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The Mumbai Program Director & Clinical Psychologist at The MINDS Foundation. Honorary Associate Editor for the Indian Journal of Mental Health with over 100 National and International publications
Myth 1: Stress Is The Same For Everybody
Many of Robin Williams’ acquaintances interviewed since his death have noted that they never saw him unhappy, yet Different things cause stress for all of us, and all of us experience stress differently. What is stressful for one person may or may not be stressful for another; we all respond to stress in entirely unique ways.
Myth 2: Stress Is Always Bad For You
Everyone experiences stress – it’s a normal and often healthy part of life. Some amount of stress can help you meet daily goals, boost your memory, and function as a warning system to keep you safe. Too much stress, however, can be very damaging to the mind and body.
Myth 3: Stress Is Everywhere, So You Can’t Do Anything About It
Life can often be stressful, but you can plan your life so that stress does not overwhelm you. Effective planning involves setting priorities and working on simple problems first, solving them, and then going on to more complex difficulties. When stress is mismanaged, it’s difficult to prioritize.
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Myth 4: The Most Popular Techniques For Reducing Stress Are The Best Ones
No universally effective stress reduction techniques exist. We are all different, our lives are different, our situations are different, and our reactions are different. It takes trial and error to see what coping mechanisms work best for you.
Myth 5: Only Major Symptoms Of Stress Require Attention
This myth assumes that the “minor” symptoms, such as headaches or stomach acid, may be safely ignored. Minor symptoms of stress are the early warnings that your life is getting out of hand and that you need to do a better job of managing stress.
Credits
Author: Pragya Lodha, MINDS Mumbai Program Director & Psychologist
Acknowledgements
Ankita Gupta, MINDS Research Associate
Anoushka Thakkar, MINDS Research Associate
Roshni Dadlani, MINDS Communications Lead
References
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- Children’s Mental Health. (2021). Retrieved 4 August 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html
- de Girolamo, Giovanni & Dagani, Jessica & Purcell, R & Cocchi, Angelo & Mcgorry, Patrick. (2012). Age of onset of mental disorders and use of mental health services: Needs, opportunities and obstacles. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences. 21. 47-57. 10.1017/S2045796011000746.
- Kessler, R. C., Amminger, G. P., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Lee, S., & Ustün, T. B. (2007). Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature. Current opinion in psychiatry, 20(4), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e32816ebc8c
- MayoClinic (2021). Retrieved 5 August 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/mental-illness-in-children/art-20046577
- NIMH » Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?. (2021). Retrieved 4 August 2021, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/children-and-mental-health
- Ogundele, M. (2018). Behavioural and emotional disorders in childhood: A brief overview for paediatricians. World Journal Of Clinical Pediatrics, 7(1), 9-26. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v7.i1.9
- Tolan, P. H., & Dodge, K. A. (2005). Children’s mental health as a primary care and concern: a system for comprehensive support and service. The American psychologist, 60(6), 601–614. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.601Waddell, C., McEwan, K., Shepherd, C. A., Offord, D. R., & Hua, J. M. (2005). A public health strategy to improve the mental health of Canadian children. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 50(4), 226–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370505000406
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
