High stress levels
Published:Tuesday | June 15, 2010 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
PSYCHIATRISTS AT the University of Washington School of Medicine years ago developed a scale to measure the relative stress induced by various changes and situations occurring in and around a person's life.
They found that single incidents such as the death of a spouse measures 100 life-changing units at the top of the scale, while a speeding violation or being pulled over by the police scores 11 units on the life-altering scale. Applying this scale, the doctors show that where an individual accumulates more than 200 life-changing units in a single year, that person's life has probably been disrupted enough to make him/her vulnerable to serious illness.
Relating this finding to Jamaica, where personal life-changing events are the natural course of being alive, including national issues over the past six months that have undoubtedly shot anxiety levels well up the life-changing scale, adults and children alike have become increasingly more susceptible to stress-related illnesses.
Health-taxing stress
I refer to the the prime minister's involvement in the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips affair, the opposition's response, and all the issues relating to Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and the security operation in Tivoli Gardens in which residents and members of the security forces were killed or injured in what may be deemed a just cause to rid us of the thugs and terrorists that challenge the State. These incidents produced much negative, health-taxing stress on an entire population.
And, as the nation began to breathe again came the news of an impending increase in electricity rates which ramped up our collective stress level. These are some of the stressors an elderly lady was recounting days ago. According to her, since the Tivoli Gardens battle, her disposition has noticeably changed, with her actions, coordination, demeanour visibly altered.
It resonates with one other individual who not only drops or accidentally knocks over things at home and at work, but also walked head-on into an iron bar, resulting in severe concussion, during the days following the upheavals.
Having gone through those horrendous events that exploded on Labour Day, and how it continues to affect minds and bodies of particularly those in the Corporate Area and surrounding communities, it may now require a drive to be undertaken at the level of the ministry of health to have as many individuals medically examined for post-unrest trauma.
Apart from such medical examination, possibly one of the greatest sources of temporary healing of the nation is the World Cup football tournament now in progress in South Africa. Whether a fan or not, this arguably will divert our minds from the anxieties of the last few months.
For most Jamaicans, from cradle to grave, the well-to-do or poor, life is a study of extraordinary stress. Yet, this consistent life of undue stress has genetically modified us into a nation of hardy people who constantly and successfully strive to achieve our goals.
Will there ever be a lowering of our collective stress? When will Jamaica realise the dream of lasting peace and prosperity that has remained elusive?
I am, etc.,
Claude Wilson