Stating that stress is a system that regulates our lives, experts point out the importance of stress management in terms of preventive health. Stating that anxiety, panic and stress are experienced intensely in situations with high levels of uncertainty, experts state that it would be useful to practice drills to cope with stress and anxiety, especially during natural disasters such as earthquakes.
Üsküdar University NP Feneryolu Medical Center Expert Psychologist Esma Uygun said that stress is a defense mechanism.
Stress is an alarm system that allows us to survive
Emphasizing that stress occurs when any stimulus creates a perception of threat in our minds, Esma Uygun said, "Stress is a defense mechanism and occurs when there is a perception of threat. It is an alarm system that allows us to survive. We experience stress as a reaction to sudden and unexpected events and we need to find a coping method for the situation we are in."
Constant stress leads to health problems
"Stress is a messenger and provides us with energy," said Expert Psychologist Esma Uygun, "When we cannot manage stress, ongoing stress causes many diseases and psychiatric diseases. Therefore, stress management is important for preventive health."
Panic prevents rational thinking
Referring to the relationship between stress and panic, Expert Psychologist Esma Uygun said, "The feeling of fear is an emotion that helps us escape or fight against dangers and gives us energy. Panic is an attack of fear. It occurs with the intensification of thoughts that something bad will happen without any real reason. It makes it difficult for us to determine a realistic coping method for the situation we are in. As the feeling of panic increases, our ability to think logically weakens."
Uncertainty creates stress
Noting that one of the most painful things for human beings is uncertainty, Esma Uygun said, "In situations with high levels of uncertainty, anxiety/panic and stress are experienced intensely. However, our mind can sometimes evaluate the perception of danger as a real danger. Our mind experiences a real danger or perception of danger in the same way and reacts with stress. In panic, we react physically and psychologically as if there is a real danger. In panic, we have difficulty thinking realistically and we cannot control our reactions."
Everyone has different stress levels
Stating that the same stimuli or experiences are not stressful for everyone, Esma Uygun said, "The stress levels that each of us responds to similar events are different. Our thoughts about the event or the meanings we attribute to the event determine our emotions. Our process of evaluating the event we experience varies with our personality structure, upbringing, value judgments and basic beliefs. These characteristics determine the way we perceive and interpret events and cause us to regulate our reactions. This whole process happens very quickly and automatically. Therefore, managing these processes during stress is challenging for the person."
Can stress be controlled?
Pointing out that stress is actually a system that regulates our lives, Esma Uygun said, "Stress is therefore not always harmful. When we experience intense and prolonged stress, a conscious effort to relax our body muscles and relax our breathing will help stop the physiological vicious cycle caused by stress. With the reduction of bodily stimuli, our logical thinking skills begin to increase."
Drills should be practiced before natural disasters
Emphasizing the importance of stress control especially in natural disaster situations where quick action is required, Expert Psychologist Esma Uygun said, "Following unexpected traumatic experiences, high levels of stress and panic may occur. Making an action plan for natural disasters and practicing drills gain importance in this sense. In case of panic, our thinking skills weaken and we act with automatic reactions. It will not be possible for us to remember and apply a behavior that has not been previously learned, practiced and repeated. For this reason, in order not to panic in case of an earthquake, we need to prepare and practice the action plan of what we will do in the family."
