European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Janet d Agostino medical writer no one escapes stress. Not even the calmest and most Serene individuals can avoid the irritations and problems of life that make the head Pound like a drum or the Back Muscles tighten like the strings of a recently tuned guitar. Learning How to Deal with stress not necessarily How to avoid it is the remedy when minor or major problems interfere with physical or mental Well being according to two psychologists at the Frankfurt army regional medical Center in West Germany. Stress is a situation in which the demands made on an individual exceed his ability to Deal with those demands said David Ruhland a clinical psychologist at the Frankfurt Hospital who teaches a stress management group. Stress can be physical such As a disease or injury or psychological such As the death of a family member. It 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 the cause stress triggers a release of hormones that prepare the body physiologically to react to the perceived threat or danger. This reaction to stress evolved As a Way to prepare the organism to take action in a hostile environment. However in modern society when Man can not physically fight 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 Ruhland leads the stress management group. Instead the Energy is channelled through the body s weakest areas surfacing in the form of headaches backaches digestive disorders or mental anxiety Ruhland said. When the stress is prolonged it can cause More serious mental or physical disorders. Stress is experienced physically Ruhland said. We carry stress and tension in a very physical  stress is not 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 the stresses in life will not change or go away forcing people to learn to Cope or succumb to the effects of stress. Our real focus is not so much to solve problems but to give people better techniques of coping Ruhland said. Soldiers participating in the stress management group May be facing 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 May be having problems with their Chain of command. Commanders even though they have More Power and control Are not immune dealing with to stress and May be having problems with subordinates he said. People like to think they can overcome any Barrier in their life Gonzales said. A poor response to stress May indicate they can t handle every  most people can adapt to changes and new situations but some people Are More vulnerable to stress or Are More vulnerable at certain times in their lives. Characteristics of people who Are prone to stress include inability to relax without feeling guilty impatience with delays or interruptions Over planning of Leisure time tendency to be a perfectionist excessive competitive drive a chronic sense of time urgency compulsion to overwork people who do not take care of their physical health by eating right exercising getting enough rest and who do not have emotional support from family and friends Are also More vulnerable to stress. Fortunately everyone can learn How to reduce or Cope with stress by learning How to relax. If you keep the body in a relaxed state it will help the mind to Cope with the stress Ruhland said. Ruhland and Gonzales do not advocate one form of relaxation in their group but encourage people to find what works Best for them. We can learn what it is that slows us Down and relaxes us Gonzales said. Relaxation techniques they use include � consciously making an Effort to 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 from the stress. Taking a mental break if Only for a few moments by pushing aside worries and frustrations and concentrating or meditating on pleasant thoughts or images. Learning How to consciously relax by focusing on different parts 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 follows like falling dominoes. These techniques cannot be mastered overnight Ruhland said and must be practice every Day or week so that 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 stress management group must have a doctor s referral to participate. Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday August 2, 1988