European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health Stop stress before it stops you by Janet d Agostino medical writer o one escapes stress no even Iho calmest and most Serene individuals can avoid the irritations and problems of lilo thai make the head Pound like a drum or the Back Muscles lighten Tike Tho strings of a recently tuned guitar. Learning How to Deal with stress nol necessarily How to avoid it is the remedy Whon minor or major problems interfere with physical or mental Well being according id to psychologists at the Fra Kuirt army regional medical Center. Stress is a situation in which the demands made on an individual exceed his ability to Deal with i Host demands said David Ruhland a clinical psychologist at the Frankfurt Hospital who teaches a stress management group 51 Leas can be physical such As a disease or injury or psychological such As Tho death of a family member ii can be caused by something As minor As a neighbor s loud music or As serious As a near miss in a car Accident. Whatever Iho cause stress triggers a release of hormones thai prepare the body physiologically to react to Lii perceived Ihie at 01 danger. This reaction to stress evolved As a Way to prepare Iho organism to take action in a hostile environment. However in modern society when Man can not physically Light the wild animal that is threatening him or turn and run from a dangerous situation. The Energy generated from the stress response has no immediate outlet said capt. Frank Gonzales who with Uhland leads the stress management group. Instead the Energy is channelled through the body s weakest areas surfacing in the lorm of headaches backaches digestive disorders or mental anxiety Ruhland said. When the stress is prolonged it can cause Mere serious menial or physical disorders. Stress is experienced physically Ruhland said. To carry stress and tension in a very physical Way stress is nol always bad. It can help an individual focus and concentrate when facing a Challenge or. Problem As Long As the person can relax once the Challenge is met. Many of Tho stresses in life will nol change or go away arcing people to learn to Cope or succumb to Iho effects o stress our real locus is nol so much la solve problems but to give people better techniques of coping Ruhland said. Soldiers participating in the stress management group May to lacing stress from family members who complain about the amount of time the Soldier must spend in the Field or his Long work hours. Other soldiers Page 16 the stars and stripes May be having problems with their Chain of command. Commanders Ovon though they have More Power and control Are not immune to stress and Ray be having problems Wilh subordinates he said. People like to think they can overcome any Barrier. In their lie Gonzales said. A poor response to stress May indicate they can t handle every  most people can adopt to changes and new situations but some people Are More vulnerable to stress or Are More vulnerable at certain limes in their lives. " characteristics of people who Are prone id stress include inability to relax Wilhour feeling Guilly impatience with delays or interruptions Over planning of Leisure time tendency to be a perfectionist excessive Pompeii True drive a chronic sense Al time urgency. Compulsion to overwork people who do not take care of their physical health by eating right exercising gelling enough rest and who do nol have emotional support from family and friends Are also More vulnerable to stress. Fortunately everyone can team How to reduce or Cope with stress by learning How to relax. Ii you keep the body in a relaxed stale it will help the mind to Cope with the stress Ruhland said. Tuesday May 31,1968 Ruhland and Gonzales do nol advocate Ono form of relaxation in their group but encourage people to find what works Best for them. We can learn what in is that slows us Down and relaxes us Gonzales said. Relaxation techniques they use include consciously making an Elford id breath slowly and deeply because one of the body s reactions to stress is rapid shallow breathing. Simple stretching exercises to loosen up the Muscles that have become tense and knotted Irani the stress. Taking a mental break ii Only for a few moments by pushing aside worries and frustrations and concentrating w meditating on pleasant thoughts or images. Learning How to consciously relax by focusing on different ports of the body such As an Arm and mentally suggesting that the limb feels heavy and relaxed progressing on to the rest of the body so relaxation follow like tailing dominoes. These techniques cannot be mastered overnight Ruhland said and Musl be practice every Day or week so thai they can be used to Stop the Cycle of stress when Muscles Start to tense and Palms sweat. Civilian and military people interested in joining the Frankfurt stress management group must have a doctor s referral to participate. Stress management groups Are also available in other air Force and army communities