The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Stress is a contributing factor to depression'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Stress is a contributing factor to depression'

Special Correspondent

Situations like transfer, death of a dear one, marital discord and misbehaviour by children may cause extreme stress and many cannot initially cope with it, says a psychotherapist

Bangalore: Chronic stress can increase your chances of getting an infection. Even something as simple as a bad cold or a touch of flu. In a study in the U.S., among health volunteers who were exposed to the cold virus, those fell ill were those under stress.

Psychotherapists now agree that the body's immune system is badly affected by chronic stress. Those who manage distress in a healthy manner are more fit to tackle the pressures at work. Not just increasing workload and longer working hours, even commuting through chaotic traffic may stress out a person, as has been noticed in Bangalore. While all may not give vent to "road rage", the suppressed anger can burst out later, in the workplace or at home.

"Stress is a contributing factor to depression. Many situations like being handed out the pink slip, or transferred to another location, death of a dear one, going through a bad patch in marital relations, misbehaviour by children, all these may cause extreme stress and many cannot initially cope with it," points out psychotherapist Sunanda Murthy.

Job instability is common among young, just-out-of-college persons whose first job may not match their skill sets or career goals. During the first three years of working life, many young people keep switching jobs, corporate coaches have found. While it may not be all that difficult to get into a third or even fourth job in today's job market, it may be time for them to go for counselling.

A corporate coach working with large firms in the BPO sector reports work-related stress as a significant factor for a person quitting a job. "Employers, especially the immediate supervisors, have to share the blame. Often, it is a case of the proverbial round peg in a square slot that could have been prevented," he says.

People with work-related stress are now advised to make the best of their extended weekends. Not hitting the pubs with office buddies, though that may be all right on Friday nights, but spending quality time with spouse and children, if any. Or even with the "significant other", if such a relationship exists. Shared leisure activities like going to the movies together, watching live sports, a picnic at Nandi Hills or window shopping together. Such shared activities can help the destressing exercise better than alcohol or gambling or unhealthy habits like gorging on junk food.

The time spent with someone you are close to, helps you unwind because you can openly discuss frustrations at work or aggravations from superiors or simply the fact your career is heading nowhere. The other person may even have useful suggestions and you end up feeling much better and less sorry for yourself.

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