Drug and alcohol abuse today are at all time highs. Each year, millions are dragged into the mire of substance abuse, leading to illness, lost productivity, and often crime and death. In 2002, in the U.S. alone, an estimated 22 million citizens suffered from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both, according to a household survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tens of millions of people crave addictive agents to cope with miseries and problems, to escape boredom, or to find excitement. One of the chief causes of this growing problem is intense tension, or HYPERSTRESS. And it is simple to understand why. Look at the world and what do we see? Chaos! There is war, strife and violence in all parts of the world today. Added to this is the fear factor of a world living under threat of the modern terrorist.
Increasingly, people are seeking to escape the reality of these problems—and to ease the pain of continual anxiety or stress—by using potent pills, mind-altering powders or chemicals. Medical drugs and painkillers are not the solution to personal and emotional problems. Rather, they usually offer only a temporary respite from stress. If used constantly, they can lead to serious, sometimes irreparable, damage—mentally, emotionally, and physically. The fact is, we all face a certain amount of stress. The key to dealing with it is not to avoid the stress through drugs or alcohol or any other escapist device, but to tackle the stress head-on and learn how to manage our stress levels.
To avoid the temptation to turn to drugs or alcohol in dealing with stress, we must understand certain techniques that will help us effectively manage personal stress:
1. LEARN TO LIVE WITH STRESS
We need to learn how much we can handle and take steps to avoid excessive stress. Negative stress burns up needed energy and causes fatigue. Poor health on top of excessive stress can drag one down into the depths of mental and emotional despair and can amplify life’s smaller problems and irritations. A healthy, physically fit person can handle a substantial amount of pressure. Such a person is more adaptable to change and generally possesses a positive and hopeful outlook.
In the interest of improving your general health so that you may better manage stress, consider the seven basic laws of radiant health: 1) Eating the correct foods, 2) cleanliness and personal hygiene, 3) sunshine and fresh air, 4) proper exercise, 5) the right amount of sleep and rest, 6) avoiding bodily injury, and 7) maintaining a tranquil mind and developing self control.
2. BE POSITIVE
Establishing a right mental outlook can prevent and even alleviate certain physical maladies caused or aggravated by stress and negative thinking. Learning to think properly is a key to mental and emotional stability. In a world where the prevalent attitude among people is “me first,” strive to develop an outgoing, helpful concern for others. Don’t criticize or gossip, or try to drag them down so you can get ahead. Instead, focus your mind on their good qualities. It will go a long way toward alleviating stress.
Few of us have issues or stresses that have not been experienced by others. Talk to people about your dilemma. Seek help. Offer your assistance to others. This will most often mean just providing an empathetic ear to other people. Seeing our problems in the context of the trials and tribulations of other people can be quite humbling and can quickly put our problems into a proper perspective. Learning the basic skills of getting along with others will also reduce stressful living. Strive to become a “people person”—go out of your way to practice acts of kindness toward others. Be patient and tolerant. Negative feelings such as hatred, distress, disdain, hostility, jealousy and the urge for revenge cause an increase in stress levels. One the other hand, positive feelings, such as gratitude, respect, trust, and admiration for the excellence of outstanding achievements causes a lowering of stress levels. This brings goodwill and friendship.
3. Be Realistic
We live in a negative, stress-filled world. We know we will have disappointments in life from time to time. None of us can have smooth sailing 100 percent of the time. Stressed people don’t accept this simple fact. They tend to mentally magnify their problems out of proportion—making mountains out of molehills. They become so wrapped up in their problems and difficulties (real or imagined), they become almost immobilized. Don’t dwell on past mistakes and failures. We all have regrets. Learn from them and move on. Don’t wallow in self-pity; for if you do, you’ll remain in a stressful situation.
On the weekend, when perhaps you have a little more time, take a few moments to plan the week. When planning, prioritize your activities, ensuring the most important come first. Strive for balance between work, family and personal recreation. Too much time spent in any one of these sectors of life can lead to stress and anxiety in the other areas. Too much work will lead to family problems. Too much recreation can lead to problems at work and at home. Aim for balance. When possible, plan ahead in order to avoid any last-minute scrambling and the associated stress. Begin work on new job projects and assignments as soon as you receive them, avoiding the habit of leaving them to the last minute.
There is no need to avoid all stress in our lives. We simply need to learn how to effectively manage it—even causing it to work for us. Next time you are faced with a stressful situation or issue, strive to remove any temptation to turn to drugs or alcohol. That’s pure escapism. Face up to life and remember the techniques on managing stress covered in this article. Accept stress as a fact of life. Learn to live with it. Develop a positive mental attitude; strive to focus your mind on others instead of yourself; be realistic and develop a game plan to cope with stress. Doing this will make life far more enjoyable and keep problems under control.
