The End of Stress As We Know It
by Bruce McEwen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bruce McEwenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-10-16
ISBN: 0309091217
Number of pages: 262
Publisher: Joseph Henry Press/The Dana Press
Book Reviews of The End of Stress As We Know It
Book Review: Very user friendly book on the impact of chronic stress!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very thorough and easy to understand book on the effects of chronic stress on every major body system, memory, mood, etc. It presents many of the same concepts as Dr. Sapolsky's excellent book, "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers." However, this resource is aimed more at laypeople.
Dr. Sapolosky's book is very dense for most people without a background in biology, however, he has an excellent sense of humor and goes more in-depth than Bruce McEwen. In short, if you didn't like taking science in school, you will probably get more out of the "The End of Stress As We Know It."
I also found that Bruce McEwen took more time and space to explain essential physiological concepts such as allostasis. This a key concept and Sapolosky seems to take the reader's understanding of this basic concept more for granted.
Overall, this book is well-organized and does a good job explaining the "fight or flight" response, the role of the endocrine system in stress and the impact of chronic stress. It does not, however, have much to say about how to overcome chronic stress that most people already don't know. For this, I would turn to other sources such as "Full Catastrophe Living."
Although this book does not address how to combat stress in great detail, I think it provides essential context for anyone trying to change their lifestyle. In fact, I think it should be required reading for anyone who works in a high stress environment.
If you want to read another good book on the societal and psychological factors that lead to being chronically stressed, then check out "American Mania" which was written by a UCLA psychiatrist and is complimentary to this book in some very good ways. If you read "American Mania" and this book, it will probably change your attitude toward the damaging effects of stress forever!
Summary of The End of Stress As We Know It
There's a whole new way to think about stress. Sure, some stress is inevitable, but being 'stressed out' isn't. In fact, we can learn to rechannel the powerful stress activators in our lives to make us even more effective. "Hamlet" spoke of 'suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.' These days we simply use the word 'stress' to describe that feeling. And if you ask 10 random people if they feel stressed, chances are that at least 9 will reply with a resounding, 'Yes!' Indeed, the very way we use the word implies that we are its victims - as in, 'I'm under so much stress' or 'I'm completely stressed out.' There's now a better way to look at this picture, a way to move from victim to victor. The first step is to look to the science behind it all because in the science lies a whole new message about stress.Science allows us to understand what the stress response is and why our bodies react the way they do. Like all living creatures, we're mapped to respond instinctually in certain ways, and generally for good reasons. We know, for example, that in times of emergency, we effortlessly shift into a different biological mode.Based on our perception of the crisis, our brains initiate the 'stress response' or the 'flight-or-fight reaction. ' Our attention becomes keenly focused. Our heart and lungs accelerate to ready us for action. Our glands mobilize extra energy resources and summon the immune system to battle stations. This whole process is Nature's way of empowering us to respond swiftly, sometimes dramatically, to sudden events, while remaining mentally alert and physically prepared to meet a challenge. But what if the crisis situation does not present us with a foe to be fought? Or if fleeing is not the answer? Too often in modern times, the situations that bring on the stress response require neither the fight nor flight response for which our bodies are genetically programmed.The stress response is nevertheless likely to kick in - just as it's programmed to do - even though it cannot help speed us toward a resolution. Deprived of its natural successful result, the very system that's designed to protect us begins to cause wear and tear on our bodies - actually bringing on illnesses as diverse and severe as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and increased susceptibility to colds and infections. The good news is that there are definite things that we can do to prevent this process from ultimately taking this wrong turn. New research in brain functioning allows us to understand the reactions our bodies have to various stressful circumstances.That knowledge is power - the power to harness the energy stored within us and to channel it in positive ways. "The End of Stress as We Know It" leads us to a new appreciation of the mind - body connection so that we learn how to reduce stress and increase our overall sense of health and well-being-and even turn aside the slings and arrows of life. This book is co-published with the Dana Press.Stress Management Books
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