Stress is a common feature in our lives, especially as the pace of development increases. What used to be a response to life-threatening situations for our ancestors, stress is now brought on by financial worries, work pressure and traffic. Nina Muslim and Mahmood Saberi look into the causes of stress in today's society and ways to deal with it.
A media executive says she suffers from headaches daily. Married with children, she says her headaches are due to stress from her professional and personal life. ?Sometimes I have headaches when I wake up,? she says.
Her preferred method of de-stressing is to lie on the sofa after coming home from work, turn down the lights and watch television for two to three hours. ?I have to have complete silence. When my husband tries to talk to me, I ask him to leave me alone. That?s why I am happy sometimes when my husband is asleep when I come home,? she says.
But when she gets up, the stress starts again and the headaches return.
?My work is too much, everything is so expensive, and there is also my children and my husband,? she says.
Not unusual
Her story is not unusual, even in a land of sunny skies, beautiful beaches and excellent shopping amid towering skyscrapers in the middle of the desert. The UAE is heading towards a high-stress society, due to its pace of development and high cost of living, according to mental health specialists.
A Gulf News poll published on December 21, 2005, found that the biggest stress factor among residents was the high cost of living with 67 per cent.
It was followed by work with 23 per cent and traffic with 10 per cent.
The results are not surprising, according to Dr Hussain Ali, a psychologist with the Dubai Community Health Centre and head of Psychology and Social Services Department at Rashid Hospital.
?The UAE is becoming a high-stress society due to recent changes and increased demands,? he said.
He said a majority of the patients he saw cited financial issues as the biggest cause of mental stress when they have to cope with the increasing cost of living.
?People come here because they don?t have to pay taxes and make money, but the increasing cost of living leads them to question their purpose for coming here,? he said.
?Their purpose for coming is gone and they feel stressed because they have lost their goal for the move,? he added.
Relate
Jordanian Marwan Mustapha can relate to what Dr Ali is saying. He came to the UAE three years ago because of the high standard of living here. ?Life was very good then. Now everything is more expensive than in Jordan,? he said.
?It is not just me, but everyone feels stressed. Sometimes you wonder what you are doing here,? he added, saying that he cannot save anything from his salary.
Dr Ali said the financial worries, and accompanying stress, intensify for some expatriates who have their families with them as they have to think about schools for the children, finding a home and supporting the family.
He also said work pressure contributes to a stressful situation, especially if the person lacks job security or when the job is too demanding. And being stuck in Dubai?s infamous traffic problems does not help matters.
Some of the people Gulf News talked to described long hours and very little time to unwind. Connie, a Filipina, said she works for at least 12 hours a day. Sometimes she works from 7 am to midnight.
?I came here to work, not to relax. I don?t have the time or money to do anything else,? she said.
Science of stress
Dr Ali said stress was a body?s evolutionary response to threats, be they real or perceived.
He said stress induces a flight or fight response pumping adrenaline into the muscles to aid the body in its next course of action. After an action has been taken, the body returns to normal.
According to Dr Ali, stress works for some people.
?Sometimes it?s good because it motivates people to work better and harder,? he said.
However, he said unmanaged stress keeps the body always poised to run or fight and is damaging in the long run, leading to serious and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Signs
Some of the physical signs of stress include sleep disruption, changes in appetite, headaches, physical ailments, intestinal troubles, such as ulcers and gastroenteritis.
It also affects the immune system, making the person more vulnerable to, and less able to fight, colds and minor infections.
Mental signs include feelings of anxiety, nervousness, memory problems, irritability and depression. Left untreated, people can develop anxiety disorders and have panic attacks, and long-term depression.
People who are not managing their stress well will also find it difficult to concentrate, becoming absent-minded.
And they feel stressed because they have lost their goal for the move,? he added.
Relate
Jordanian Marwan Mustapha can relate to what Dr Ali is saying. He came to the UAE three years ago because of the high standard of living here. ?Life was very good then. Now everything is more expensive than in Jordan,? he said.
?It is not just me, but everyone feels stressed. Sometimes you wonder what you are doing here,? he added, saying that he cannot save anything from his salary.
Dr Ali said the financial worries, and accompanying stress, intensify for some expatriates who have their families with them as they have to think about schools for the children, finding a home and supporting the family.
He also said work pressure contributes to a stressful situation, especially if the person lacks job security or when the job is too demanding. And being stuck in Dubai?s infamous traffic problems does not help matters.
Some of the people Gulf News talked to described long hours and very little time to unwind. Connie, a Filipina, said she works for at least 12 hours a day. Sometimes she works from 7 am to midnight.
?I came here to work, not to relax. I don?t have the time or money to do anything else,? she said.
Science of stress
Dr Ali said stress was a body?s evolutionary response to threats, be they real or perceived.
He said stress induces a flight or fight response pumping adrenaline into the muscles to aid the body in its next course of action. After an action has been taken, the body returns to normal.
According to Dr Ali, stress works for some people. ?Sometimes it?s good because it motivates people to work better and harder,? he said.
However, he said unmanaged stress keeps the body always poised to run or fight and is damaging in the long run, leading to serious and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Signs
Some of the physical signs of stress include sleep disruption, changes in appetite, headaches, physical ailments, intestinal troubles, such as ulcers and gastroenteritis.
It also affects the immune system, making the person more vulnerable to, and less able to fight, colds and minor infections.
Mental signs include feelings of anxiety, nervousness, memory problems, irritability and depression. Left untreated, people can develop anxiety disorders and have panic attacks, and long-term depression.
People who are not managing their stress well will also find it difficult to concentrate, becoming absent-minded.
What is YOUR stress level? Find out with the Life Event Stress ScaleThe Life Event Stress Scale was developed by Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, University of Washington, 1967.
In the past 12 months, which of the following major life events have taken place in your life?
Make a check mark next to each event that you have experienced this year When you are done, add up the points for each event.
Calculate your score at the end.
Event Stress Scores
? Death of spouse 100 ? Divorce 73 ? Marital separation 65 ? Jail term 63 ? Death of close family member 63 ? Personal injury or illness 53 ? Marriage 50 ? Fired from work 47 ? Marital reconciliation 45 ? Retirement 45 ? Change in family member?s health 44 ? Pregnancy 40 ? Sex difficulties 39 ? Addition to family 39 ? Business readjustment 39 ? Change in financial status 38 ? Death of a close friend 37 ? Change to a different line of work 36 ? Change in number of marital arguments 35 ? Mortgage or loan over $10,000 31 ? Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30 ? Change in work responsibilities 29 ? Trouble with in-laws 29 ? Outstanding personal achievement 28 ? Spouse begins or stops work 26 ? Starting or finishing school 26 ? Change in living conditions 25 ? Revision of personal habits 24 ? Trouble with boss 23 ? Change in work hours, conditions 20 ? Change in residence 20 ? Change in schools 20 ? Change in recreational habits 19 ? Change in church activities 19 ? Change in social activities 18 ? Mortgage or loan under $10,000 17 ? Change in sleeping habits 16 ? Change in number of family gatherings 15 ? Change in eating habits 15 ? Vacation 13 ? Christmas season 12 ? Minor violation of the law 11
This scale shows the kind of life pressure that you are facing. Depending on your coping skills or the lack thereof, this scale can predict the likelihood that you will fall victim to a stress related illness. The illness could be mild to frequent tension headaches, acid indigestion, loss of sleep to more serious problems like ulcers, migraines, lower back pain, etc..
Score scale
0-149
Low susceptibility to stress-related illness
150-299
Medium susceptibility to stress-related illness
300 and over
High susceptibility to stress related illness
CALCULATE Your total score:
