NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 14) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR
Student: What about the society?

Teacher: The source of emotional stress can be society also! Due to social discrimination, oppression, lack of justice, inequality and caste discrimination we get emotional stress! Lack of severe reduction in social cohesiveness, increasing social evils such as cheating, adulteration, excessive pace of life and also produce and/or aggravate emotional stress. Emotional stress could be due to coercive cultural rules, regulations, customs, traditions and conventions, alienation of the culture, social norms, conventions etc. It can be due to harassment by the employer ( landlord ), odd/protracted hours of work, lack of job satisfaction, inappropriate and over demanding deadlines, lack of accountability, prevalence of discrimination, nepotism, harassment by the superiors, lack of appreciation, lack of recognition, bad working environment such as lack of light, lack of fresh air, lack of promotions, excessive responsibilities without commensurate powers, corruption, lack of pay revision commensurate with the inflation, price rise etc. It can also be because of Persecution, forceful conversion, discord amongst different religious communities, or conflicting sects within the same religion, religious discrimination, religious fanaticism, politicization of religion, criminalization of religion etc. cause extreme stress in the forms of religious tension and riots. The stress may originate from marriage; due to harassment by spouse, dowry problems, problems of working wives and working mothers, (such as those working in the farms, forests, plantations such as tea, coffee plantations etc.), problems related to lack of issue etc. All the problems of marriage are multiplied due to lack of support systems, nuclear family, increased wants due to creation of artificial needs and demands, individualistic thinking, careerism and so on. Marital problems multiply due to suspicion by jealous husbands, lack of protection to women & girls when working hours are odd, gender discrimination at working place, etc. The root of stress may be in money; due to increasing prices, lack of housing, inadequate water supply, inadequate electricity, increasing discrepancy between needs, wants and artificially created demands and the availability. Emotional stress may be due to exploitation, cheating, taxation, robbery, business failures etc. The stress may result from environment; due to changing ecosystems, decreasing greenery, expanding asphalt, basalt, cement, granite and concrete jungles.

Student: What about the information explosion? I am sure; it also produces stress!

Teacher: It does! When the ill effects of stress result primarily from our thought process; then we call them intellectual stressors. However; our thought process is adversely influenced by physical, chemical, biological, instinctual and emotional stress and vice versa!
Thus when information explosion, leading to confusion, indecisiveness and value crisis is responsible for stress; then we call it intellectual stressor. In addition; failures, inability to pursue a particular career etc. become worse due to peer pressure. In fact there is a kind of neurotic obsession about academic success. This drains the academically “not so good “children of their confidence and makes them feel lowly. Even if one or more of these factors are not actually present there can be fear, created by media & advertising of these and it can be far more stressful in urban competitive environment! High tech life styles, “one up man ship”, act as stressors. Knowledge of diseases increases the fear and apprehension about the diseases, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), cancer, diabetes.

Student: What about the stress of freedom fighters?

Teacher: In addition to all the variety of stressors, socially concerned sensitive individuals have to face extraordinary circumstances, which act as additional stressors; such as; jail, underground stay, defamation, political harassment. An individual, who dedicates his/her life for a social cause, such as national freedom, education of women, annihilation of exploitation in various forms, in short problems of millions; is additionally stressed; along with his/her family! It is essential for us to appreciate this nature of stress and overcome our hysterical and petulant; carping, nagging and grumbling nature; and enable us to help these individuals in helping themselves and the society.

Student: So many stressors!

Teacher: That is why we need holistic solutions to manage the stress arising from unending stressors!