Stress

Of the many factors that can lead to mental illness, stress is about as environmental of a cause as it gets. Stress could be a result of things like work, financial standings, and relationships. It is, however, important to understand that stress isn’t entirely negative. In the short run, stress is something that gets us moving. Stress is what motivates us to prepare for things like interviews and exams. It keeps us productive and on our toes, however, in extremes, stress can be the catalyst for mental illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “With chronic stress, those same life-saving responses in your body can suppress immune, digestive, sleep, and reproductive systems, which may cause them to stop working normally”(“5 Things You Should Know About Stress”). In other words, stress can have effects that cover a broad range of health issues, including physical health. 

Although stress is often seen as a cause for mental health, it is also important to understand the effect in which mental health can have on one’s stress. The relationship between mental health and stress is actually cyclical in a way. According to the BioMed Research International, the mere stigma of mental illness can lead to worse effects of burnout(Mitake, T.). Burnout of course being a mental breakdown as a result of stress and exhaustion. Stigma, as they define it, “. . . is the misrecognition or unfounded recognition of individuals or groups with specific attributes”(Mitake, T.). In other words, stigma is when people place, often misplacing a belief that people have a mental illness. What this means is that the study is suggesting that the perception of mental illness is actually leading to burnout among groups and individuals.

So, what can be done about stress? It’s important for individuals to recognize long term stress so that people can work on dealing with it. According to the National Institute of Mental health, some of the signs that people can recognize include, “Difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol and other substance use, being easily angered, feeling depressed, and having low energy”(“5 Things You Should Know About Stress”). One of the ways in which people can deal with mental health is by getting exercise. Physical exercise can be extremely useful for dealing with stress, even if it’s in small periodic amounts. Another way in which individuals can deal with stress is by communicating with those who care about you. Being in touch with those that are comfortable with you communicating and bouncing your problems off of is a great way to better your mental health. Finally, sometimes it’s just a good idea to consult a professional. We often look at things like therapy as signs of weakness or flaw, however, if you can afford it, it’s always a great idea.

A lot of stress, as stated earlier, is going to be caused from one’s job. With this being said, good working conditions are extremely vital to reducing stress. In some cases, however, the working conditions are beyond poor quality. Arifa, a Bangladesh sweatshop worker, began working in sweatshops when she was 10 years old. During this time, she was working for about 100 taka a month. She has worked her way up to making 2200 taka a month for around 13-14 hours a day, but her wage is still extremely poor. As it’s stated, “After 20 years as a garment worker, Arifa earns more than Bangladesh’s minimum wage, but still less than a living wage”(“A Sweatshop Worker Tells Her Story”). On top of all of this, she has a family and they all live together in a poor quality slum. The work that she is doing isn’t just bad enough to have an effect on her mental health, but on her physical health as well. As it’s stated, “The work is exhausting and hard on her body, causing frequent pain, especially in the back”(“A Sweatshop Worker Tells Her Story”).