Stressed? Who is stressed?

Walking the high bridge

Time Magazine in the mid 1980's had a lead article on stress and consequences of it. Some research facility had assigned points to various events in life; so many points for losing a job, moving, getting a divorce, etc.  Those were the big ones. 

 At the time the list appeared I had been moved by the company I was working for, was going through filing for divorce from an alcoholic husband, visiting a dying parent in a hospital, while temporarily living with my mother facing the eminent death of her husband. The last was not on the list but should have been. Oh, and I was less than a year clean and sober and had a sponsor who said I should not be doing any of those things. If you tallied up just those life events on the list I should have checked myself into a mental institution. Or committed suicide.

 But I come from a long line of troupers. We keep on keeping on. And are the perfect model of decorum while doing it. There was a t-shirt I saw during that time which I should have bought. It defined stress as, "When your mouth keeps saying yes, but your heart is screaming NO, NO, NO."

 There are no huge things like that going on in my life currently. Well, I am trying to refinance my house. Working on a community board trying to reorganize and organization. I have an erratically sick cat, and a dog older than Methuselah with a liver issue. And then there are a series of difficult people I am trying to avoid or not shoot.  I have survived financially some routine auto maintenance issues which came in four figures. (the bigger the truck the more expensive the tires). I began paying attention to a health issue which seems to require opening every letter from the health clinic or insurance company with trepidation. I am redoing my whole diet approach which means reading labels again. This time for sodium. And when you try to blend a diet for low blood sugar with an allergy diet and then add sodium and reduce meat it makes even meal preparation a source of stress. Not to mention it deletes all comfort foods just when I need comfort.

I could really go for a large hot fudge sundae just about now. 


Comments

  1. The Blog of BeeJanuary 30, 2016 at 10:07 AM

    What you are experiencing now is just as bad as in the 80s. Just different, that's all. I think finance or lack of is a major source of stress. People you don't want to be around can raise your stress levels. There is a particular person in my life who is underhandedly trying to frustrate me and without knowing it, they are succeeding. Every so often I have to remind myself that I am in charge and if push come to shove, I could make life very difficult for them. The result of this silent battle of wits is that I frequently feel physically sick when I have to interact with them.

    Unwell pets always a source of stress as our children, no matter what their age!

    Lack of certain ingredients on food is enough to make anyone scream and whilst I understand your concerns, I would also say that a little of something that makes you feel better, cannot be all bad.

    ReplyDelete

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