Seeking Nirvana

Much has been published lately on the topic of stress--how to recognize it, what it does to us mentally and physically, and how to deal with it. Even children's books are now teaching youngsters how to recognize and deal with this topic.
Young Wes, in Tolya L. Thompson's children's book Worry Wart Wes (Savor Publishing, ISBN 0-9708296-1-2) worries about his vegetables turning his skin green, or falling into a toilet, or that he might brush his teeth away. In boldly colored illustrations and humorous situations, Wes, who breaks out in warts from too much stress, learns to "take a deep breath and count to ten, blow the stress out and do it again." The author also lets the reader know that stress does not cause warts.
Among the latest adult offerings is Stress Test: A Quick Guide to Finding and Improving Your Stress Quotient, by licensed psychologist Thomas A. Whiteman and author Randy Peterson (Pinons Press, 1-57683-035-7). It begins with a test calculates a "stress quotient." The authors advise that the test is not made to create more stress, but only to be used for personal feedback. The rest of the book provides practical ideas for reducing stress levels based on personal needs. The format uses reflective questions and answers, followed by a "what to do?" section.
Another self-help manual is the fifth edition of The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook, by practicing psychologist Martha Davis, licensed clinical social worker Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, and Matthew McKay, the clinical director of the Haight Ashbury Psychological Services in San Francisco, California (New Harbinger, 1-57224-214-0). This comprehensive workbook, in print continuously since 1980, is stuffed full of stress-reduction ideas, time management techniques, relaxation methods, coping skills, nutrition facts, and physical exercises. The authors suggest reading the first two chapters for a basic understanding, then using "your personal reactions to stress to decide which chapters it will be most helpful for you to read next."
Scott Sheperd, Ph.D.'s interesting title, Who's In Charge? Attacking the Stress Myth, written by (Rainbow Books, 1-56825-071-1), claims that "most of these books and seminars on stress not only miss the point, they actually promote and reinforce a way of thinking" and that "stress has become the big excuse for all of our problems." The reader is invited to shuck the negativity and create a more personal power because "to acknowledge power means to accept responsibility for your own actions and your own life."
How You Feel is Up to You: The Power of Emotional Choice, second edition (Impact Publishing, 1-886230-50-1) by Gary D. McKay, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, and Don Dinkmeyer, Sr., Ph.D., a pioneer in the fields of school counseling, parenting, and marriage enrichment, offers similar advice: "the key is to keep stress in check--lessen it and make it work for you." This text provides common-sense methods of relaxing, such as "scanning" areas of the body as you relieve tension, and alternative ways to view stressful events.

Independent publisher Sorin Books offers three inspirational titles to help heal the stressed soul. Anne Bryan Smollin, a family counselor, has written God Knows You're Stressed: Simple Ways to Restore Your Balance (ISBN 1-893732-35-5) and Tickle Your Soul: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often (ISBN 1-893732-00-2) which both advise readers to be less perfect, to love themselves, and let go of that which cannot be resolved. The author uses personal reflections, anecdotes, and inspirational quotations to spread her message that liking ourselves is the most important thing we can do to relieve stress.

In the same vein, and also from Sorin Books, Priscilla J. Herbison, a professor with a law degree and a master's degree in social work, shares ways to make anger work positively in God Knows We Get Angry: Healthy Ways to Deal With It (ISBN 1-893732-33-9). She writes that "anger . . . is a natural emotion designed to protect us from imminent danger or harm . . . and the way to break free from this vise of anger is learned through honest, direct expression of anger." Using true stories and pertinent quotations, the author teaches that anger is good and that how we manage it is a key to healthy emotional and physical living.

In Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practitioners (Impact Publishers, ISBN 1-886230-45-5), the authors--Howard Kassinove, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, and Raymond Chip Tafrate, Ph.D., associate professor of criminology and also a clinical psychologist--provide a resource for mental health practitioners who deal with anger management programs. It includes case examples and sample client forms. While written for the professional, it makes interesting reading for anyone interested in this topic.

NavPress books encourage spiritual introspection and Christianity as a way to emotional stability. Richard A. Swenson, M.D. has written two books in one. Margin and The Overload Syndrome (ISBN 1-57683-329-1) define "margin" as "the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits" and "overload" as the stress, anxiety, and tiredness we feel from having "no space." This lengthy text outlines modern stressors that affect our health and suggests a spiritual simplifying to reduce our overloaded lives. Steve Shores, in his Minding Your Emotions: How Understanding Your Feelings Can Nurture Your Soul, (ISBN 1-57683-174-4) claims that our emotions are God's gifts to us and are valuable, and that paying attention to our feelings can lead to our spiritual growth and happiness. This upbeat book is a divided into two sections--"nature and purpose of emotions" and "key emotions and how to mind them."

Guilford Press offers books that explain mental health, stress coping skills, and herbal tonics for the mind. Straight Talk About Your Mental Health: Everything You Need to Know to Make Smart Decisions (ISBN 1-57230-674-2), by James Morrison, M.D. is a very consumer-friendly text that discusses in practical terms symptoms of common psychiatric disorders, what treatment for mental health problems entails, and medications and therapies. A list of resources in the appendix lists books, organizations, and websites with brief descriptions to make this text especially useful to anyone contemplating seeking help.

Professor Carolyn M. Aldwin has written Stress, Coping, and Development: An Integrative Perspective (Guilford, 1-57230-543-6), a scholarly text "bringing together literature from a variety of fields that examine transactions, both between the mind and body and between the person and the environment, within the context of stress, coping, and adaptation research." Extensive research studies are cited; a working knowledge of the subject is necessary to fully understand this book.

Another Guilford offering is Herbs for the Mind: What Science Tells Us About Nature's Remedies for Depression, Stress, Memory Loss, and Insomnia (1-57230-476-6) written by Jonathan R. T. Davidson and Kathryn M. Connor, professors of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. The introduction provides an interesting overview of the increased sales and use of herbs in the treatment of a variety of mental ailments. It discusses the government regulations and manufacturer's standards of the herbal market. Four main chapters discuss St. John' wort for depression, kava for anxiety, ginkgo for mental alertness, and valerian for insomnia.

Sometimes, stress causes us to do things that we might never consciously plan to do. In Was That Really Me? How Everyday Stress Brings Out Our Hidden Personality (Davies-Black Publishing, 0-89106-170-3), Naomi L. Quenk, a licensed psychologist, provides a guide, based on C.G. Jung's personality typology, for explaining these "hidden personality" moments. An appendix includes descriptive summaries of Jung's sixteen personality types.

Stress seems to be an ever-constant part of working. John B. Arden's Surviving Job Stress: How to Overcome Workday Pressure (Career Press, 1-56414-609-X) is a very easy-to-read and practical handbook for coping with job-related pressures. The author provides anecdotes, checklists of stress-related physical symptoms, and situations that create worker problems, and then provides numerous coping methods.

Among the many physical problems associated with stress is obesity, says Shawn Talbott, Ph.D. and faculty member in the University of Utah's Department of Nutrition, in The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health--And What You Can Do About It (Hunter House, 0-89793-391-5). Cortisol is the hormone activated by the stress response. This book is based on recent research linking cortisol with serious health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, depression, and obesity. The author offers an integrated program of exercise, nutrition, nutritional supplements, and relaxation for the general reader to reduce levels of stress and cortisol to improve health.

Nearly ten percent of the population suffers from mood disorders. Mind, Stress, & Emotions: The New Science of Mood (Commonwealth Press, 0-972-06073-1) discusses new discoveries of how moods are shaped by genetics, biology, and environment. The author, Gene Wallenstein, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist and frequent lecturer at international conferences of cognitive neurobiology, which integrates genetic, physiological, and pharmacological research. Wallenstein uses diagrams to enhance his easy-to-read descriptions of this complex subject. "This is a book about emotions—those sinuously elusive creatures that run afoot and afield within us all. They add a rich and complicated tapestry to our lives. . . ."

The overabundance of stress in our daily lives has caused a plentiful harvest of books. Even non-readers are scouring bookstores and libraries to find the perfect antidote that will guide them to Nirvana. May their journey be short.