Stress is regarded today as the number one killer disease. The receding frontiers of ignorance in medicine show that almost every known physical and psychological illness is stress related. This growing awareness of the role of ‘stress’ in health and illness has led to a proliferation of anti-stress strategies in the medical market. Many of these, like the stress-fighting pills which contain combinations of vitamins and minerals (the latest fad being antioxidants, especially vitamin E), are pushed for commercial purposes.
Others, capitalizing on the general ignorance combine commerce and creativity in a variety of stress management programs and techniques. The latter ultimately induce a few to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Most however give up, after the initial thrill of a new experience. Other methods range from dietary manipulation, energy release methods and coping strategies to a variety of exercises, relaxation methods, imagery and visualization, techniques of meditation etc… Yet what eludes us completely is a proper understanding of stress. It seems that we are fighting against a powerful invisible enemy.
We learn to cope and handle stress at one level but it finds us at another. We master stress in one field and find another frontier suddenly exposed before our eyes. We tackle and control, with difficulty, one situation, only to find another more difficult circumstance unfolding in our life. We are perplexed and bewildered by the many faces of stress.
And yet, confusion and bewilderment does not help us. It is essential for us, therefore, to take a clear look at the many masks of stress and see what lies behind it. For knowledge is the first step towards true control.
