WHAT IS STRESS?
Stress, a state of tension or pressure is caused by difficulties in life which may be physical such as results from accident or injury or emotional such as stress caused by an impending threat or other difficult situation.
In medicine today, stress is used in the psychological sense. In his definition of stress, the vicar of Archbishop vinning memorial church ikeja, Venerable Dr Olusegun Adeyemi noted that medically, stress is adjustment physically. Speaking on stress and its management, the Vicar said that there were in-built chemicals produced by the body which serve to defend oneself but when the secretions intensify, the chemicals accumulate and destroy the body it was meant to protect. Adeyemi stated that when this happens, it could affect the central nervous system, the brain and the spinal cord, adding that almost all the diseases are traceable to stress. He noted that when more blood is trafficking into the brain, one become irritable and over-react to things. The outcome may be headache, taking irrational decisions, being confused, disoriented and the catastrophic end may be stroke. According to him, the brain is loosely packed with blood vessels and when the force of breathing is too much, it would rupture and the body will paralyse at the right or left side.
The person may not be able to speak if it affect the speech center or becomes mute if the speech center dies, he added. Inadequate supply of blood to the heart works on the muscles and causes the heart to beat faster. The vicar noted that stress could lead to hypertension which is forceful beating from the heart and results in destroying oneself from inside and could lead to heart attack. It could also lead to intestines not being able to digest food as the stomach weeps out acid which destroys the lining of the stomach and one develop peptic ulcer if not treated.
Stress could also affect genital system. In women, menstruation ceases while men becomes impotent- not having erection which could lead to marital problems. It affects the bladder resulting in bedwetting. It also affects the immunological system. The body on its own fights the multiplying organisms like cancer for many years. The body defense mechanism when stressed could disturb this.
Stress could also lead to mental problem and disorder. There may be fearbouts like inferiority complex or aggression and most men when stressed chew their teeth. Arthritis has a share of stress. The brain produces endorphins in reaction to stress which irritates the nerves. Also diabetes and asthma could be precedated prematurely by stress. Minor stresses may find expression in a variety of ways. It may be seen in an individual who drives recklessly and violently almost obviously in pursuit of an accident.
MANAGEMENT OF STRESS
Venerable Dr Adeyemi stated categorically that there is no cure for stress in the hospital, only advice on how to cope with the situation. He said as a man of God and medical practitioner(surgeon), he has come to realize that knowing the importance of the word of God is the most effective way of overcoming stress. The vicar pointed out that one should always realize that what kills one is inside one’s body and knowing ones character and disposition, body chemistry and positive thinking- as a man thinks himself, so will he be.
Talking right as by one’s word, one will be condemned, according to him, knowing and obeying the word of God, thinking of what to rejoice about the word of God, praying always, knowing the will of God and obeying the word of God and having faith in God always and dealing honestly with your fellow human beings are all known cure for stress, and eradicating diseases from the body.
Adeyemi stated that optimally, an average human being spends 8 hours at work and 8 hours for rest. If the 8 hours is manipulated for gossiping and the rest periods falls under 8 hours, it could be stress related.
Therefore, adequate rest is advocated to ensure the body mechanism functions properly.