Medical Questions » Emotions Questions » Question No. 306
Question:I am constantly under stress at work. My boss is very tough, and no matter how much I do, he never seems satisfied. I am constantly anxious, and this makes me slow down at work in case I make a mistake. I' m a complete mess. It is affecting my lifestyle and marriage. How can I cope with it?
Answer:A There are four basic ways to treat stress: • The obvious, most successful, but hardest to achieve, is removing the cause of the stress. • The next way to deal with stress is to rationalise it. This can involve a combination of several different techniques. Talking is an excellent way of relieving anxiety. Discuss the problem with your spouse, relatives, friends, doctor, work mates or anyone else who will listen. Problems often do not appear as insurmountable once bought into the open. Writing down the details of the problem is another excellent way of relieving anxiety. An insurmountable problem in your mind often appears more manageable on paper, particularly when all your possible options are diagrammatically attached to it to enable a rational view of the situation to be obtained. • Professional assistance in discussing your problems is also very helpful. This may be given by your own general practitioner (who can often be a friend as well as counsellor), a psychiatrist (not because you may be insane, but because they have specialist skills in this area), a psychologist, or social worker. Many people are reluctant to seek this type of assistance, but it is far preferable to the fourth type of treatment for stress. • Drugs that alter your mood, sedate or relieve anxiety are very successful in dealing with stress, but should only be used in a crisis, intermittently or for short periods of time. Some anti-depressant drugs and treatments for psychiatric conditions are designed for long term use, but most of the anxiety-relieving drugs can cause dependency if used regularly. When prescribed and taken correctly, they act as a very useful crutch to help patients through a few weeks of extreme stress, and allow them to cope until such time as the cause of the stress is removed or counselling; can be started.
       
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