HOW IS STRESS A SILENT KILLER?
It is easy to combat an enemy when we can envision or perceive them as our enemy but what about the foes whom we cannot see or they our inside us acting like predators and killing us. The scenario is same as what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir in current period. Security forces are finding it difficult in differentiating between the normal residents and the sleeper cells Jihadis residing there, hence making the combat more difficult. Stress corresponds to those hidden jihadis which are inside us and killing our body in the same way they are killing the secure structure of our nation. - “Never underestimate the power of stress as a silent killer”-Quoted
Human being is a social animal, technology and development being an inseparable part of it. As this inseparable part is becoming the noteworthy part of our lives, it is bringing its most devout friend “stress” with it. Stress is the new smoking- In this modern transitional era where our lives have become more complex and competitive, stress has become like food to us, consume it, taste it, enjoy it but you cannot avoid it. Stress is often considered as a silent killer because its symptoms are not visible and are not definite but harsh reality proven by the medical science is that stress is the ultimate cause of all major diseases on this earth. To mention some-High blood pressure, Fibromyalgia, Thyroid, Skin diseases, Migraine, Strokes, Kidney Failure and many more to count. Stress increases the release of hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenalin, which act to increase the heart rate and contractile volume, as well as constricting arteries in the gastrointestinal tract. The impact that stress has on the organs and systems of the body has been proven conclusively to have a devastating consequence to our health and well-being. Stress can be more debilitating than a heart attack. Stress and health are unilaterally related and the effects of this relation are different on every individual, some get the effects in the form of emotions and some get in their physical problems.
Our attacking system should always be better than the counter system of our silent killer. Hence we should know about our strengths and how we can defend ourselves. All other biological defects which are results of stress cause psychological and physical problems. Though, stress is subjective to person to person, what may cause stress to a person may not cause same intensity of stress to another human. It is all about how we perceive it and respond to it. Every counter of our silent foe can be prevented if we take the charge of attacking posts of our life. We do not have control over all the happenings in our lives but we do have control over how we perceive it and how we respond to it. Early symptoms of stress affecting your body may include anxiety, increase in heart rate, muscle tightening and high blood pressure. As soon as a particular person analyzes these symptoms in one’s body, all required steps should be taken. Some of the common counter attacks to stress include exercise, medication and mediation, sleep, proper nutrition, self expression.
Since stress is more of a psychological issue and acts as a silent killer, we have to learn the ways to handle it by expressing it and perceiving them through positive vision. We often do not speak out about what bothers us which inculcates inside us silently and hence causes damages to our nervous breakdown. Counseling and stress management courses which are still considered to be taboo areas are the best missiles for this silent foe.
