BY SUMAIRA FAROOQ
In the words of a victim of stress, it can be defined as a lively circumstance in which people face constraints, opportunities or loss of something they desire and for which the consequence is both unpredictable as well as crucial.
Stress is a natural response of the body to challenging situations or events. It can be triggered by anything that upset the balance of one’s lives, such as work pressure, relationship problems, financial worries, academic challenges, etc.
When subjected to stress, the body releases a hormone called cortisol, which helps to deal with the perceived threat or danger. However, if stress persists for a prolonged period, it can have negative effects on the physical and mental health of a person.
There are several reasons why stress has become a common problem among youngsters. Firstly, today’s youngsters face more pressure to succeed than ever before. They have to compete in a fast-paced, highly competitive world where success is often measured in terms of academic performance, career advancement, and social status.
This pressure leads to anxiety, self-doubt, and low-esteem, which in turn contributes to stress. Secondly, Social media and technology have made it easier to stay connected with others, but they have also increased the pressure to be perfect.
Youngsters are bombarded with images of their peers leading seemingly perfect lives, which can make them feel inadequate and increase their stress levels. Thirdly, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of youngsters. Many have lost their jobs or are still struggling to find work.
Stress can affect anyone, anywhere. However some place may be more stressful than others like workplaces that demand long working hours, high productivity, and intense competition can be particularly stressful.
Stress can occur at any time in any person, but it is particularly common among youngsters .The age group of 18-35 is a time when people are transmitting from adolescence to adulthood, and they face many challenges during this period. From completing their education to finding job, building relationships, and starting a family, there are many stressors that can impact the mental health of youngsters.
Stress can manifest in different ways, depending on the individual. Some common symptoms of stress include anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, sleep disturbances, forgetfulness, frequent aches, lack of focus, and muscle tension. If left untreated, stress can lead to more severe mental health problems such as panic disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder.
When feeling stressed a natural, human reaction is try to cope by doing things such as avoiding situations , worrying excessively, smoking or drinking too much , over eating or under eating. Unfortunately, while these strategies can give some short-term relief from stress or illusion of the same, they tend to make matters worse in the longer term.
There are other strategies that can be more helpful, both in short term and especially not cause more problems than they solve in the short term. Since every individual has a unique response to stress there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing it. To manage stress, it is essential to identify triggers and take steps to reduce or eliminate them.
These can include like practicing mindfulness , getting regular exercise, getting enough sleep and seeking support from family and friends, changing our attitude: ‘If it is not possible to change the situation , try changing how you approach it’, and also accept the things you cannot change, ‘Some sources of stress are unavoidable and cannot be changed. Acceptance does not mean you have to love it, like it or want it but it is about making room imperfection rather than consistently fighting against it’.
Mega Uro-Surgery Workshop at GMC Srinagar
Government Medical College Srinagar in collaboration with Kashmir Urological Society is organising a three day workshop to familiarise the participants with the latest developments in robotic surgeries and the advancements in the surgical techniques.
The organising committee of URO-SURG 2023 is gearing up for a high-tech live operative workshop-cum-conference scheduled from 1-3 June 2023 in the auditorium of GMC Srinagar.
The event is being jointly organised by Department of General & Minimal Access Surgery and Kashmir Urological Society which is an amalgam of urologists of Kashmiri origin within and outside the country.
The organising committee comprising Prof Mufti Mahmood HOD surgery GMC Sgr , Prof Iqbal Saleem , Prof Mohd Saleem Wani ,Prof Arif Hamid and Dr Syed Javed Qadri have formulated a rich academic programme for the benefit of young surgeons , postgraduate students and DNB / MCh students of various academic institutions. More than 350 delegates have registered for the event . The organisers have made elaborate arrangements for their stay and hospitality.
The first day and the second day will see sixteen advanced technique surgeries being beamed live to the participants. The third day will have academic deliberations and discussions about the trends and techniques of surgeries across the Globe.
The advanced urological procedures shall be conducted in OT 1 of SMHS hospital whereas Minimal Access Procedures of Surgery shall be relayed from OT 2 to the specialty targeted audience in Hall A and Hall B.
The highlights of the event includes live operative workshop for 2 days on 1st and 2nd June . On 3rd June, there shall be Guest lectures , podium presentations, video presentations and panel discussions on various confounding clinical issues.
For the first time in the history of UT of J&K, there shall be a relay of live Robotic Surgery from Chennai to the GMC auditorium. Besides, there shall hands on training imparted to postgraduate and DNB /MCh residents. The invited faculty includes experts from within and outside the country.
The event is aimed at showcasing the high quality of urological work done in the Department of Surgery at GMC Srinagar besides highlighting the various procedures of advanced minimal access surgery that have been widely acknowledged resulting in the establishment of Department of Surgery GMC Srinagar as the Centre for fellowship in minimal access surgery (FNB-MAS)by National Board Medical Education .
This high impact conference is in tune with the G20 events across the UT of J&K.
The event is scheduled to be inaugurated by Secretary Health & Medical Education Govt of J&K , Bupinder Kumar on 2nd June at 3.30 pm in the GMC auditorium.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.