Coping with Stress

                                                  CUL-221014

                                             Frank Conklin

                                                   Coping with Stress

  Does addressing stress and all of its implications, have a universal and evidence based system? Some psychologists argue that there are models and practices that can indeed assist individuals in managing the effects of stressors and their repercussions. The tenants of the biological reaction within the body are basic and primal, with the stress inducing ingredient being adrenaline, and the calming ingredient being cortisol ( Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Home, Work, and School, John Medina). However stress is far from a simple engagement of chemicals within the body, and its long term effects can lead many areas within the body to deteriorate at rapid and unrepairable rates.

   The body’s natural state of healthy operation and balance is called homeostasis. Borrowed from physical medicine, and now widely accepted by behavioral medicine, this concept is based on the body’s ability to find a state of equilibrium within all of its systems (pg.60 Working with People, ninth edition, Joanne Levine ). Stress induces physiological tension signals in the brain and starts the chain reaction within the body’s physical sensory network. Emotions associated with these signals can be positive, however more often, negativity and pessimism join forces to block any attempts of optimism and emotional stability.

    The most perplexing enigma involving stress and stressors, is perhaps the most disputed part of discussions. Why does” Person A” seem to have the ability to cope or handle the stressors and “Person B” instantaneously feels anger, sadness, anxiety, and confusion? Is it simply body chemistry? Is it as simple as ones current state of emotional well-being prior to the stressors? Does “Person B” lack something that “Person A” possess emotionally or intellectually? Although these seemingly simple questions have found answers from those who study the condition, there is no concrete and steadfast approach that seems to work for every individual in any given situation. The varying degree of underlying experiences and motivations, that not only the affected possess, but those who try to help the affected, determine a idea stream to reduce the stressors. A psychologist might believe that talk therapy, or cognitive assessment tools can assist the individual in creating buffers, learning acceptance, or other situational methods such as meditation, physical fitness, or social and experiential comparisons. A psychiatrist on the other hand, may view the variations as simply brain chemistry which can be treated by the introduction of chemical compounds to reverse or realign the chemical distribution network (DSM V, 2013).