CHENNAI : Substance abuse is a common problem, even among professionals.

Typically 10 to 20 per cent of them have substance abuse problems. Many support their families financially but those who have money tend to abuse it, according to a human resources professional in a business process outsourcing company in Chennai.

Minor problems get magnified because the human system cannot cope with the changes it is subjected to. Changes in sleeping schedules or food habits could affect the temperament of a person, say doctors. Adding to it is abuse such as alcohol or smoking. Drug abuse is reportedly low but the effects are far worse.

Kousalya V. Nathan, age management specialist, recalls an incident she witnessed during a routine visit. "This woman had a lit cigarette in both hands. Suddenly she threw away the cigarette in her right hand. She had been smoking the one in her left hand, focussed on her work. She threw away the cigarette because the butt burnt her finger. It was then I realised that she was so stressed that she did not know that she already had a lit cigarette in her hand."

A woman HR professional in a listed information technology company recalls a colleague's death. "It was a chilling experience because this person used to visit me occasionally. His wife was waiting to be interviewed in our firm. They had been married for a few years but were always in different parts of the globe on projects for two different companies. Then the man went on leave as he had jaundice. I did not see him for some time. One day I learnt that he had died. I thought it was due to jaundice. But then I learnt that he drank to overcome loneliness. He had died of alcoholism."

Former software professional Madhavan recalls he spent the entire day in the office in front of the computer. Bhavani, a back office employee for a multinational bank in Chennai, says in her company most women resign after marriage unable to manage the dual pressures at home and work.

The generation that spends time in front of the computer is aging faster, says Dr. Kousalya. "It is all about chemical changes in the body". Stress results in secretion of certain hormones and we age faster. She designs diet regimen for employees at BPOs and also encourages them to practise yoga, meditation as well as simple breathing and eye exercises.

"Acute stress can cause migraine or even heart attack. Emotional management is needed to break the vicious cycle of stress," she says.

"A small area in our brain continually monitors outside influences such as sunlight, sleep and eating and determine the body's daily schedule, referred to as circadian rhythm.

Living and working `out of sync' with circadian rhythms puts stress on the body, leading to problems such as sleep disorders, stomach ailments, heart disease and mental health problems.

Strong correlation

"There is a strong correlation between the ability to remain alert and the physical fitness of the individual. It is beneficial to maintain regular sports or physical activity," says N. Ramakrishnan, director of Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences.

Medical researchers K. Mohamed Ali and B.W.C. Sathiyasekaran have documented in their case studies that lack of job satisfaction and stress caused by insomnia often resulted in depression.

These studies too point to the importance of stress management and the need to relax and exercise.

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