The Stress of Coping with Everyday Life

In looking as far back as prehistoric times, society has set the stage of our lives.  It controls the quality of our health and minds as we live day to day.   Taking a look at ancient times; civilization existed as a society set up for survival.  Mans stressors originated from his need to learn about and discipline himself; and of how to take care of his physical needs in fitting into an environment of which he knew nothing about.  The creating of cultures developed as man traveled about in fulfillment of his physical needs and groups formed and separated; depending on mutuality or the lack of in the final decision for those who stayed together.  Once formed, ways of acceptable living practices were enacted and the expectations of a society were born; which still exist to this day.  In meeting these expectations man set a silent biological timer within himself of a destructive nature, that biological timer is stress.

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     Man throughout time across the continent has experienced stress characterized by physical and mental ailments which resorted in widespread drug use by the cultivating of psychoactive drugs such as: ephedrine/woody/horsetail as a stimulant and other narcotics such as: mandrake, opium (source of heroin and morphine) marijuana, belladonna/nightshade, henbane and piper betle.   Beer and wine were also being made. (Mooneyham, 1993)

     These drugs were taken for a multitude of reasons stemming from the relief of pain and illness to being combined as an anesthetic for surgery, to being used for their mind altering effects.  In essence, on into the 21st century these drugs of choice by ancient humanity have been used for the relief of various symptoms of stress in allowing one to relax and to sleep. (Mooneyham, 1993)

     In today’s time; stress is being recognized and taken much more seriously in its effects on the human body and psyche.  Research is being conducted on all possible known events of life that could lead to stressful reactions; and in doing so are coming to the painful realization that just about every conceivable notion of life is connected to a stressful response.  It has been acknowledged that we not only suffer from negative stress but from positive stress as well.  Our bodies are not able to distinguish or isolate the response of stress in relation to its source of either negative or positive.  Therefore, living life is essentially killing us.