Stress

We experience mental stress generally when we perceive that the demands of aspects of our lives overwhelm our capabilities to handle such demands. All of us have experienced some form of stress in our lives, some are better able to handle it, others need external intervention.


Hallucination is a symptom of extreme stress
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We are probably familiar with the general stages of stress. They are, in order of severity:

1. Awareness. This happens when we become aware of the threat to our well-being and this is usually associated with a sudden increase in pulse rate. In most people, this is the shortest stage of stress and they eventually move on to next stage.

2. Coping. The typical response after we become aware of the threat to our well-being is, of course, to try to get rid of the problem or to find ways of living with the problem such that it does as little damage as possible. We know that coping mechanisms cannot function indefinitely as it depletes our resources. When the threat eventually outlasts our coping mechanisms, we move on to the third and most serious stage.

3. Exhaustion. When our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed, our body can no longer maintain normal functions. This results in our organ systems not performing the right things. For example, improper organ functioning may be manifested as stomach ulcers, heart attacks or insomnia. The most serious consquence is, of course, death from these manifestations.

There is considerable overlap among the three general stages. For example, a person may experience insomnia while successfully resolving the problem. My experience with the stages of stress is typical. I remember experiencing frequent diarrhoea during the school examinations, especially before and after tough papers.

The most insidious way by which stress levels build up in most working class city-dwellers is presenteeism. We ignore stress signals to carry on working, always striving for one more hour, one more page or one more deal. Employees & employers alike are equally guilty of promoting such health-destroying behaviour because going on sick leave is generally frowned upon. The subconscious message is that a person who fails to cope with stress has a lesser moral character or questionable work ethic.

There is always a choice to walk away from work when the alarm bells go off. Workers need to be empowered not just with legislative protection but also with knowledge of how to recognise stress levels and the available resources to help them cope.

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stress health