When people are stressed they search for ways to numb there mental state. They may turn to excessive consumption of alcohol for example - tempting when you feel the need for a pick me up. It provides relief by numbing the brain. At the same time, because it works on the brain in a matter of minutes, it straight away alters the mix of neuro-chemicals, increasing the release of dopamine and serotonin - providing instant relief. So 'binge thinking' may lead to 'binge drinking'.
If not 'self-medicating' with alchohol, during a stressed state, some people use recreational (and prescription) drugs. These drugs trigger a flush of dopamine which increases a sense of feeling relaxed, so they can become highly addictive.
Others will increase their intake of nicotine as they increase their consumption of cigarettes, which again triggers an instant release of dopamine. Some indulge in overeating to deal with their state of mind.
Surveys in the UK and USA continually show that between more than 50 and 70% of people - at any one time- are extremely concerned about the amount of stress in their lives. Furthermore, a 'stress in america' survey carried out by the American Psychological Assosiation (APA) in 2007 showed that job stress is the number one stress for inderviduals.
Other results relating to our behaviours during stress in the APA survey were also interesting - although not surprising. One-fifth of drinkers reported drinking too much; two-thirds of smokers said they smoked more; half of the people surveyed said they had destured sleep; and nearly one half of the respondents admitted to either overeating or reaching for unhealthy or 'junk' food.
A stressor can be external - in the sense that it comes from your senses, something you see, hear, feel, taste or touch - or internal a thought that you hold. What's important to be aware of though is that all stressors end up being internal - in other words, they end up as part of your thought process; and a troubled one at that.
Stress tends to be classified into two areas relating to it's severity: minor and major. The minor areas are the everyday ones that we endure (Traffic Jams, Bills, tiredness etc). The major ones are the life events that tend to be more significant: illness, moving house, a new job, a promotion at work, redundancy, divorce, new baby.
It's interesting that when people are asked which of the two stressors are the most disruptive and unhealthiest, most people will say the major ones. Yet all the research - from the consulting rooms, therapist's offices and kitchen tables-shows that it is the small stressors on an everyday basis that 'break the camel's back'. This is because the minor stressors are so relentless and we get used to the assault, we tend not to take them as seriously as the major stressors - which occur less frequently and usually make us focus on getting through the problem.
'Stress' really intrigues me, because i dont believe it to be something we should necessarily accept as an unavoidable factor of life, why should we? Yet, we all do, we just 'get on with it'. Numb ourselves with substances, laugh it off. This only furthers my questioning of our society, is our culture and guidelines, provided by our goverment, enaberling us to live, or forcing us to do what we have to do in order to survive? To me i see a zoo and i see rules and illusion, the rules and the illusion are keeping the people who were born in the cages, in the cages, or making it very difficult for them to brake free, but it is not impossible.
Related Books - Mind Power By James Borg
If not 'self-medicating' with alchohol, during a stressed state, some people use recreational (and prescription) drugs. These drugs trigger a flush of dopamine which increases a sense of feeling relaxed, so they can become highly addictive.
Others will increase their intake of nicotine as they increase their consumption of cigarettes, which again triggers an instant release of dopamine. Some indulge in overeating to deal with their state of mind.
Surveys in the UK and USA continually show that between more than 50 and 70% of people - at any one time- are extremely concerned about the amount of stress in their lives. Furthermore, a 'stress in america' survey carried out by the American Psychological Assosiation (APA) in 2007 showed that job stress is the number one stress for inderviduals.
Other results relating to our behaviours during stress in the APA survey were also interesting - although not surprising. One-fifth of drinkers reported drinking too much; two-thirds of smokers said they smoked more; half of the people surveyed said they had destured sleep; and nearly one half of the respondents admitted to either overeating or reaching for unhealthy or 'junk' food.
A stressor can be external - in the sense that it comes from your senses, something you see, hear, feel, taste or touch - or internal a thought that you hold. What's important to be aware of though is that all stressors end up being internal - in other words, they end up as part of your thought process; and a troubled one at that.
Stress tends to be classified into two areas relating to it's severity: minor and major. The minor areas are the everyday ones that we endure (Traffic Jams, Bills, tiredness etc). The major ones are the life events that tend to be more significant: illness, moving house, a new job, a promotion at work, redundancy, divorce, new baby.
It's interesting that when people are asked which of the two stressors are the most disruptive and unhealthiest, most people will say the major ones. Yet all the research - from the consulting rooms, therapist's offices and kitchen tables-shows that it is the small stressors on an everyday basis that 'break the camel's back'. This is because the minor stressors are so relentless and we get used to the assault, we tend not to take them as seriously as the major stressors - which occur less frequently and usually make us focus on getting through the problem.
'Stress' really intrigues me, because i dont believe it to be something we should necessarily accept as an unavoidable factor of life, why should we? Yet, we all do, we just 'get on with it'. Numb ourselves with substances, laugh it off. This only furthers my questioning of our society, is our culture and guidelines, provided by our goverment, enaberling us to live, or forcing us to do what we have to do in order to survive? To me i see a zoo and i see rules and illusion, the rules and the illusion are keeping the people who were born in the cages, in the cages, or making it very difficult for them to brake free, but it is not impossible.
Related Books - Mind Power By James Borg
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