A certain degree of mental tension and stress is part of our daily living; like living in a metropolitan city, waiting in a bus queue or boarding it, driving on a busy road, an argument with a colleague or a friend, disagreement with wife or grown-up children, etc. For such momentary tensions and stresses, our body is equipped to deal with immediately and effectively.
There are other stress-producing situations which are severe in intensity or last longer. The body tries to adapt itself to such situations, but sometimes, in the process, it exhausts itself.
It is not necessary that only the unpleasant situations produce stress, even the pleasant ones can have a similar effect. An example of the latter is receiving the Dews of winning a big lottery: this can produce an immediate as well as prolonged stress effect upon the body, and some people are known to have succumbed to it.
Stress-producing Events
Lately, Dr. Thomas H. Holmes and his colleagues at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, prepared a long list of different events of factors that create different degrees of stress in people.
They gave marks to these events and stated that an accumulation of 200 or more marks in a single year is liable to disrupt the health of the individual. The following is the list of the events prepared by them. The marks against each indicate its severity:
| Life Stresses* |
|
Mark Value |
| 1 |
Death of spouse |
100 |
2 |
Divorce |
73 |
| 3 |
Marital separation from mate |
65 |
| 4 |
Detention in jailor other institution |
63 |
| 5 |
Death of a close family member |
63 |
| 6 |
Major personal injury or illness |
53 |
| 7 |
Marriage |
50 |
| 8 |
Being fired at work |
47 |
| 9 |
Marital reconciliation with mate |
45 |
| 10 |
Retirement from work |
45 |
| 11 |
Major change in health or behavior of a family member |
44 |
| 12 |
Pregnancy |
40 |
| 13 |
Sexual difficulties |
39 |
| 14 |
Gaining a new family member (e.g.,
through birth, adoption, or oldster
m,oving in, etc.) |
39 |
| 15 |
Major personal readjustment (e.g.,
merger, reorganization, bankruptcy, etc.) |
39 |
| 16 |
Major change in financial state (e.g., a
lot worse off or a lot better off than usual) |
38 |
| 17 |
Death of a close friend |
37 |
| 18 |
Changing to a different line of work |
36 |
| 19 |
Major change in the number of arguments
with spouse (e.g., either a lot more or a
lot less than usual regarding child-rearing,
personal habits, etc.) |
35 |
| 20 |
Taking on a mortgage greater than |
31 |
| 21 |
1,00,000 (e.g., purchasing a home,
business, etc.) |
30 |
| 22 |
Foreclosure on a mortgage or loan |
29 |
| 23 |
Major change in responsibilities at
work (e.g., promotion, demotion, lateral transfer) 29
23. Son or daughter leaving home (e.g.,
marriage, attending college, etc.) |
29 |
| 24 |
In-law troubles |
29 |
| 25 |
Outstanding personal achievement |
29 |
| 26 |
Wife beginning or ceasing work outside the home |
28 |
| 27 |
Beginning or ceasing formal schooling |
26 |
| 28 |
Major changes in living conditions (e.g.,
building a new home, remodeling,
deterio¬ration of home or neighborhood) |
26 |
| 29 |
Revision of personal habits (dress,
manners, associations, etc.) |
25 |
| 30 |
Troubles with the boss |
23 |
| 31 |
Major change in working hours or condi¬tions |
20 |
| 32 |
Change in residence |
20 |
| 33 |
Changing to a new school |
20 |
| 34 |
Major change in usual type and/or amount
of recreation |
19 |
| 35 |
Major change in church activities (e.g., a
lot more or a lot less than usual) |
19 |
| 36 |
Major change in social activities (e.g.,
clubs, dancing, movies, visiting, etc.) |
18 |
| 37 |
Taking on a mortgage or loan less than $1,00;000 |
17 |
| 38 |
Major change in sleeping habits (a lotmore or a lot less sleep or change in partof day when asleep) |
16 |
| 39 |
Major change in number of family get togethers (e.g., a lot more or a lot less than usual) |
15 |
| 40 |
Major change in eating habits {a lot more or 8 Jot Jess food intake or very different meal hours or surroundings |
15 |
| 41 |
Vacation |
13 |
| 42 |
Christmas |
12 |
| 43 |
Minor violations of the law(e.g., traffic tickets, jay-walking, disturbing the peace, etc.) |
11 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
0-149-Low stress
150-199-Mild stress
200-299-Moderate stress
300 or more-Major stress
Stress-producing Occupations
Investigations have also been conducted as regards various occupations and the stress level which they generate.
Some of the professions or occupations that generate a high to moderate degree of mental tension include that of the executive (business, managerial), sales-manager, salesman, accountant" Under the condition of worry, over-work fatigue, some people pull on for some time, and then they break down with different diseases either singly or in combination. Some get high blood-pressure, others hardening of the blood vessels and coronary heart diseases, others still, rheumatoid arthritis
Environmental Factors and Stress*
| Factor or Condition |
Stress Response |
| Diet |
Poor diet means poor resistance to stressors |
| Drugs |
Alcoholism means impaired response. |
| Occupation |
Accountants get high blood pressure during tax time, business executives are prone to ulcers. |
| Location |
City living is more stressful. |
| Family situation |
Single people have higher incidence of stress-related diseases and disorders. |
| Social situation |
Socially isolated persons are more prone to disease and tend to die prematurely. |
| Religious affiliation |
Deeply religious persons seem to manage severe stresses well. |
| Emotional stability |
Stable people react well to stress. |
| Ability to relax |
Negative effects of stress may be overcome by those who can relax. |
|
