Stress

[Townie]

I've just been listening to two women in the office talking about how stressed they are and considering going to the doctor about it.

 

What is the matter with people?

 

Is it just me?

[Frenchieboy]

I think that the question that we need to ask ourselves is why are so many people going to the doctor nawadays complaining of "stress" compared to years ago? Try to cast your minds back (Those of you that are old enough) to what our parents went through during and just after the war, times were hard and it was always difficult to "make ends meet" yet our parents just got on with it and did their best without any of this running to the doctor or asking for "anti-depressants".

What has changed so much?

[J@mes]

Because years ago people with stress or depression were probably treated like the disabled/ handicapped or whatever whereas it is much more accepted now.

 

My mum suffered with depression and it was hearbreaking to see her spiralling downwards and there was nothing we could do about it. Mental illness, no different to having a cold or a broken arm - it needs treatment.

 

But I do agree that some people use it as a massive excuse just because they have had a tough day/ week at work. Everyone has them, just some of us are able to deal with it better. Deciding who is genuine and who is not is probably a nightmare for a GP, so they go on the side of caution rather than having a suicide on their minds I think!

[Townie]

Yes J@mes, no disrespect intended to those who have genuine problems.

 

At least they've both shut up now and they're getting on with some work!

[Bloke]

Because years ago people with stress or depression were probably treated like the disabled/ handicapped or whatever whereas it is much more accepted now.

 

Mental illness, no different to having a cold or a broken arm - it needs treatment.

 

But I do agree that some people use it as a massive excuse just because they have had a tough day/ week at work. Everyone has them, just some of us are able to deal with it better. Deciding who is genuine and who is not is probably a nightmare for a GP, so they go on the side of caution rather than having a suicide on their minds I think!

 

Absolutely right - no, we didn't recognise stress as an issue then, it was often included with untreatable depression, which is why the mental health hospitals were bursting at the seams.

In the early 70's, when I trained, the local 'psychiatric' hospital had over 2000 beds, which were about 70% depression-labelled patients - the equivalent population area now has about 100 beds. We began to recognise and treat stress then and admissions for long-term mental health problems caused by stress are significantly reduced, but some people really have problems that will need treating and at least now they can admit the problem and seek help.

 

Having said all that, there will also always be the occasional work-shy and feckless individuals, to whom 'stress' can be a good excuse for 'can't be ar$ed-itis', or the "I'm having a **** day and I want a good moan about it" individuals

Edited September 3, 2010 by Bloke

[njc110381]

I've been wondering about myself lately. I'm low on motivation even to do the things I like doing sometimes. Work seems impossible and I get quite down about it, sometimes to the point I just want to cry. My moods change like someones turning a switch on and off!

 

I just put it down to the fact that things have been hard for us recently and money is tight no matter how hard I seem to work. Life must go on so I just try to get on with it! I'm sure it's not a major issue and deep down I'm happy enough. I sometimes think life is too easy and we have no idea what real hardship is? Maybe that gives us the time to sit and think about things which in turn can get us down? Years ago you were too busy working to stop and think about yourself!

[Imperfection]

Because years ago people with stress or depression were probably treated like the disabled/ handicapped or whatever whereas it is much more accepted now.

 

My mum suffered with depression and it was hearbreaking to see her spiralling downwards and there was nothing we could do about it. Mental illness, no different to having a cold or a broken arm - it needs treatment.

 

But I do agree that some people use it as a massive excuse just because they have had a tough day/ week at work. Everyone has them, just some of us are able to deal with it better. Deciding who is genuine and who is not is probably a nightmare for a GP, so they go on the side of caution rather than having a suicide on their minds I think!

 

 

I agree totally.Stress can lead to full blown depression and can then lead to suicide so best to nip it in the bud at its earliest stage.My mum suffered with depression throughout her life and finally got her wish to die 2 years ago.This is not an easy thing to deal with so best go to your GP when you think you need to.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

Yes J@mes, no disrespect intended to those who have genuine problems.

 

At least they've both shut up now and they're getting on with some work!

 

That made me laugh there getting on with some work now, like you are so busy on PW posting about others chatting.

 

Regards OTH

[Piebob]

Employers are also now much more aware of how health issues can and do impact their workforce, and therefore company profitability. Unless you nip stress in the bud and get it sorted, you often end up paying for someone to be off work on long-term sick, and possibly a lawsuit to boot. Employers want to achieve the right level of stress - too much is bad, just enough to make people work/preform is good. Hard to get the balance.

[Dougy]

I will not knock people with genuin sickness such as stress,

 

But !! going to the Dr complaining of stress nowadays has replaced the old excuse with the bad back, just with the added bonus there could possibly be a hefty claim going in to the company who the person works for. I know for a fact i can get 6 months off work with a stress excuse, get a few home visits from the management but still be on full pay, thats not bad really is it, and the company could do nothing about it but keep paying me.

 

For people who are off work with genuin stress the i have no problem but its hard to find out wether they are waggers or not.

 

As piebob states its getting the right level particulaly in management were a certian amount will actually increase a certian individuals ability to cope better under pressure.

Edited September 3, 2010 by Dougy

[MM]

Stress? Its all in the mind. Mental attitude can be altered quite easily. Ive been through 'stress' and its only a state of mind. Try Yoga

[kdubya]

Stress? Its all in the mind. Mental attitude can be altered quite easily. Ive been through 'stress' and its only a state of mind. Try Yoga

 

pass that one onto the men trapped till Xmas in a mine in Chile I bet they would be glad to think their stress is only a state of mind.

 

KW

[DSPUK]

I used to suffer real bad stress then I won lotto and it all went away .

 

Dave

[Mr Potter]

I have an Aunt who was sent to work in a factory during the war (WW2) after only ever working in an office, she hated it and either went or was sent to the Dr's with what would now be called stress.

 

How times change, the Doctor's recommendation was that she should take up smoking!!!!!!!!

 

Mr P

[Jim Sarakun]

Stress? Its all in the mind. Mental attitude can be altered quite easily. Ive been through 'stress' and its only a state of mind. Try Yoga

 

And that's it, full stop. Having spoken to people with "stress" it appears to me that all of them either don't have enough going on in their lives, or have too much going on and consequently can't cope. Stress being the result.

 

Not being a psychiatrist, this is just my observation, I too would say it was a mental attitude easily changed, bit like when you poke a dog that is focused on something you would prefer it not to be focused on.

 

Quick gentle poke in the neck changes it's mental state immediately, to re focus it on what you have as an alternative.

 

I know what I mean, have I made it clear?

 

Oh, MM, the yogurt doesn't always work you know...

[MM]

pass that one onto the men trapped till Xmas in a mine in Chile I bet they would be glad to think their stress is only a state of mind.

 

KW

 

 

Ah, but at least they have got christmas to look forward to. See, all in the mine(d)

[Yorkshire Pudding]

HHHHMMMMM Stress .

 

Lets see , yup , i for one know about the effects of stress . I posted on here about some very unfortunate effects of stress that i have had to deal with .

I for one will never mock anybody who has , for want of a better term "mental issues."

 

It turned my "personna" 180 degrees , for the worst . I am coming to terms with the pressure/stress call it what you like . Hopefully i now have a "grip" on my problems and will get everything sorted in the near future .

But on a brighter note . wibble wobble .

 

 

all the best yis yp

 

Edit i'm self employed , if i don't turn up to work i loose my buisness .

Edited September 3, 2010 by Yorkshire Pudding

[Willxx]

I will not knock people with genuin sickness such as stress,

 

But !! going to the Dr complaining of stress nowadays has replaced the old excuse with the bad back, just with the added bonus there could possibly be a hefty claim going in to the company who the person works for. I know for a fact i can get 6 months off work with a stress excuse, get a few home visits from the management but still be on full pay, thats not bad really is it, and the company could do nothing about it but keep paying me.

 

For people who are off work with genuin stress the i have no problem but its hard to find out wether they are waggers or not.

 

As piebob states its getting the right level particulaly in management were a certian amount will actually increase a certian individuals ability to cope better under pressure.

 

I too have no complaints about people with genuine cases of stress, but would agree that it now can be an easy way for unscrupulous employees extending their holiday entitlement and being paid to "take it easy" and "relax".

 

Its the "sod the others" attitude that annoys me especially as Dougy says you can quite easily get signed off for up to 6 months on full pay so if you've had enough of your job and want to be paid to look for another its a case of playing up to the doctor and telling them you are"feeling really low" and "struggling to get out of bed" and "can't face going in any more" then as you are classed as "sick" your employer can't employ anyone to replace you so all the actual stress is put on your work colleagues who have to pick up the additional workload - great for team moral and chances are the person "sick" isn't coming back but you have to play the game with them.

[MM]

its all down to the person on how they deal with it, and its up to them to change it. I dont see stress as a mental health issue. Its just circumstance.

[Ozzy Fudd]

where i work is very stressful (dealing with ****wits all day, having to try to meet very unrealistic targets, the threat of big pay deductions if i make a small mistake, and generally being treated like ****) so i just go shooting and it relaxes me again

Edited September 4, 2010 by Ozzy Fudd

[MM]

work stress is rubbish. If you have a real need to worry about it, then i understand. People who grip about how **** their job is are just moaning ********. If you dont like it, move on. If you have sick family, or are being made redundant, this is stress. Its not a mental illness, its just a part of life. Always try and see the good in people and situations, this will (sometimes) ease the situation.

 

Anyone for yoga?

[Ozzy Fudd]

work stress is rubbish. If you have a real need to worry about it, then i understand. People who grip about how **** their job is are just moaning ********. If you dont like it, move on. If you have sick family, or are being made redundant, this is stress. Its not a mental illness, its just a part of life. Always try and see the good in people and situations, this will (sometimes) ease the situation.

 

Anyone for yoga?

 

oh wise up and dont talk ****! plenty of people dont have the option of moving jobs, especially in the current climate, and so have to stick it out - plenty of employers know this and use it to their advantage, i know my company do and plenty of other friends are in the same boat - ive had the threat of redundancy hanging over my head for the last 2 years, and it usually gets carted out when it suits them, especially when i enquire about the pay rise i was promised 3 years ago and never got (which was incidentally to bring my pay up to the SAME level as the women in the office who do the same job as me, who all are on a HIGHER pay band than me but some have worked here LESS time than me).

 

why am i still here? cos im in the middle of doing exams through work and have to put up with it (and keep my nose clean) til i get them and can escape

Edited September 4, 2010 by Ozzy Fudd

[WilliamJones]

I think that the question that we need to ask ourselves is why are so many people going to the doctor nawadays complaining of "stress" compared to years ago? Try to cast your minds back (Those of you that are old enough) to what our parents went through during and just after the war, times were hard and it was always difficult to "make ends meet" yet our parents just got on with it and did their best without any of this running to the doctor or asking for "anti-depressants".

What has changed so much?

 

That's true, but I think that might be why there was less stress for our parents. Because they had the threat of bombings and the war hanging over them they all had to join together to make ends meet (joint vegetable patches, air raid shelters etc) whereas nowadays we live so comfortably that we have time to sit and stress about things that really aren't important.

 

I honestly believe that the internet (ironic that we're all using it now) has actually made people less happy: everyone can easily see all these rich and famous people having, what seems like, an amazing life full of riches beyond our wildest dreams whereas we're all in jobs we probably don't like very much earning an amount that we probably don't like very much. It's given us all impossible aspirations and unachievable, pointless goals.

 

Our parents just wanted to be happy, tend their gardens, meet with their friends down the local and not get blown up. They had it right!

[MM]

oh wise up and dont talk ****! plenty of people dont have the option of moving jobs, especially in the current climate, and so have to stick it out - plenty of employers know this and use it to their advantage, i know my company do and plenty of other friends are in the same boat - ive had the threat of redundancy hanging over my head for the last 2 years, and it usually gets carted out when it suits them, especially when i enquire about the pay rise i was promised 3 years ago and never got (which was incidentally to bring my pay up to the SAME level as the women in the office who do the same job as me, who all are on a HIGHER pay band than me but some have worked here LESS time than me).

 

why am i still here? cos im in the middle of doing exams through work and have to put up with it (and keep my nose clean) til i get them and can escape

 

Im wise enough to know the diffence between moaning and stress. You always have an option.

[jonno 357]

I know of some one with stress and depression

 

I hear its nasty business