Traditional Therapies

Therapies Offered

Less Stress

Notes: Dec. 18, 1997 Edition

By Dr. Anthony G. Ziagos, Sr. MBA, R. Hy.

Rush, Rush, Rush! Everyone is running around attempting to be in two places at once. Their days are filled with anxiety. Tension builds and either the dog ends up being kicked or an unsuspecting spouse is victim of verbal abuse, or worse.

Holidays are filled with high expectations placed on us by the media, our family, and “what’s expected of us,” or, a combination of all three. A Christian religious holiday has been transformed into a commercial extravaganza, an excuse for days off, and an expectation that everyone else should be “generous” towards us. Of course, we seem to get sucked into the expectation that everyone demands, and before we know it -- we are attempting to cope with a financial and psychological burden of the season. Tension builds and our bodies begin to rebel, and mental pain turns into physical pain. Ooouuuccchhh!!! Our shoulders become hard and tense, our lower back never seems to stop aching, and our eyes can’t seem to focus. We go to bed tired and wake up tired. Why? Everyone wants to know. Simple, it’s stress.

Stress causes anxiety or anxious feelings, the anxiety causes tension. The more in-tense the stress, the more pronounced the anxiety, which then builds up to cause real physical problems. Stress manifests itself in several forms. Muscle aches and headaches are the most common. Extreme forms may show up as stomach ailments or bowel problems. When things are really out of control, we see a doctor. He assigns a name to it, and we begin to feel better. Or do we? The pharmaceutical industry has several solutions for us. The more exotic the malady, the more expensive the “medicine” can warrant. What if? ... Our suffering is real because the doctor said, “I had something” and the prescribed medicine is making me feel better so I must have “it”. Uh huh! We know what comes next. “You live my life, and you’ll see.” Sounds familiar?

What if? Maybe there are people who do understand. Maybe there are people who really do know what’s wrong. Maybe there are people who understand and know about stress, and make it their business not to have any. Stress and related problems can be controlled. Stress happens to everyone, and the difference is the way we choose to deal with it. If we take control of our lives by addressing the little things that happen on a daily basis, we are less likely to have tension and the problems associated with chronic stress. Communication is the key to a healthier life. Taking control by expressing our concerns will help reduce stress and subsequent anxiety and tension. This does not give us the right to be obnoxious or pushy if we address our concerns with communication.