De-stressing or decompressing is not just lifestyle talk points now. They have become serious debates for maintaining good physiological and mental well-being. Stress is a silent killer, giving us a lifetime of diseases, which if left unchecked, can quickly become life threatening. So, why should stress be kept out of the prescription?
When we’re stressed, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that prompt blood sugar to rise as part of the “fight or flight” response.
New Delhi: ‘Feeling stressed out, too much stress, stressful times…’ these phrases have become commonplace, much like the word ‘Stress’ which has become a buzzword for across generations. Last year, “stress” featured as one of the most frequently searched item on the internet. Everyone wanted to know how to wind-down as it was reflecting on their poor mental health and also crossing over the bridge to affecting the physical state of being too. According to the World Health Organisation, stress alone leads to 45 per cent of all cases of cardiac arrests. It can lead to diabetes in 35 per cent of the cases, stress features in the infamous list of “top three reasons for cancer”. The word (and the condition itself) is single-handedly responsible for about 80 per cent of all mental disorders that we find around ourselves today. Stress can cause infertility issues, can damage liver and kidney…
I don’t think one needs to go on about the importance of managing this silent epidemic that seems to be living amongst us. Here are some statistics that prove stress is an all pervasive and a global problem.
What the numbers say
It’s true when you hear most people around say they have been experiencing unprecedented levels of stress. According to a 2024 survey conducted by WIN, about 79 per cent people worldwide experience stress to varying degrees. Of those, 82 per cent who work full time and 83 per cent of students report feeling the most stressed. It is not age specific either. The same survey threw up other stats which suggest, 40 per cent of the respondents who said they feel stressed were in the 12-18 age category.
In 2022, Afghanistan had the highest reported stress level at 68 per cent, followed by the US at a staggering 53 per cent. In 2024, the most stressed countries based on the percentage of people who reported experiencing a lot of stress were Northern Cyprus, Israel, Nigeria, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Tanzania, Turkey, Malta, Sri Lanka, and Bolivia.
Looking at this from the Indian POV, a 2021 survey found that 86 per cent of the male respondents and 14 per cent of female respondents reported experiencing stress. However, the levels have increased manifold, closing whatever gap one found with respect to stress experienced by different genders. Then there is the India Fit Report 22-23, which suggested that 24 per cent of Indians are struggling with stress at the moment. In terms of population figures, this is too high!
By now, it’s well established that stress is being experienced globally, gender and age are incidental. Does it also translate to worsening health conditions in general populations? Let’s find out.
As of August 2024, 31 per cent of adults surveyed worldwide thought stress was the biggest health problem in their country.
Why does stress lead to health issues
How does one define this term? We asked our panel of mental health experts to decode this for us and this is what they had to say –
“It isn’t a disease per se. Although stress has proven to have lasting effects on an individual’s mental and physical health. The way we should understand stress is by treating the condition as a response,” says Dr Pulkit Sharma, a psychiatrist based out of Puducherry.
The American Institute of Stress defines stress “as the body’s nonspecific response to any demand, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. Frequently, the source of stress is rooted in change — like a big move, a new job, or a wedding. But it can also stem from a person’s surroundings, like an aggressive boss or a tense conversation.”
Sharma goes on to define the manifestations and the boundaries of stress. “It can be explained via a simple example. When a body is faced with a perceived threat, it is seen that stress levels rise, and hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are released to increase alertness, tense muscles, and heighten blood pressure. This is the evolutionary “fight or flight” response that results from acute stress,” says about how the health issues stem from stress.
While stress in short bursts is experienced by all and it can lead to many positives like aiding one’s thinking or focusing capabilities. It is becoming a cause for worry because stress is slowly becoming a chronic issue. It can thus lead to
- Physical discomforts like headaches, prolonged muscle tension
- Stress can give you sleep issues which is then followed by a number of other health problems
- Indigestion is another by-product of chronic stress. The symptoms of heavy bloating or the feeling of fatigue are common symptoms of stress-triggered gut issues
- Stress can cause strain in reproduction as well.
- Doctors have also diagnosed various cognitive failures due to stress
- Eye health and skin issues can also become prominent if a patient suffers from chronic stress issues.
So, how does one deal with something as basic as chronic stress and the problems that come with it? Experts say the best way is to avoid stress altogether.
How to keep chronic stress at bay
“Stress” may not have made it to a general physician’s prescription yet, but there are many doctors who are not counseling their patients on ways to manage stress in their lives for better health outcomes. Dr Shishir Jha, a GP from Noida, for instance makes it a point to speak with his OPD patients about how managing stress is half the battle won. “The government must consider allowing stress to be called a disease or a health condition at least. In almost 30-35 per cent of the patients that I see on a daily basis, the actual diagnosis is stress. I make it a point to speak with them about the same and sometimes even refer their case to a mental health expert who can treat their stress before I can treat their bodily issues,” Jha said.
While there is no labelled prognosis for stress, mental health experts say the way to keep this at bay is just to lead a healthy and happy life. Sounds basic but it is not that easy.
“I advise mindfulness to my patients to address daily stressors in their lives. The way to get to this state is by meditation or deep thinking,” says Sharma, adding that its high time meditation is taken up by all to counter physical health problems. “Meditation is not just for inner peace. If done rightly, it can actually help in curing some of the most difficult of physiological problems that a person may be suffering from.”
Mindfulness and meditation can also do wonders with your stress problem. What meditation can control is the way we use the hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine (released when a person feels stressed). If we can learn to navigate these hormones to better, healthier outcomes it’s a win-win situation.
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