various risks such as aftershocks, stress, anxiety and depression as well as post traumatic stress disorder. An earthquake is among the many natural disasters that are associated with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a condition characterized by anxiety and is triggered by experiencing or even observing conditions that threaten or cause death to individuals.
Such experiences and conditions trouble someone psychologically. Although earthquakes are serious natural disasters leading to serious conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, research in the same area is in adequate especially involving a randomly chosen sample. This paper discusses earthquakes as a significant cause of the post traumatic stress disorder.
Earthquake as a Cause of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is important to understand the meaning of an earthquake to be in a position to understand how it causes post traumatic stress disorder. It occurs due to shifting of the plates of the earth which causes violent shaking on the earth’s surface. Due to the impacts of the same, people are killed, injured, burnt by fires or even trapped in the collapsing buildings. Since the situation is usually psychologically disturbing, it triggers a reaction which ends up causing the post traumatic stress disorder.
Dependent and Independent Variables of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
As much as earthquakes cause traumatic stress disorder, studies of Xingli, Mingxin, Mingjing, Jiannong, & Li, (2010) reveal that there are other causes of the same. The main aim of the study was to analyze personality factors that contributed to the stress among orphans who survived the Sichuan Earthquake.
The results of the study indicated that most of the orphans who lost their parents during an earthquake end up developing the post traumatic stress disorder. Similarly, a study conducted to investigate the effects of an earthquake that took place in China in the year 1976 illustrated that majority of the orphans ended up suffering post traumatic stress syndrome. Therefore, in such cases, earthquake happens to be the independent variable of the condition.
Dependent Variable
Although earthquake is a major cause of the post traumatic stress disorder, there are other factors that determine the development of the same.
For example, the study illustrated that some personality types are more prone to the condition than others. In addition, orphans were more vulnerable to the condition compared to the non orphan children. Some personality traits like the neuroticism increased the vulnerability of the children affected by earthquakes. The main reason is due to the fact that that such a trait magnifies the impact of the trauma.
Since some other personality traits were considered, the results illustrated that during the post earthquake period, some personality factors like neuroticism do not only predict the onset of the condition but also the severity of the symptoms. Therefore, there are some environmental as well as personality factors which act as dependent variables in post traumatic stress syndrome resulting from the earthquake trauma (Xingli, Mingxin, Mingjing, Jiannong, & Li, 2010).
Conclusion
The research has indicated that an earthquake is one of the many causes of the post traumatic syndrome. The main reason is due to the fact that it causes trauma which in turn triggers some reaction in the brain which ends up causing the post traumatic stress disorder.
While earthquake is an independent variable, there are other dependent variables such as environmental and personality factors. Although some personality factors like neuroticism increase the vulnerability, a trait like extraversion reduces the vulnerability of developing PTSD. Therefore, although earth quake is a significant cause of the PTSD, there are other factors which still contribute to the same and to the severity of the symptoms.
Reference
Xingli, Z., Mingxin, L., Mingjing, Z., Jiannong, S. & Li, C. (2010). Earthquake, Personality Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Orphaned Survivors of the Sichuan Earthquake. Web.
Today, more than ever before, the fast-paced lifestyle coupled with shifting life experiences and tightening economic demands have placed a large burden on many people to a level that a life without stress is hard to imagine.
While stress is a routine normal reaction to some specific life experiences, studies have revealed that a constant cycle of stress is not only dangerous to the health and wellbeing of the victim, but cannot be sustained. Stress originates from the brain and relays signals to all parts of the body, affecting individuals in ways they could in all probability never anticipated (Adeyemi para. 1).
Unpleasant feelings, such as worry, anger, and depression, plague us from time to time, bringing feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and frequent mood swings (Khan para 1). In most occasions, stressful events leads to negative feelings which have been noted to affect the physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing of individuals. This paper purposes to evaluate the medical, psychological, and social outcomes of stress and unpleasant feelings.
Stress and other fearful events cause the brain to increase the production of adrenaline, which initiates systematic stimulations in nearly all parts of our body, starting with the heart. A group of researchers observe that stress is a normal physical response to life experiences that make an individual to feel vulnerable and not in harmony with his or her balance in a major way (Smith et al para. 3).
Stress in small balanced spells have been known to assist individuals perform under very limited resources and even inspire them to do their best. But beyond a certain limit, stress ceases to become supportive and begins to cause major damage not only to your mind and body, but also to your disposition, performance, social relationships, and overall quality of life.
Medically, stress and unpleasant feelings are not only known to initiate some life-threatening conditions, but can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions like asthma. Long-term experience with stress and unpleasant feelings can lead to grave health ramifications.
Current literature demonstrates that chronic stress can affect nearly every system in your body, including suppressing the immune system, raising blood pressure, facilitating the risk of heart attack and stroke, not mentioning that it contributes to infertility and hastens the aging process (Smith et al para. 7).
Psychologically, chronic stress and unpleasant feelings have the potential to rewire the brain, leaving the individual more vulnerable to anxiety, aggression, and depression (Smith et al para. 7). Other psychological outcomes of stress and unpleasant feelings include panic attacks, feelings of guilt, angry outbursts, hopelessness, feeling overwhelmed, increased cynicism, mood swings, irritability, resentment, lack of interest in activities, and low memory (Stress-Relief-Tools para. 3).
Such outcomes adversely affect the victim’s feelings of self worth and self esteem, and in extreme cases affect the individual’s cognitive capabilities. Studies have revealed that people experiencing acute stress have shorter memory and are no longer in control of their own productivity (Cooper & Dewe 7). As such, stress is also positively correlated to poverty and low socioeconomic status.
In the words of three researchers, “…social support functions as an important stress buffer…The more social support people have, the less stress will have to affect them in a negative way” (Mills et al para. 2). The reverse seems to be true for people experiencing high levels of stress and unpleasant feelings – they are highly unlikely to be integrated into the established social support networks.
Victims of chronic stress and unpleasant feelings have experienced challenges establishing interpersonal relationships, and married couples have problems managing their intimate relationships (Cooper & Dewe 9). Many individuals experiencing negative stress basically do not have sufficient forms of social support available, not mentioning that such individuals may not have the boldness necessary to feel at ease requesting for assistance from others.
Studies have found that individuals suffering from stress may be depressed enough to exhibit long-term withdrawal symptoms, further lessening the nature and amount of the social support available (Smith et al para. 5). The social support deficit occasioned by stressful experiences is both a susceptibility factor for additional stress-related challenges, and also a self-fulfilling prophesy that social isolation results in further social isolation.