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Stress: Its meaning, impact and sources
Introduction on stress
Stress: Its meaning, impact and sources
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MANAGEMENT OF COMBAT STRESS: A LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE SYNOPSIS General 1. The twentieth century has been called the ‘Age of Anxiety’. The history books that our grandchildren read will speak of the alarming increases in health problems related to tension and anxiety in what may be called the ‘Century of Stress’. Stress is everywhere: in the workplace, in the home and even in the streets. Stress is the foremost outcome of any situation, which entails lack of fit, conflict, restrain and/or anxiety. Stress has become an inevitable companion today in all walks of life. Armed Forces are by no means insulated to the phenomenon of stress but in fact exposed to situations which tend to be stressful. In the current security environment, low intensity …show more content…
The aim of the study is to identify the factors and causes governing stress, analyse the effects of stress on the combat effectiveness of troops and suggest remedial measures for management of combat stress. Hypothesis 6. Stress is a common phenomenon experienced by all ranks in the army and it affects the performance of individuals as well as the organisation both in peacetime and operational environment. Negative effects of stress can be mitigated and combat effectiveness can be enhanced by management of stress and by instituting effective management processes. Scope 7. The scope is limited to study the following aspects: - (a) Understanding of stress in general and its nuances in context with contemporary discourse on the subject. (b) Causes and sources of stress in general and in the context of army personnel operating in the counter insurgency environment. (c) Manifestations of stress and its interplay with behaviour/performance. (a) Coping with stressful situations and the management of stress in the army. (iii) (e) Impact of stress on military leadership and the role to be played by leaders to counter this challenge and mitigate its effect. (f) Recommended measures for management of combat
Throughout the fire service, firefighters encounter a high level of different stresses that can cause post dramatic stress disorder. A plethora amount of people have not thought about how not only the military personnel, however a wide range of emergency calls or other factors come into play that results in fire personnel acquiring this disorder. This disorder has an enormous problem that will affect the management in the fire department.
Whether engaging in European trench warfare or fighting through the jungles of Vietnam, a soldier must learn to cope with the incredible mental stress brought on by the ever-present threat of a grisly death. The physical stress introduced by poor nutrition, a harsh and hostile environment, and the cumulative physical effect of emotional trauma only serves to make a trying situation even more taxing. It is out of this violently stressful environment that the coping mechanisms that characterize wartime masculinity arise.
The term ‘stress’ was generally thought to have been a concept created by Robert Hooke in the 17th century. He worked on the design of physical structures, such as bridges; his concept of stress came from how much pressure a structure could withstand. However, Lazarus (1993) pointed out that the term ‘stress’ has been used as far back as the 14th century, when it meant hardship or adversity. Back then it referred to the external stressor, such as the death of a spouse or financial worry; in the 20th century, there are many different schools of thought on this area. Hans Selye (1956), brought together the work of Cannon and Bernard and devised a comprehensive system of physiological stress; which he termed the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’, and is a 3-stage process. He theorised that a certain level of stress called ‘eustress’ (Cox, 1978) could actually be beneficial to our overall performance. Later In 1976, Cox & Mackay devised another model called the ‘Transactional model’. This model takes into account the individual differences in the perception of the amount of stress experienced by the person. The main difference between these two models is that Selye’s model only accounts for the physiological side of stress, whereas Cox’s model takes into account both the physiological and psychological aspects of stress. Therefore, both models will have slight similarities and differences in their explanation for how stress occurs in individuals, which is the main focus of this essay.
When we picture the United States Military we regard men and women in uniform fighting for our country. However, what we do not picture is the hidden problems. Stress of the job, members returning home from war, and combat create an increased stress level that can result in abusing substances and cause behavioral problems. The military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members safety.
stress and fear by the men at the front in the First World War. In
The law enforcement officers suffer quite more job-associated stress than the people living in the community. Many have had to realize that the nature of the profession itself may be exposing officers to the increased levels of stressors. In essence, job-associated stress is among the major health concerns of the law enforcement community, and this is because it can have some impact on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the officers. The difference in the stressors between the law enforcement personnel and other individuals is the fact that, the enforcement officials get to interact with the human population that are quite angry, upset or even uncooperative, in which case it takes some toll on
Some of the world’s most-loved and well-known superheroes include Superman, Batman, and Spiderman. However great these superheroes may appear, their fictional stories also include stressors that they face everyday, such as the villains that they encounter and the pressure of being a hero and an everyday citizen. In this way, stress often negatively impacts the lives of the ones who watch over every neighborhood, every street, and every house. Such is the job of a police officer. Because stress has become an important topic in the community of law enforcement, things that are commonly discussed are the causes of stress, the effects of stress, and the handling of stress in the lives of police officers.
Rosen’s study, focused on the root cause of PTSD, showed that stress (major anxiety or nightmares) shown by soldiers before sent into deployment lessened or deliquesced in 13% of soldiers (Herbert 2). Additionally, those that did develop severe PTSD had suffered emotional problems prior to deploy-ment—especially child-hood abuse or exposure to violence.
Nash, W. (2007). The stressors of war. In C. Figley & W. Nash (Eds.), Combat Stress Injury (pp. 11-32). San Francisco: Routledge.
As crime coexists with humanity, the presence of the police force ensures the suppression of crime and the safety for our society. Every occupation has its own work stress. What is unique is all the different stress found in one job. Aside from the heroic services police officers perform in their duty, they experience overwhelming stress in their daily duty. Police stress refers to the negative pressures related to police work (Police Stress, n.d.). In order to maintain peace and order, there must be an effective police force up and running. For that to happen, departments need to be aware and deal with the negative effects caused by police stress. Whereas, police officers must conquer their stress in order to work at their best performance, to always maintain positive attitude in their duty and to have the capability to make the appropriate determination in every critical situation.
Stress is a natural occurrence that most every person will experience at some point in his or her life. A stressor, as defined by Potter, Perry, Stockert, and Hall (2013), is any kind of event or situation that a person encounters in their environment that requires him or her to change and adapt. When a person responds to stress, his or her coping mechanisms and actions are individualized. No two people are going to handle stressful situations and cope with experiences the same exact way. Each person is unique and has his or her own customized way of dealing with stress. While some people are very open and honest about what they are dealing with, others keep their feelings bottled up. I find this topic so
Seward, B. (2012). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. (7th ed.). Burlington, Ma: Jones and Barlett Publishing.
Both sides try to do this and at times accept severe stress themselves in order to inflict greater stress on the enemy. To win, combat stress must be controlled and the objectives of stress control are; to keep stress within acceptable limits for mission performance and to achieve the ideal (optimal) level of stress when feasible, to return stress to acceptable limits when it becomes temporarily disruptive and to progressively increase tolerance to stress so that soldiers can endure and function under the extreme stress which is unavoidable in combat. Stress is controlled in the same ways other complex processes are controlled. This basic process which may be followed for better stress management includes: a. Monitoring the signs of stress and recognize when and if they change. To be effective, this recognition should come well before the stress becomes disruptive and causes dysfunction.
Stress is defined as “any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to threaten one’s well-being and thereby tax one’s coping abilities” (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 72). Stress is a natural event that exists literally in all areas of one’s life. It can be embedded in the environment, culture, or perception of an event or idea. Stress is a constant burden, and can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health. However stress can also provide beneficial effects; it can satisfy one’s need for stimulation and challenge, promote personal growth, and can provide an individual with the tools to cope with, and be less affected by tomorrow’s stress (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 93).
Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyone’s life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in people’s daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and one’s ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.