A Word On Stress

What if there were no stress?

There might then be no such thing as mental illness. People such as me would be out of work. I don't think I'd like living in a world with no stress at all, for our lives would become quite dull and lack excitement. I often wish that death didn't exist but then I remember that our reality is based entirely on the fact that an opposite is essential for anything to have value. Without bad, good could not exist. Without hot, there could be no such thing as cold. Without large, how could there be a such thing as small. So this world is meant to be transient. When we are aware that our time is finite, we should appreciate the opportunity to make the most of each day. I believe there is a place known as eternity and a thing known as infinity. I can't wrap my brain around the concept of either for I am contained within them both. Nothing is impossible within the realm of eternity and of infinity. If you can imagine it then it already exists. The minds of the greatest scientists have been blown by such thought.

The Big Bang Theory proposes that our rapidly expanding universe was birthed from the explosion of a singularity point of reference that was infinitely small. That means it was so small that it continues to get smaller forever. Imagine that! What happened before The Big Bang? Even Einstein is clue less on that one. When man became aware he had a conciousness he eventually gave birth to religion and to science. On the other side of the beginning of Creation or the Big Bang most of us believe God exists. Since God is believed to be the source of all. it is inherently impossible for us to escape our creator. Of all creatures on earth, only man is believed to have the ability to exercise a will that is completely free. Even the metaphorical Satan lacks this ability for he can do nothing that is sincerely good, despite a million disguises to appear good. Angels may do only what they are created to do. But man can cause the greatest pain and suffering for others or choose peace. love, and happiness. Free will is what gives real  meaning to such actions.

I began this entry because of thoughts I've had about the stressors faced by many of the patients seen over the past several days. Sometimes I'm given more credit than I deserve by patients for the understanding I seem to show involving the plight they may be facing at a given time. After doing this a few years a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist develops an understanding of the most likely behavioral options for almost any person in a given situation. Humans respond emotionally to any stressful situation. There are only 4 basic emotions: happy, sad, fear, angry. Happiness is a derivative of Love. All other emotions are derived from the core emotion of Fear. If one can control a persons' fear then one pretty much has control of that person until they are no longer afraid. Fear usually trumps anger because fear will keep one alive much longer than anger alone. Sadness seems to exist basically to validate happiness or may be experienced in the absence of joy.

The human experience entails each of these emotions at the appropriate time and place. An emotional imbalance results in mental illness or mal adaptation. An emotional imbalance is precipitated by what is known as psychosocial stressors. There is actually a hierarchy of these stressors that was first proposed by Maslov or some other important Behavioralist. I do know that Maslov proposed the basic needs paradigm which essentially states that you won't get much done with treatment if your patient  lacks a source of food, clothing, shelter, and love. Even when the basics are met, certain life stressors challenge ones coping mechanisms. At the very top of the stress hierarchy is the death of a child. Patients I know who have survived this emotionally catastrophic event and put them self back together are exceptionally strong. They have passed the ultimate personal emotional test of enduring personal loss and pain. They have proven that whatever else befalls them in life can never hurt more than what this experience did for them. Second only to the loss of a child is the loss of a parent, sibling, or spouse. Further down the list are other major life stressors such as loss of health, loss of job/finances, relocating, and of course going through a divorce. Even pleasant events such as getting married or having a baby can tip the scales the wrong way at times.

Coping mechanisms are crucial in surviving the stressors of human life. Stress can be thought of as rain. How can one stay dry in a heavy down pour? Certainly not by trying to push the raindrops back up into the sky. Using an umbrella or other means of shelter is much more feasible. With stress we cannot always avoid it or hope it will not return for it is guaranteed in this life. The better coping skills one has developed or inherited, the better one copes when the storms of life start to rage. Sometimes healthy coping may exist simply of accepting help when it is offered. Or resisting the urge to withdraw in fear and isolation when those negative emotions try to take over. 

Comments

[psychfun]

Ok...sorry for this but...we all help each other...

Maslow (w) and he was a Humanist & not Behavioralist (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner & Bandura etc) Maslow didn't have hierarchy of stress needs as far as I knew...maybe I'm reading this wrong. He did have what you said on Hierarchy of needs but I'm not aware of "stressors" now Holmes & Rahe (later Miller & Rahe revised) had a list of stressors (Social Readjustment Rating Scale) & origianlly it was death of a spouse #1. In fact, I do ask my students to critically think & they do put child higher. I do totally agree with you mention about it though.

Basic Emotions depends on Theoriest...Plutchik has 7 basic emotions. He is the one most used now in Intro Psych text but there are some others.

Coping love to hear more on this part. I spend considerable time on with with my students. I like to talk about perspective that one life event can be thought of as threatening or challenging by different people & then even by the same person differently at different moments in time. Having your class canceled may be ok but if you wake up in the morning & your alarm didn't go off & you rush & your jeans that you meant to dry overnight did not dry (not even to the little bit wet where you still put on) then your car has a flat tire, then you hit a train...etc....the next stress is more threatening. Also love to hear your coping methods. I love to share those I share with others after yours! :-) We all can add to the tool bag of resources.