Stress

“A little bit of stress is useful – it keeps people in their toes. ” Discuss. In order to answer this question one must first define the various elements in the question. Stress can be defined as ‘The harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker’ . One can define useful, as stress making a person happy, productive and efficient. Also in terms of an organisation making it successful, efficient and effective.

You should use more industrial words here eg producing more units Millions of people suffer from stress on a daily basis. Stress can affect a person’s physical health such as increased heart rate and rise in blood pressure, and can affect a person mentally such as depression. This in turn for organisations can be devastating and potentially detrimental, as this can lead to poor industrial relations and high absenteeism, ‘IHC estimates that 13. 4 million working days a year are lost to stress’.

On the face of it this would suggest that stress is indeed a bad thing. Indeed a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that those participants who experienced chronic high stress on the job had a considerably greater chance of suffering another heart attack than did those in less stressful jobs. Furthermore there were many cases in world war one of sudden deaths to soldiers who had not endured any wounds, these men probably died of shock when responding to stress.

In 1967 Holmes and Rahe carried out a study now called the stress scale where they looked at 5,000 medical patients’ medical records as a way to determine specifically which stressful events caused illnesses, in hierarchical order from the most stressful events to the least. Death of a spouse topped the list followed by, divorce, martial separation and a jail sentence. All these events are intrinsically negative and as such it would be easy to conclude that stress is bad for anyone as it is caused by bad events.

However Hooshmand conversely states that ‘stress is just another misunderstood term in the medical practice’ he goes on to say that ‘the phrase any stress is bad (is) nothing further from the truth’. Indeed Lazarus mentions how ‘Hans Selyve suggested two types (of stress) distress and eustress. Distress is the destructive stress illustrated by anger and aggression and it is said to damage health. Eustress is the constructive type, illustrated by emotions associated with emphatic concerns for others… ompatible with or protective of good health’ This is significant, according to Selyve and Lazarus there is, as mentioned above, a ‘distress’ type of stress which is bad- this is where there is too much stress. For example if a manager were to give a deadline which was impossible this may over stimulate and de motivate an employee causing them to do no work. But also mentioned is a ‘eustress’ type of stress which can be seen as ‘useful’ and healthy ‘keeping people on their toes’.

This would be where there are small amounts of stress for example if a manager was to set a strict but reasonable deadline it may push the employee on to work harder, stimulating an increasing the employees energy levels to meet the challenge . This shall be mentioned in more detail later on in the essay. Although Lazarus goes on to mention that this hypothesis ‘has not been adequately supported…. by empirical research’ there is other evidence to support this claim of eustress. In 1908 Robert M.

Yerkes and J. D. Dodson created an experiential relationship between performance and pressure, now known as ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law ’. The law shows that performance actually increases with pressure i. e. stress: the eustress that Selyve went on about, but only up to a point. When levels of pressure become too high, performance decreases, this is known as distress. The process is illustrated graphically as a rounded, inverted U-shaped curve which increases and then decreases with higher levels of pressure.

Clearly according to this law one wants to reach the optimum stress levels which is small amounts of stress to keep one on its toes but not too much as this could lead to depression and potentially heart problems. It is now important to look at specifically how eustress can help and be healthy for you. From ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law’ it would not be unreasonable to suggest that eustress is basically stress in small, not large amounts. Leitnerpg states that ‘according to Allen 1983 eustress represents challenge and stimulation for healthy growth and development’ this would suggest that eustress stress gives you the competitive edge roviding you with focus and determination. There are many examples above of stressors likely to produce distress such as divorce but Leitner mentions stressors which produce eustress such as ‘roller coasters and skiing’ It is important to note that people are actually paying for these stressors, thus they can be considered useful stresses. Some people even thrive on the excitement of stresses this can be best shown in adrenaline junkies, as they seek activities that increase their hormone adrenaline production. Examples of these stress seekers include racing car drivers, politicians and bungee jumpers.

It is well known that many employees will leave there work to the last minute they need the stress and adrenaline to get their work done, if there is no stress it is probable this work would never be done. Indeed it is possible to have stressors which can cause both eustress and distress such as exercise, which can be considered a eustress, but when overdone can lead to injuries and illness. Selye points out that ‘whether an activity produces eustress or distress depends on the participant’s perception of the activity’ this can be supported by a quote from Shakespeare ‘things are neither good nor bad, but thinking makes them so’ .

Indeed everyone is different when dealing with stress whether stress is good or bad for someone depends on that person. This can be supported by Type A and B personality theory created in the 1950’s . This puts people into two groups . Type A people are according to Friedman, M. & Rosenman ‘impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about their status, highly competitive, hostile aggressive, and incapable of relaxation’ . They established a link between type A people and coronary heart disease after analysing data from thousands of people who had beforehand been placed into either type A or Type B group.

Whilst type B people are almost the opposite of type A people, relaxed in nature with no sense of time urgency and less easily stressed. Quote The above evidence would suggest that the amount of stress does not matter to a great extent but what does is the type of person as, according to this theory there are two types of people, type A personalities will deal worse with stress than type B personalities. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that a small amount of stress for type B personalities maybe good for that person ensuring they are focused and have more of a sense of time urgency, however the same amount of stress mposed on a type A personality could caused aggravation, anxiety and maybe even heart problems. Indeed some employers will look for employees who not only can naturally deal with stress but actually thrive on it. An example of this can be given of Alan Sugar who makes it clear in the program the apprentice that he is looking for people who can deal with stressful situations by testing them as part of the recruitment process . An essential part of the recruitment procedure is to be able to keep your nerve and defend yourself in the public forum of the board room, an artificially created stressful environment.

In this day and age there is bound to be stress due to the nature of work and the fast moving environment around us, it is how we deal with this stress which can determine whether this stress is useful or not. ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law’ dictates that if there is too much stress this can reduce the performance of the individual, thus it is sometimes important for the individual to be able to reduce this stress in order to produce optimal performance. Indeed Ward states that ‘in learning to manage stress effectively you may come to believe that the experiences of stressful periods may become beneficial to you. There are many different ways of dealing with stress and how well you deal with stress will determine how it affects you. A person can exercise to help reduce stress, ‘exercise creates a sense of confidence and control, which reduces stress’ this does not mean just occasional exercise but exercise on a daily basis if possible. Exercise also directly leads to relaxation of the body which can help reduce stress. Having the required sleeping hours is also vital, this will refresh yourself making you feel better the next morning and ready for work.

If one does not have the required sleeping hours necessary it can lead to tiredness which can lead directly to stress. So far mainly people and employees have been looked upon, it is important to look at how organisations as a whole deal with stress and if they find it useful or not. Organisations are becoming more and more aware of the importance of stress and its impact on employees. Ward mentions some ways in which companies are taking action to combat stress ‘more are referring employees for health and fitness tests. Others are running stress management courses and providing stress counselling for employees’ .

In view of this one can clearly see how important stress is in organisations. Some company’s thrive on stress these mainly seem to be financial orientated organisations. Who are and need to be extremely competitive with other similar organisations, this stress pushes the organisation on to its limits increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the company. It is not uncommon nowadays for organisations to deliberately impose stress on employees; this can be done by paying employees with high commissions, meaning they are not guaranteed money at all.

Some employees actually enjoy this stress, they enjoy the challenge and the buzz. Indeed this can be directly linked to job satisfaction. Other organisations in the health field such as hospitals try to reduce stress, as they feel any stress imposed on patients could be dangerous, one of the things they do to reduce stress is painting the hospital walls green as it is proven that green is a low stress colour can decrease stress. Clearly in the health field stress is deemed as bad but maybe in the financial field stress is seen as useful pushing on the company to success.

Thus the usefulness of stress depends upon which type of organisation it’s for. Obviously though too much stress in a financial organisation can cause absenteeism which will ultimately lose the company money. To conclude with regards to organisations as a whole, it just depends on the type of organisation to how useful stress is. In terms of individuals, small amounts of stress which Selye describes as eustress can help keep people on their toes, keeping them focused and acting as a stimulant, pushing them on to work. However it can completely depend on the person.

A Type A person may not be able to take that stress and instead of ‘keeping them on their toes’ may cause panic and anxiety. Nonetheless, in saying this, as Yerkes-Dodson law dictates some stress is needed to achieve optimum performance and give people a challenge, which increases job satisfaction. Thus it would be accurate to conclude that ‘a little bit of stress is useful – it keeps people on their toes’. You would improve the structure if you cross reference more eg when you are talking about how stress needs to be in the right quantity, it might be helpful if you mention that later on you will be talking about how stress an be controlled. If you need to add any more – you could talk further about the work life balance – ie however stressful the job – outside activities are essential A further element you could talk about – when discussing different personalities – is that what is stressful for some is not for others. A good example might be of mothers who stay at home and look after children – for some this is v stressful and for others it is an ideal environment. You could also add an international dimension eg in France there is huge job security and longer holidays (I think) in America holidays are short and there is v little job security

Stress is a situation where by an individual is emotionally, psychologically or emotionally under pressure because of certain variables in their work places. Statistically, many people in Canada and around the globe live in situations full of stressing activities. They emanate from all angles such as work places, homes and almost everywhere (James and Peter 2007). In this paper, our emphasis will be on the work stress which forms the basis of organizational stress, a factor that can influence performance but again, quite encouragingly, can be positive and improve on the work scale of an employee (Neil 2001).

This comes when organizations or even individuals themselves intervene in the stress management systems by identifying the causes of such stress. It is known by all and sundry that stress can arise from individual factors like personality, self esteem as well as the social support. According to (Armstrong 2007), organizations may also be the source of some stress especially if they don’t understand their employees, provides poor working conditions or gives them poor wages. Research has shown that several factors if left unaddressed can induce stress or even increase the level of stress in individuals.

It comes with relief that chief executive officers, and managers in Canada can now be educated on theories of stress management researched by psychologists and in so doing get the upper hand in managing stress(Altiman 2005). Poor relationship with the boss as stressor In terminologies of stress, poor relationship with the boss may be perceived as a threat whereby the employee is confronted with both the fear of losing the job in the event of a small misunderstanding with the boss and the possibilities of falling as victims of circumstances.

Poor relationship with the boss originates from the broader angle that there is pressure and tension (Cary1998). If the relationship is poor, it is definite that an employee will be stressed up. In this case, the poor relationship will be the stressor because, it will lead to an employee to be afraid of what might crop up in the next minute which injects in fear of the loss of the job. Employees who afraid will not be peaceful and as a result, their performance will be compromised. Every time this employee will just feel withdrawn and hence not in a position to work and deliver (James and peter 2007).

Research has explained that such kind of stressor have its causes and consequences which are very specific to particular situations . If a company has a bad boss, the level of trust in the management will decline and result to depression and anger, thus induce stress in the organization. According to chief executive officers in a fortune 500 company, constant reshuffle and reorganization has to be done in order to evaluate and reevaluate the performance and wellbeing of the employer and thus improve on the relationship between worker-worker and worker-employer (Wilmer 1997).

This will enable the company to identify any upsurge of such stressor and handle it in the uniqueness of its situation. The stimulator of this kind of organizational stressor is the bad boss syndrome. Recent studies in the US have suggested that bad bosses may cause havoc to the company. On many occasions these bad bosses seem to be hardworking, experienced or even result oriented persons, but still they become interpersonally challenged (Cary 1998).

If you approached a Canadian folk and asked them how it feels to work with a bad boss, the response would be source of all sorts of stress. Generally, such bosses hamper performance, reduce productivity and even lowers the morale of the workers. After 20 years of research, Saratoga institute reported that out of the 600,000 people interviewed , 80% of them accepted having been stressed up by their bosses and the result was that their relationships with the bosses was unsatisfactory and their performance vey dismal (Armstrong 2007).

In addition, pressure exerted by bosses to meet unrealistic deadlines gives room for the boss-worker poor relationship. This way, the work expected to be done will eventually not be handled in a free atmosphere that hinders effective completion. It becomes so unbearable to most employees that they end up not accomplishing tasks and in the end the worker feels stressed. Human beings desire a certain amount of time; space stability and certainty to enable the work appropriately and without any negative pressure. This will see to it that the work is done very efficiently.

This problem can equally be solved by distributing the work load to various workers because, most employees deem it good to share and the spirit of team play will be cultivate(Neil 2001). Job policies and designs designed internally by the boss that do not make sense also add as stressor. Every job design and policy must meet the professional ethics and do not expose them to hazards. This has been realized to be a tool used by particular companies in order for them to realize high profit margins. Such companies resort to employ workers of the African origin and then expose them to dangers.

According to the University of Texas study People who struggle to spend a lot of time at workplaces are more likely to be exposed to dangers such as premature deaths than those who get time to relax (Altiman 2005). Heavy workload according to the same study can generate high stress hormones and they in the long run suffer health risks which may make the worker to have the tendency of absenteeism and eventually decreased productivity. Similarly , a sure way to kill human motivation is through getting workers in a company to do jobs that they do not understand its purpose and again there is almost little to be excited about in that job.

In addition, some job requirements are not realistic because, in a survey study to identify the satisfaction a job gives, showed that people would go for jobs that are meaningful and which fits to a larger framework (Bernedette 1997). In this regard to this factor, managers design jobs with several workload and pressure whose end result is health hazard like hypertension and high Blood Pressure. Lack of effective communication forces that includes feedback is a stressor at some point. Sometimes managers do not get the necessary positive feedback that they require.

Or even if they get it, the manner in which it is given is not appropriate. Such managers will subject their own problems to the juniors and eventually the whole lot under that manages will definitely be stressed up. At the same time, some bosses do not commend the good work done by the juniors or just keep on giving negative comments every now and again. Workers under this situation would feel demotivated and finally this will come in a stressor. Such feedbacks may compromise ones self confidence and self esteem (Wilmer 1997). Inability of works to balance between work and family life is in itself a stressor.

Recent study carried out by the University of Maryland clearly underscores the point that majority of working parents have sacrificed to compromise the time they allocated to be with their families. In the study, over 500 employee of in a fortune company agreed that working for long hours breeds the conflict in the family (James and Peter 2007). With the under mentioned conflict stress level rises which may cause depression and underperformance. Honestly this identifies why despite the recent economic meltdown and uncertainties, life should not be built at the axis of work.

Leisure and entertainments that is as will achieve in the family, serves to increase the production index of an individual through boosting confidence and self-esteem. If one juggles between family, leisure and hobbies and work, high instances of stress will not be reported (Altiman 2005). In comparative terms, Co-workers contribute greatly to the stress levels experienced by workers through conspiracy to spy on a fellow worker with the boss or reporting negatively to boss. As Neil (2001) said,’ we catch colds and bad moods from the sorounding’. Just like bad bosses, our fellow unpleasant workers inflict stressful pains in our lifes.

This may is linked to the idea that stress will emanates from team work, our personal style of doing things or even our socio-political orientation that different from those of our workmates. Theories explaining poor relationship with the boss The theory of self concept argued to deal with poor relationship of an employer with the boss. According to the director of reemployment programming in Atlanta, organizations and individuals need to embrace the theory of self concept to enable them to manage certain changes that range from stressful to unstressful (Bernedette 1997).

In so doing; organizations should encourage their employee to share information openly. The shared information would encourage all the stakeholders to know themselves and appreciate all the changes in every situation even if the situations are very adverse. the organizations empower the workers to adjust to changes in various elements (Armstrong 2007). Psychodynamic theory tries to unearth the cause of the stressor and whether they are environmentally socially or psychologically triggered. Getting to know the needs of the worker and proving for those needs will mean a lot to the workers (James and Peter).

This embraces the branch of offering services to the workers and their families. Such services include the Gym, childcare centers or even entertainment spots. This will serve as a measure not only to counter fatigue but also to motivate workers. Through these workers will help the organization to review its working hours, shifts and the whole concept of working conditions (Cary, 1998). According to (James and Peter 2007), a biochemical theory is concerned with reducing the chemicals that stimulate stress level.

Initiating a forum where everybody in the organization highlights and gives the idea that would inject satisfaction both to the employer and the employees would help a great deal. This will help the whole organization to know the interests of the workers and strike a balance between the workers lives and the perspective of the organization (wilmer, 1997). Alongside this; the organization will get a better platform where they educate their employee to practice positive lifestyles such as time management, social support, consistent and correct exercise among others.

Finally, allow workers some vacations so that they may get time to recollect on their lives as well as resting both physically and mentally (Neil 2001). Agencies that help in stress management Canadian Health Resource Centre offers services in stress management and is considered as professionals with formal training to facilitate counseling. The centre has qualified psychotherapist who deal in healthy living, mental health and good relationships with other. For all their services, a fee is levied. Stress specialists are another lot.

They operate as an organization or individuals that are accredited to offer stress management education and treatment (Altman2005). Critical incident stress management is involved individuals families and small group counseling and education regarding stress. They often work with hospitals and non governmental organizations to help people who suffer from stress. They uncover causes of mental health problems by analyzing someone’s dreams, early experiences and the person’s subconscious mind. Their approach to handling the poor relationships with the boss, is based on adaptive response which is moderated by the victims individual differences.

Therefore, the sources of stress can be established to be in terms of working conditions or even the socio-economic environment (Armstrong 2007). Public safety experts for traumatic stress offer credit counseling services and their clients are mainly people involved in financial credit. The counselors guide you on possible avenues of settling of the debts and give them the possible ways to take charge of their situations. The Apollo Health consultant deals in drugs that reduce stress level especially in chronic and extreme cases (wilmer 1997).

However, to clearly identify stress levels in respect to poor relationship with the boss, many agencies use organizational stress A-model suggested by James and Peter (2007) (figure1). This model gives the connection between stressor and the worker, the boss or the organization at large with emphasis on cognitive, behavioral and psychological outcomes. The entire effects of are analyzed to ascertain if the level evolved from psychological effects, infected the cognitive level and whether it is approaching the behavioral level (James and Peter2007).

This model offers a coherent stress managerial style that eventually reduces the stress level in a worker. Conclusion and recommendations There is a deeper view of stressors that encompass a far broader agenda that has been covered here. Examples include, the relationship and the nature of decision making in stress, reward approach like giving incentives and team work in organizational structure. This question underscores he whole structure of stress management that deals with the importance of self esteem, and confidence to better the organizational ability to adopt fresh courses of actions.

Researchers could however come up with long term mitigating factors of stressor because; the conditions have already been described and analyzed. This means, that such agencies may adopt measures to educate workers, co-workers and managers on how to realize what might cause a stress-related behavior and how to intervene for help. Appended documentation Figure1. Organizational Stress: A Model Source: James Walker, Peter Stephenson, 2007. “Human Resources Strategy”, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 6, pp. 192 Reference Altman, E. (2005), Organizational behavior: theory and practice: The University of Michigan, Academic Press,

Cary, L. C (1998) Theories of Organizational Stress: London, Oxford University Press Wilmar, S. (1997) Professional Burnout: Recent Developments in Theory and Research: New York, CRC Press Bernadette, A. (1997). Self-diagnostic approach to understanding organizational and personal stressors: the C-O-P-E model for stress reduction, Michigan, Quorum Neil, A. (2001). Handbook of Industrial, Work and Organizational Psychology: London, SAGE James, W. & Peter S. (2007). “Human Resources Strategy”, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 6, pp. 192 Armstrong, G. (2007). Managing performance appraisal systems: New York, Butterworth

Supervisory roles are varied and diverse in any business organization. As a supervisor one may be required to portray some basic management skills like problem solving, to be involved in the organization of teams, delegating duties to employees or teams, hiring and training new employees, management of employees’ performance and ensuring that employees conform to the personnel policies as well as other internal rules and regulations. Managing other individuals is very rewarding and demanding at the same time and transition from one job to another as a supervisor may pose a great challenge to many people (Drake, Mecker, & Stephens, 2002)..

As a new supervisor in a new job, the two greatest challenges may be on how to manage employees stress levels at workplace in order to improve their productivity and how to deal with the age-old issue of counseling and support for staff members undergoing numerous challenges and problems both within and without workplace. This paper will discuss the two challenges in details as viewed by new supervisors in new jobs. Conflict and Stress Management Conflict may be considered as the struggle within one’s self or between individuals as a result of lack of compatibility of ideas, opinions, thoughts, needs or demands.

Conflict between people is always inevitable in a business organization because people tend to hold different views due to their differences in socialization and cultural background. As a new supervisor would realize, one cause of conflict in a team would be the change in leadership. One of the main reasons why employees would conflict in their workplaces is change (Larson, 2010). And because change is hard to overcome and accept, most employees would simply resort to resisting the change and the new developments.

A new supervisor may be the face of change the employees would not accept and would simply resort to sabotage or noncommittal to their work duties. Conflicts may also occur as a result of struggle for positions and power within the organizational hierarchy. A new supervisor may be seen as an obstacle to attainment of the aspired positions in the organization and as a result there bound to be a conflict between the supervisor and his or her staff. Again, employees may clash because of their diverse interests or choices for procedures in carrying out duties (Larson, 2010)..

Striking a balance to satisfy the diverse needs and interests of the staff with those of the organization would be the greatest challenge to a new supervisor in a new job. Conflict may have either positive or negative effects on the business and work environment. It is how we handle the conflict that will determine the outcome of the conflict at workplace. However, a new supervisor has a lot of challenges to resolve especially considering that it a new environment where nobody is an ally yet.

A closely related issue to conflict is stress at workplace which is sometimes brought about by the conflicting interests, views and demands at the workplace. Job stress is considered one of the contributors to poor employee performance. Stress cut across all levels of our lives and is not confined to those in management positions only. As a multifaceted issue managing stress is not a simple task (Larson, 2010).. Stress is not only caused by the stressful work environments but also factors like poor economic environment, disasters and other changes in our day today living.

Identifying and managing stress in a new environment as a supervisor is not only a challenging task but also a sensitive issue as most people would not be ready to confide in their new leader. Gaining the trust of the employees might take longer as the leader and the supervised try to familiarize with one another. During this long period, employees undergoing stressful lives would be difficult to identify which therefore makes management of stress a difficult task to a new supervisor. This would result into poor work performance and by extension conflict between the supervisor and the supervised due to lack of understanding.

Counseling and Support to Employees Counseling role is required of a supervisor when an employee’s problems are found to impact on his or her performance. Its intended purpose is to mitigate any further disciplinary measures, including a formal one. The supervisor is required to help the employee seek ways of solving the problem by not only being positive and supportive but also encouraging in the entire process. Counseling would call for identification of the problem early on so as to help the employee concentrate and improve on his or her work performance (Hanger & Cooley, 2003).

While it would be easier to notice employees with problems, it is quite challenging for a new supervisor to identify the problem in an employee. For example, a supervisor may notice that one of his staffs is always late for work and therefore do not meet deadline when carrying out his duties. Good supervisory skills call for seeking any answer from such an employee so as to find out what could be the reason for late coming, after which, the supervisor is suppose to counsel the employee out of that problem.

But few employees would readily confide in the new employee which would hamper the counseling efforts. This would be the greatest challenge to the new supervisor as he tries to solve some of the sensitive issues which employees might not be ready to share but are affecting their work performance (Drake, Mecker & Stephens, 2002). Closely related to the issue of counseling is support to the employees. Employees just like any other individuals live in the society where problems are bound to hit anyone and everyone.

Problems may range from having to care for sick family members, to dealing with death of one of the family members. Organizations may also have some sick employees in their staffs as well as disabled persons. Dealing with these varied and diverse problems may pose a great challenge not only to any supervisor but also to the general management of the business organization (Drake, Mecker & Stephens, 2002). Supervisors are required to identify various issues and problems affecting their employees and to look for resources and necessary benefits that would most suitably help their employees.

Constant support is needed to help employees strike a balance between the high demands of work and life. The necessary support would not only increase an employee’s productivity but also his or her commitment to the work and the company (Hanger & Cooley, 2003). However, a new supervisor would face a daunting task in implementing some of the necessary benefits and resources needed to support the employees. Employees might need flexible working time so as to take care of other pressing family needs like caring for the sick or taking the sick to the hospital. Read about personalized conflict

The new supervisor may be ready to allow his or her staffs take up such flexible times but because he or she is new in this organization and do not know each employee well enough, it would be hard to grant such an employee a flexible time. This is because some of the employees may just take advantage of the change in leadership to avoid and attend to personal issues. Conclusion Problems are everywhere in our daily lives from home to workplace. It is the aim of every business organization to maximize the productivity of its employees so as to be able to reap profit.

A good supervisor and management must know that the key to increasing employees’ productivity is by turning the negatives into positives. Every problems faced by the employees must be handled in such a manner that it would produce a satisfactory outcome both for the employer and the employee. And this would only be possible if we help our employees strike a balance between work and life.

Reference

Drake, B. Mecker, M. & Stephens, D. (2002). Transitional Ethics: Responsibilities of Supervisors for Supporting Employee Development, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.38(1-2):141-155. Hanger, D. & Cooley, B. (2003). Building Employer Capacity to Support Employees with Severe Disabilities in the Workplace, Journal of Preventive, Assessment and Rehabilitation, Vol. 21(1):77-82 Larson, P. (2010). Preparing New Supervisors for Leadership, Retrieved on July 12, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/search? q=cache:LKqhtmNtedsJ:businessmanagement. suite101. com/article. cfm/preparing-new-supervisors-for-leadership+Counseling+and+Supporting+Employees+as+a+supervisory+challenge&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ke&client=firefox-a

Question 1 1. 1 Conflict & gt ; The pattern of acknowledging and covering with differences in a rational. balanced and effectual manner. Conflict is an uttered battle between at least two mutualist parties who perceive incompatible ends. scare resources. and intervention from others in accomplishing their ends. ” 1. 2 Decision- doing & gt ; Is the pick of the most suited manner of work outing a job or managing a state of affairs. 1. 3 Communication & gt ; Is a agency by which the instructor and pupils’ different demands. feelings and attitudes are conveyed to each other in order to set up cooperation and achieve ends.

1. 4 Motivation & gt ; Is the procedure by agencies of which motivations are provided by. amongst others. a director or state of affairs in order to convey about certain actions and therefore to accomplish certain ends. 1. 5 Leadership & gt ; Leadership consists of actions that help the group to finish its undertakings successfully and keep effectual on the job relationships among its members. Leadership is a set of accomplishments that anyone can get Question 2 2. 1. 1 AUTOCRATIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STYLE When covering with pupil behaviour the instructor will step in and seek to command the behavior of the students.

The instructor is chiefly interested in the pupils’ completion of undertakings and larning public presentation. Pupils’ engagement in the schoolroom state of affairs is limited to listening. working and making. The followers are some advantages of this attack: ? Some students may experience secure in this sort of state of affairs. ? Because the instructor lays down fixed regulations and processs. students know what is expected of them and what they can anticipate in the schoolroom. The followers are some disadvantages of this attack: ? The schoolroom ambiance is characterised by competition. involuntariness to work together and hapless subject when students are left unsupervised.

Creative thought is suppressed. ? There is no cooperation. ? Students may develop a negative attitude towards the topic. 1 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2 719493 2. 1. 2 Democratic CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STYLE A democratic manner of schoolroom direction correlates with an synergistic instruction manner. This learning manner requires that instructors should hold a sound cognition of their capable and of human nature so that they can promote their students to take part actively and meaningfully in learning and learning activities.

The control of pupil behavior in the schoolroom is jointly controlled by the students and the instructor. As a direction manner it requires the instructor to keep a balance between the undertaking facet and the human facet of the schoolroom state of affairs. Teaching and larning undertakings are completed with the pupils’ willing cooperation and carbon monoxide duty which are the trademarks of democratic schoolroom direction. The followers are some advantages: ? ? ? Pupils take part confidently in schoolroom activities. It encourages inaugural and creativeness.

The schoolroom ambiance is relaxed. yet productive. ? Students feel that they are involved in learning activities. 2. 2 Five manners of struggle direction? Avoidance: avoiding struggle is a short-run solution because the struggle will non travel off. Sometimes. nevertheless. turning away could be a impermanent step to quiet emotions. ? Giving in or suiting: instructors who severely want the students to accept them utilize this manner. With this manner the existent differences are underemphasized. Sometimes instructors have to give in to avoid ill will in the schoolroom and to guarantee that the work can acquire done.

Domination: instructors who want to enforce their will on students use this manner. In the long tally this manner is rarely effectual. although instructors sometimes have to rule. ? Compromise or settle: this manner is marked by a hunt for via medias and colony. The instructor will seek to run into everyone halfway and to allow the bulk position prevail. Because a colony might non fulfill everybody. the dissatisfaction could once more do struggle at a ulterior phase. ? Integrate or collaborate: this manner is besides known as the problem-solving attack.

The parties cooperate in order to happen a satisfactory solution. 2. 3 A proper balance between the: task-oriented and the human dealingss facets. required in every teaching-learning state of affairs. enables instructors to make a teaching-learning state of affairs with a positive ambiance. Keeping a balance between the structural ( formal ) and human dealingss ( informal ) aspects requires a holistic attack to classroom direction. The combination and integrating of these two dimensions represent the existent construction of the schoolroom state of affairs. which includes all countries of the teacher’s direction undertaking.

These surveies revealed a clear correlativity between schoolroom ambiance and pupil public presentation of class 9 and grade 10 students in 12 secondary schools in Ontario as follows: ? Classroom atmosphere has a important influence on student public presentation. ? Although the personal and societal features of students are of import factors in their school public presentation. schoolroom ambiance is sometimes more of import. ? The psychosocial and academic facets of learning are interrelated. 2 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2

719493? Variables that relate straight to teaching-learning activities in the schoolroom have a particular. alone influence on student public presentation. The following are the guidelines for instructors to cultivate positive attitudes in their students: ? Put the students in the Centre. ? Respect pupils’ sentiments and handle all students respectfully. ? Give pupils a group feeling. ? Help pupils to experience secure in school. ? Make sure that pupils understand their assignments. ? Realise that students are kids. non grownups.

Deal with single behavior jobs in private interviews with the student instead than in forepart of the whole category. ? Involve pupils in determination devising where appropriate. ? Do non label students. 3 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2 719493 2. 4 Classroom POLICY 1. In all cases. civility and regard for schoolmates and the teacher are expected. 2. Book bags. briefcases. etc. are non allowed on your desk during category. They must stay on the floor near your chair. 3. You may non utilize cell phones in category. a. All tollers must be turned off. B.

You may non text message. topographic point or reply calls. c. All earpieces. earphones. headsets or any other accoutrement for your cell phone may non be used in category – that means. out of sight and non on your caput or in your ear. 4. You may non utilize any device ( for illustration. IPod. MP3 participant ) to listen to or see music or other scheduling in category. 5. You will be asked to go forth category if you disregard schoolroom policy. ATTENDANCE / WITHDRAWAL POLICY 1. Since the class is conducted in a seminar format. your attending is compulsory. 2. You will subscribe the Attendance Signature sheet at the beginning of each category.

3. Your category engagement points may be reduced from if you are late in category. 4. You may be withdrawn from COS 133 if you are absent from 20 % of the category. Late Work 1. No late work will be accepted. MAKE-UP Quiz POLICY 1. There are no quiz makeups. No freedoms. Scaling POLICY 1. Your class for COS 133 will be based on the points you accumulate for assignments. quizzes. and category engagement. 2. Your class for COS 133 is calculated as follows: Subject 1. Assignments 2. Quizzes 3. Classroom Participation Weight 30 % 55 % 15 % 4 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2 719493.

Topic Weight A 94 -100 1. Assignments 30 % A- 90 – 93 2. Quiz 55 % B+ 87 – 89 3. Classroom Participation 15 % B 84 – 86 B- 80 – 83 C+ 77 – 79 C 74 – 76 C- 70 – 73 D+ 67 – 69 D 64 – 66 D- 60 – 63 F & lt ; 60 1. Assignments = 30 Points? ? ? COS assignments consist of a assortment of activities designed to advance a successful college experience at MCC. Your assignments will dwell of reading text edition chapters and replying related exercising inquiries. In add-on. you may be utilizing your MCC pupil electronic mail to subject Web assignments. ? ? ? Assignments are due at the beginning of the category.

However. you may subject your assignments before the due day of the month. ? ? ? Distribution of points are as follows: 10 text edition assignments ( 3 points each ) = 30 points 2. Quizzes = 55 Points? ? ? Quizzes are based on your chapter reading assignments. o You may utilize your text edition to reply the inquiries. However. be good prepared for a really ambitious quiz. o If you are late for category and lose the quiz. you will have a nothing for the quiz. ? ? ? Distribution of points is as follows: o 11 text edition quizzes ( 5 points each ) = 55 points 3. Classroom Participation = 15 Points? ? ?

Classroom engagement points are earned by behaviours that demonstrate o prompt attending for category 3 o active hearing O positive engagement in little group work o thoughtful parts during whole category treatments o civility and regard for schoolmates and the teacher? ? ? Distribution of points is as follows: o 1 point per hebdomad = 15 points o You can non gain schoolroom engagement points if you are absent. MCC REGULATIONS AND POLICIES Academic Honesty Policy In the academic procedure. it is assumed that rational honestness and unity are basic duties of any pupil.

However. module members should accept their correlate 5 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2 719493 duty to modulate academic work and to carry on scrutiny processs in such a mode as non to ask for misdemeanors of academic honestness. Such misdemeanors consist chiefly of rip offing and plagiarism. For more inside informations sing MCC’s Academic Honesty policy sing definitions. disciplinary action. and process for entreaty look into the MCC Catalog and Student Handbook or MCC Website. Policy Statement on Sexual Harassment 1.

Monroe Community College strives to acknowledge human self-respect and hence does non digest sexual torment or any other type of torment within or connected to this establishment. 2. Sexual torment is illegal and unfairly interferes with the chance for all individuals. regardless of gender. to hold a comfy and productive instruction and work environment. 3. We are committed to taking all sensible stairss to forestall sexual torment and to train those who do hassle. Code of Conduct The undermentioned actions or behaviors are prohibited.

1. The obstructor or break of any College map or activity. including the schoolroom instructional environment. disposal of the parking plan and service maps and activities. 2. The detainment. physical maltreatment or bullying of any individual. or menace thereof. or any 4 behavior which threatens or endangers the wellness. safety. or public assistance of any individual on College-owned or operated belongings or at College-sponsored activities. 3. The usage of obscene or opprobrious linguistic communication or any other agencies of

look. linguistic communication. or action which may moderately be expected to arouse or promote physical force by other individuals. 4. The refusal to obey any sensible or lawful petition. order. or directive of a College public safety officer. a instructor. College decision maker. or any other identified representative of the College. MCC LEARNING CENTERS 1. Monroe Community College has a figure of Learning Centers at Brighton ( for illustration. Accounting. Math. Psychology. Writing. the Electronic Learning Center. etc. ) and at Damon ( for illustration. the Integrated Learning Center. Electronic Learning Center. etc.

) . 2. Learning centres are staffed with instructional forces and may be equipped with computing machines and package to help pupils. 3. It is recommended that pupils use the Learning Centers to acquire extra aid with constructs learned in the schoolroom and with their prep. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 1. Students with a documented acquisition trouble should do an assignment with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities on the Brighton or Damon Campus to set up for support services. 2.

All deaf or hard of hearing pupils should reach the Counseling and Advising Center. 3. You must supply the teacher with appropriate certification sing adjustments within the first two hebdomads of category. EMERGENCY CLOSINGS 1. If the College is closed due to inclement conditions or some other exigency. all Rochester country wireless and telecasting Stationss will be notified no later than 5:30 a. m. 2. In add-on. the home page on the MCC web site ( World Wide Web. monroecc. edu ) will expose a message bespeaking the College is closed. 3. Please make non name the College to avoid overloading the telephone lines.

5 6 Student no: 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no: 2 719493 CLASS CANCELLATION To entree a list of day-to-day category cancellations. you may 1. Name the Public Safety Department ( 292-2066 ) at MCC. imperativeness 1 for a list of off categories at Brighton and imperativeness 2 for a list of off categories at Damon ; 2. Travel to the Internet. entree MCC. travel to the A-Z listing to C for Class Cancellations and see the list of cancellations ; 3. Check your pupil electronic mail for a cancellation notice from your teacher 6 COURSE SYLLABUS AGREEMENT Detach and return this signed sheet to Professor Rodriguez.

______________________________________ M00______________________ Student’s Printed Name Student MCC College ID Number COS 133 Section Number: _________ Semester / Year: _____________ The Course Syllabus 1. The Course Syllabus ( class information sheet ) is a written legal compact between you and your professor. 2. It clarifies the professor’s outlooks and your duties. Your professor expects you to run into deadlines for assignments. documents. undertakings and trials. 3. It is your duty to reexamine the class course of study and clear up any facet of the course of study.

Therefore. read it carefully and inquire inquiries you may hold about its content. Check the appropriate box. ? ? ? I have read the class information sheet for COS 133 – Introduction to College Studies. ? ? ? I understand my duties for this class. I do non hold any inquiries. ? ? ? I do non understand the demands stated in the COS 133 Course Information Sheet. I will schedule an assignment to discourse my inquiries with my professor. List your inquiries for treatment here: ______________________________________ _____________________ Signature Date.

Abstract

The nature of daily operations makes stress a common occurrence in every persons life.  Stress is described in medical terminology as the failure in .  It is defined as the failure of homeostatic that results from either physical or psychological stimulus.  Therefore, stress is a conditions that arises when the interaction between an individual and the environment leads to painful discrepancy which may be due to an existing situation or be imagined due to availability of resources.  There are a number of factors that may lead to stress and they range from psychological, biological and sociological factor.  There are several theories brought out to try and explain stress and its effect which range from poor economic situations, production and health problems.

Introduction

Communication is an important aspect of human life (Weeks, 2001).  The importance is more defined in social beings and the development in human life have made it extremely relevant in ensuring the success of the human people.  The informal mode of communication in a social system has been depicted as the most effective mode of relaying information and ensuring interaction between humans which is important to the development of a more cohesive society.  Stress being a common occurrence in human life affects conversation and may directly have negative effects to the people involved (Weeks, 2001).  Though the human person may device means and mechanism that help in avoiding stress, any active individual faces stress in their undertakings as it is part of daily operations.  A stressful conversation has major negative implications and therefore every individual should be aware of the mechanisms used in the management of stress (Weeks, 2001).

Stressful Conversations

A conversation is classified as stressful if it in some way inflicts discomfort on either one or both parties involved in the communication (Weeks, 2001).  The conversations are characterized by either bad news that may have negative effect on either parties, a change in the intensity of conversation characterized by a a change in attitude and a poor attitude towards the bearer or the receiver of the message that leads to the use of profanities.  The aftermath of such conversation include embarrassment, confusion, fear and sometime anger and therefore most people avoid them or are poor in communicating in such situations.  Dodging, appeasing and ignoring such conversations may seem to be appropriate for an organization but the avoiding tactics are quite costly in an organizational setting as efficiency in communication is as important as the strategic development and implementation of plans (Weeks, 2001).  Therefore, every organization must develop and implement  communication strategy that minimize the risk of stressful conversation.  Stressful communication takes on the following forms:

Delivery of bad news

Communication of unpleasant news is an experience that many would not want to go through (Weeks, 2001).  In such situations the speaker is often tense and quite apprehensive of the communication direction as he knows the effect the news will have on the receiver.  The problem in delivery of bad news is compounded by any personal knowledge that the information bearer may have on the receiver that have a direct bearing on the effect the information will have on the psychological and economic well-being of the individual (Weeks, 2001).  Thus, a prior knowledge of the expected receiver’s reaction and the mode of communication may affect the effectiveness in communicating the tidings.  Getting off at the right point is the major concern in the delivery of news that is potentially stressful.  If the conversation kicks off in good spirit there is a high likelihood that it will proceed on in the same spirit.  A poor start to the conversation may affect the whole session as conversations tend to be so emotionally charged and few people have mastered the art of control in such highly charged situations.

Being the Receiver

Delivery of bad new is a hard task, but being the receiver in such stressful conversations is harder (Weeks, 2001).  It is common for conflicts to arise from very unexpected situations as conversations turn so abruptly for the worse without any warning.  In very stressful conversations the objectives of communication are overridden as little sense is made of the conversation.  Conversations are a result of individual behavior and are greatly affected by the environmental setting and individual upbringing (Weeks, 2001).  These are some of the factors that make it almost impossible to determine the behavior of the bearer and thus be able to managed the conversation effectively.  Past experiences are seen to play vital role in the behavior of individuals in a conversation.  A person’s reaction in a conversation could take an unexpected turn due to psychological situation (Weeks, 2001).  When an individual is in low moods conversation with him tend to be strained and outbursts are never far from calling as any form of negative comment, observation or perception may trigger a chain of activities that end up disrupting the communication.  Furthermore, individual effort is important in communication and each person should be well prepared to handle stress in conversations by:

a)      Identifying the areas that they are weak in.

This may involve the establishment of the situations or settings that the individual seem to have vulnerabilities and is therefore more prone to stress.  A good start to a conversation is characterized by awareness about oneself (Weeks, 2001).  Individuals may be vulnerable to hostility and may either act in manner that tends to withdraw or escalated the situation.  No reaction is best, and the knowledge of how an individual is likely to react play a great role in determination of the effectiveness of the conversation and help in mastery in handling stressful situations (Weeks, 2001).  Self awareness is not about endless analysis as it is a basic evaluation of oneself from past experiences.  Self analysis paves way for a definition of how the individual should react and can anticipate a moment of vulnerability long before the conversation reaches that state.

b)      Individual must be knowledgeable on how to react during stressful conversation and when they feel vulnerable.

By knowing areas of weakness an individual can anticipate a vulnerability and thus improve on the responses.  The content in the communication phase determine the success of the sessions.  Including multiple information that are depressing in nature creates a stressfully conversation as the effect of the first bit of bad news may spill over to the next and the cycle continues till no communication is taking place (Weeks, 2001).  Taking time in communication is very important as it gives the two parties enough space to comprehend the implications of the information and thus helps in ensuring that they behave in a justifiable manner.  Furthermore, anticipation of problems that may actually affect the communication helps in ensuring that the they are addressed effectively and ensure communication efficiency.  This calls for training as identification is an art that should be perfected if it is to help in handling the communication mechanism in the best way possible (Weeks, 2001).

c)      Training is necessary in improving confidence levels.

Individuals can employ the assistance of their friends in training.  During this sessions the individuals should relay their emotions and then rephrase their response in manner that is honest and not threatening.  This help in the elimination of emotionally charged responses as the individuals are well rehearsed and behave in a composed manner.  An important consideration in choosing the partners is that he should not have the same problems faced by the trainee (Weeks, 2001).  The training should be made as simple as possible and should involve basic content identification and experiments on all dimensions a communication phase may take.  The body language and other non-verbal signs should also be upgraded such that they may relay a positive approach to communication.  This is hard to implement as the control of the non-verbal body signs is sub-conscious and requires a considerable level of commitment and experience to handle them effectively.

Conversation Management

Being prepared for a stressful conversation is not enough and therefore individuals have to come up with tactics that will ensure effective communication.  Stressful conversations occur in a manner that they can not be foretold and no matter the level of preparedness surprise is common (Weeks, 2001).  The burst up in such conversations may leave the concerned parties surprised by the direction of the conversation while they still are trying to catch up and defend themselves due to their large egos, the aftermath being the senseless sentiments that are so common in stressful conversation.  The employment of preparedness mechanisms is often forgotten at the initial phases of the burst up and therefore conversation management skills are a necessary composition in any individual’s corporate skills (Weeks, 2001).  The implementation of a good communication mechanism helps in addressing the needs of the organization and promotes a culture of free communication.  Communication is made up of processes, policies and people and is therefore closely associated with organizational culture in a corporate setting.  The people charged with implementation of organizational policies should come up with clear policies that pave way for the adoption and implementation of efficient communication systems that puts into consideration the organization communication needs, organization culture and the interaction of communication processes.  A good communication system plays an important part in conversation as it determines to a great extent the efficiency in relaying information(Weeks, 2001).

The bearer of any bad news should acknowledge their part of problems as this goes a long way in helping the listener accept the bad message without necessarily being provoked (Weeks, 2001).  Employing tactics that allow a partner to push his perceptive and also allow the individual to state the intentions aids a rational approach (Weeks, 2001).  This approach is very important in situations where a conversations has taken on a confrontation dimension as it redirects it to agreement without necessarily turning it to appeasement.  Such tactics ensure that no one losses in the approach.

Handling stressful situations require an approach that is aimed at fighting the tactics employed by the other party (Weeks, 2001).  It is very important for the individual to identify the tactics that the partner is using before choosing an appropriate method in counteracting its effects.  The approach helps in neutralizing the tactics without necessarily having to be offensive or timid (Weeks, 2001).  Furthermore, the approach eliminates the need for determination of the underlying reasons behind the constrained relationship as it is concerned with the management of the problem.  Clarifying intentions by restating them in the definition of the objectives of the communication session eliminates the problems that result from erroneous views based on individual perception (Weeks, 2001).  In clarification of the intentions, the bearer should ensure that her words are in line with the objectives of the communication.  The open identification of a tactic disarms the user of the tactic and should be used when the conversation is taking on a direction deemed to be stressful (Weeks, 2001).

Rationale

There are a number of factors that constitute to the development of a better communication mechanisms (Weeks, 2001).  The techniques developed are based on the elements of a good communication mechanism.  The mastery of clarity, neutrality and temperance enhance implementation of a good communication mechanism and helps in dealing with the most complex of challenges stress included.

Clarity is an aspect that lets the words express themselves (Weeks, 2001).  The individuals should be clear on what they really want.  Clarity is enhanced by a clear definition of what is to be communicated and possession of good communication skills that enhance confidence.  In a situation where one or both partners are bound to be hurt by the communication, people tend to shy from clearly communicating their messages a situation that leads to increased hurt as the partners suffer from excitement and the pain of not knowing what really happened.  It should be noted that the negative effect of the messages are not due to the messages but due to their implication and therefore there is little one can do to change the actual condition.

The tone used in non-verbal communication system determines the success of the method in transmitting the information (Weeks, 2001).  The tone used, and other non-verbal communications relays a great deal of information on the perception adopted by the partners.  Adopting a neutral tone that, made possible by training and experience, helps in ensuring that communication is not affected by non-verbal factors that imply bias and thus impede the conversation.  Adopting a neutral tone when a conversation turns sour further helps in redirecting it towards a more rational approach.

Most languages have wide vocabulary that can be used in expression, as meaning can be constituted in various forms (Weeks, 2001).  Words, depending on how they are used, may bring out the same meaning but have different effects on the receiver or bearer (Weeks, 2001).  Phrasing the words in a manner that conceals stress helps in reliving the situation as the negative reaction associated with a poor choice of words is eliminated.  The goal in a good communication system is to transmits and receive efficiently and a good choice of words ensures this.

Conclusion

Stress management is a subject that every person should be conversant with especially in communication.  Having neutral attitude to a conversation and people in general helps in the elimination of the dangers that may arise from prejudice.  Practicing in a continuous manner not only helps in building confidence but also ensures individuals gain skills that can be used in handling a variety of stressful conversation.  A good communication policy helps in conversations thought training at organizational and individual level on aspects of good communication skills and mastery of language help a great deal in ensuring clarity and thus reducing the risk of stressful conversations developing into problem whose effects will be manifested in the whole organization.

Reference List

Weeks, H. ( 2001). Taking Stress Out of Stressful Conversations. Harvard Business Review.

1, 3, 4.

I do not agree that stress is necessary to motivate us. I get motivation from being stress-free. I have better days when I am not stressed. I am happy and joyful, instead of angry and frustrated. When I get stressed I just am down or angry and don’t want to be bothered. I have kids, and they can tell when I have a stressful day because it shows on my face. Then they are not happy and I just get more stressed then before. If people did not feel any stress their productive levels would probably be very good.

Getting things done eliminates worries. If you are not stressed than you can focus on getting done what needs to be done. I think my ideal level of stress is when I am so fed up I want to explode. If I start to cry and I just feel like I can’t take anymore, my stress level is very high. I try to control my stress level, and try to be a very happy person. That’s how I like to be. Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to treat coworkers or employees differently because of their differences.

You should never judge a book by its cover before taking the time to read it. Our differences are what make us who we are. You and your coworkers are not going to see everything the same, so you should take in their differences, and accept them as they are. I think you should recognize coworker or employees openly. Everybody has something they do one way, and the next person does it another way. It is okay to take in others judgment, and look at it as a positive, and not a negative thought.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN WAR VETERANS SC-PNG-0000009299 Alwin Aanand Thomson American Degree Program SEGi College Penang 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one’s own or someone else’s physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual’s ability to cope.

As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response. Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal—such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hyper vigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria in DSM-IV-TR require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (American Psychological Association). . 0 DIAGNOSIS Criteria The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, stipulated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), may be summarized as: A: Exposure to a traumatic event This must have involved both (a) loss of “physical integrity”, or risk of serious injury or death, to self or others, and (b) a response to the event that involved intense fear, horror, or helplessness (or in children, the response must involve disorganized or agitated behavior). The DSM-IV-TR criterion differs substantially from the previous DSM-III-R stressor criterion, which specified the traumatic event should be of a type that would cause “significant symptoms of distress in almost anyone,” and that the event was “outside the range of usual human experience. ” B: Persistent re-experiencing One or more of these must be present in the victim: flashback memories, recurring distressing dreams, subjective re-experiencing of the traumatic event(s), or intense negative psychological or physiological response to any objective or subjective. C: Persistent avoidance and emotional numbing

This involves a sufficient level of: • avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, such as certain thoughts or feelings, or talking about the event(s); • avoidance of behaviors, places, or people that might lead to distressing memories; • inability to recall major parts of the trauma(s), or decreased involvement in significant life activities; • decreased capacity (down to complete inability) to feel certain feelings; • an expectation that one’s future will be somehow constrained in ways not normal to other people. D: Persistent symptoms of increased arousal not present before

These are all physiological response issues, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or problems with anger, concentration, or hypervigilance. E: Duration of symptoms for more than 1 month If all other criteria are present, but 30 days have not elapsed, the individual is diagnosed with Acute stress disorder. F: Significant impairment The symptoms reported must lead to “clinically significant distress or impairment” of major domains of life activity, such as social relations, occupational activities, or other “important areas of functioning”. (DSM-IV-TR, American Psychiatric Assocation) . 0 PTSD IN WAR VETERANS 3. 1 Facts & Figures Operation Iraqi Freedom has become the deadliest American military conflict since the Vietnam War. Uto 13 percent of the troops returning from the deployment have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With the daily violence in this war torn country, service men and women are subjected to increased levels of stress which can trigger PTSD. After fighting for their country and risking their lives, allowing them to return home only to be haunted by their actions degrades everything they were sent to Iraq to accomplish.

Since the Vietnam War, methods of treating PTSD have developed and lowered the number of cases, but simply lowering the number of cases is not good enough. Unless service members can be prevented from experiencing these negative emotions, every one of them is engaged in a possible suicide mission. With the proper procedures introduced and carried out as proposed, not only the service members can be helped, but their families as well. Due to current operations in the Middle East and the recent combat operations in the past decade, many citizens have met somebody who has experienced their share of combat related stress.

When you look at somebody who has been in combat, they may look like your average person on the outside, but on the inside lays memories of the violent scenes of war torn countries. Their mental health may not be noticeably altered, but they could very well suffer from haunting memories, flashbacks, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can produce emotional responses caused by the trauma endured during combat operations. It does not have to emerge immediately, but can actually happen weeks, months, or even years after the traumatic event.

PTSD was often referred to as “combat fatigue” or “shell shock” until 1980 when it was given the name post-traumatic stress disorder. According to William Welch of USA Today, PTSD is produced from a traumatic event that provoked intense fear, helplessness, or horror. The events are sometimes re-experienced through intrusive memories, nightmares, hallucinations, or flashbacks. Symptoms of PTSD include troubled sleep, irritability, anger, poor concentration, hyper vigilance, and exaggerated responses.

Emotions felt by victims of PTSD include depression, detachment or estrangement, guilt, intense anxiety, panic, and other negative emotions (2005). Out of over 240,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan already discharged from the service, nearly 13,000 have been in U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) counseling centers for readjustment problems and symptoms associated with PTSD (Welch, 2005). Operation Iraqi Freedom has become the deadliest American conflict since the Vietnam War and because of this, new data detailed by Cep79m. v shows that 12 to 13 percent of troops returning from Iraq reported PTSD symptoms while about 3 to 4 percent reported other mental distress. A new Army study found that 11 percent of troops returning from Afghanistan reported symptoms of mental distress. Although wartime psychology was just beginning during the Vietnam War era, later studies showed that nearly 15 percent of troops who served there suffered PTSD. The most recent studies found that nearly 30 percent of the Vietnam War veterans have developed physiological problems after returning from the war.

PTSD estimates for veterans of the first Gulf War range between 2 and 10 percent (2004). These numbers are based on several key factors. The amount of combat related stress varies by unit and will determine the amount of emotional stress a soldier in that particular unit will experience. For example, according to The New England Journal of Medicine, out of 1709 Soldiers and Marines surveyed, those who returned from Iraq reported higher rates of combat experience and frequency than those returning from Afghanistan. It’s probable that those who experience more combat situations are more likely to suffer to PTSD.

As noted in The New England Journal of Medicine, out of those surveyed, 71 to 86 percent deployed to Iraq reported engaging in a firefight as apposed to only 31 percent in Afghanistan. Soldiers and Marines returning from Iraq were significantly more likely to report that they were currently experiencing a mental health problem, were interested in receiving help for their mental problems, and actually used mental health services (Hoge et al, 2004). As noted earlier, according to William Welch of USA Today, PTSD is produced from a traumatic event that provoked intense fear, helplessness, or horror (2005).

Being wounded while in combat is a perfect example of an event which provokes intense fear. Among those who participated in a recent survey, 11. 6 percent reported being wounded or injured while in Iraq compared to 4. 6 percent of those in Afghanistan (Hoge et al, 2004). This is a clear indication that the events a soldier experiences during deployment will have influence on the possibility of PTSD after redeploying to the United States. Intense situations do not revolve around being wounded or injured. Operation Iraqi Freedom has become the deadliest American conflict since the Vietnam War.

As a result, CNN notes that 90 percent of those who served in Iraq reported being shot at. A high percentage also reported killing an enemy combatant, or knowing somebody who was injured or killed. Approximately half said they handled a body while serving in Iraq (2004). In addition to CNN’s article, Cep79m. tv announced amazing data showing one in four Marines reported killing an Iraqi civilian while one in four Army soldiers reported engaging in hand-to-hand combat. More than 85 percent of those surveyed know somebody who has been injured or killed. More than half claimed handling corpses or human remains (2004). 3. Treatment and Prevention There is help available to those returning from the war torn countries. Almost 17 percent of the troops surveyed, who served in Iraq, suffered mental health problems while less than half of them have looked for professional help after ending their tours (Cep79m. tv, 2004). Sergeant First Class (SFC) Doug Sample of the American Forces Press Service reports that “service members can get confidential counseling through the military services’ ‘One Source’ program. The 24-hour-a-day service is for service members and their families, and provides quick, professional assistance with problems” (2004).

The reason only half of them are seeking help could be the possibility of negative attention from their unit. Dr. William Winkenwerder says that a main barrier preventing soldiers from getting help “is the perception of stigma that some individuals have about coming forward to get that care and counseling” (Gilmore, 2004). CNN interviewed Staff Sergeant (SSG) Georg-Andreas Pogany who saw an Iraqi body which had suffered severe trauma on his second day in Iraq. Suffering from a nervous breakdown and struggling to sleep that night, he decided to tell his superior officer.

He was afraid he would freeze up on patrol and was worried about the consequences. Instead of being given help, he was told to reconsider his concerns for the sake of his career. A translator attached to the 10th Special Forces Group was sent back and charged with cowardice after experiencing the same type of emotional stress. Though his charge was dropped, his record is still uncertain (2004). Post-traumatic stress disorder may not be preventable in every individual who steps foot inside a combat zone, but things can be done to lower the number of cases which occur after deploying.

The army, for example, works under a “tough and realistic training” motto. They train their soldiers during peacetime as if they were actually in a combat zone. Live-fire ranges along with tough and realistic training have helped soldiers prepare for combat and the numbers developed from the data is surprisingly low. But that doesn’t surprise many people because according to Gilmore, they have used information from former prisoners of wars to help train today’s service members to be ready for combat (2004). The military works on a schedule allowing units to use live fire ranges at certain times with a certain number of live rounds.

A possibility to help lower the amount of PTSD cases related to intense combat situations would be allowing soldiers to use live fire ranges more often. If this means raising taxes a little more to allow for a larger budget, then by all means, it’s worth it. Before, during, and after deployment, service members are given counseling sessions to prepare them for intense situations as well as teaching them about the possibility of mental health damage. This has been a change since the Vietnam War, which could be another factor which has helped lower the amount of PTSD cases throughout the military.

Another possible solution to PTSD would be to brief soldiers throughout their entire career. Before Operation Enduring Freedom, it had been nearly 10 years since the last major conflict which involved ground forces. In those 10 years, if soldiers were given briefings on the possibility of mental health damage after combat, there is a chance they would have been more prepared to deal with those situations. The Department of Defense could easily make it mandatory that each service member receives several briefings each year during their entire military career to include during deployments. Citing recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research, Winkenwerder noted some people seem more predisposed to develop depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorders as a result of negative childhood experiences” (Gilmore, 2004). Apparently, the better the life a child has while growing up, the more ready for combat they will be. The Department of Defense requires each applicant for the armed forces to take a test which allows them to qualify for a certain job within the military.

Another possibility would be adding a section to the test which measures the type of childhood an applicant experienced. They could then choose only those who did not have many negative childhood experiences, if that statement is at all accurate, to fill their combat oriented positions. 4. 0CONCLUSION According to the data gathered during recent surveys, it is clear that although the violence of war will remain the same, it is possible to lower the percentage of service members who experience mental disturbance such as post-traumatic stress disorder from combat situations. It may be impossible o completely rid the volunteer force of the possibility of PTSD, but with enough counseling before, during, and after combat operations, the percentage of those who suffer from it may be lowered dramatically. More tough and realistic training will also help set soldiers into the mindset of what it takes to survive a combat situation. The treatment and prevention is there, but does not seem to be used quite enough. Not using the prevention methods is almost like sending our troops on a suicide mission. Cep79m. tv, (2004, July 1). Soldier Mental Illness Hits Vietnam Level. Retrieved April 6, 2012 from http://www. cep79m. v/soldiermentalillness. htm (http://www. cep79m. tv/soldiermentalillness. htm) CNN, (2004, July 1). Combat stress: The war within. Retrieved April 10, 2012 from http://www. cnn. com/2004/HEALTH/07/01/post. traumatic. stress/ (http://www. cnn. com/2004/HEALTH/07/01/post. traumatic. stress/) Gilmore, G. , (2004, July 1). Combat Degrades Some Troops’ Mental Health, Report Says. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from http://www. defenselink. mil/news/Jul2004/n07012004_2004070106. html (http://www. defenselink. mil/news/Jul2004/n07012004_2004070106. html) Welch, W. , (2005, February 28). Trauma of Iraq War Haunting Thousands Returning Home.

Retrieved April 16, 2012 from http://www. commondreams. org/cgi-bin/print. cgi? file=/headlines05/0228-01. htm (http://www. commondreams. org/cgi-bin/print. cgi? file=/headlines05/0228-01. htm) NIMH · Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Fact Sheet”. National Institutes of Mental Health. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from http://www. nimh. org/ptsdfactsheet/ A soldier carrying his wounded compatriot Smoking as a common stress reliever among soldiers. Traumatic flashback occurring on duty. Anti-depressants are common among veterans. Traumatic enough to bring the toughest of men to tears.