LAGOS: Medical director counsels staff on stress management

THE Medical Director of Alimosho General Hospital, Igando, Dr. Madewa Adebajo, has said that the management of stress requires the involvement of everyone, just as he called on the staff of the hospital to be deliberate in playing their roles while being efficient on their beats.

Adebajo, who made the call in his address delivered at the hospital’s monthly Continuous Medical Education (CME), noted that although some stress factors cannot be controlled, it is still imperative that individuals focus on those within their power that eases stress.

He implored the participants to always ensure moderation in all their activities and not be compelled or deceived into acting under unnecessary pressure, needs or situations that could further aggravate stress.

Head of the hospital’s General Outpatient Department (GOPD), Dr. Akinbode Samuel Fafiolu, in his presentation on coping with stress, defined it as a person’s adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological, emotional or physical demand on the individual who lacks the capacity to cope with it.

Fafiolu identified three types of stress as Physical, Psychological and Emotional, explaining that physical stress arises as a result of one’s body response to activities such as work, noise, illness or exercise.

“Psychological stress occurs when an individual’s mind perceives an inability to cope with a challenge of some kind, while emotional stress is when a person is under pressure which affects their emotions”, the Doctor added.

He also classified stress into Eu and Di, Positive and Negative, saying that Eu-stress is a persistent effect spurring motivation and awareness that provides the stimulus to cope with challenging situations.

Di-stress, according to him, is a condition that makes an individual unable to cope with the situation and comes with challenges like headache, indigestion and insomnia among others.

Fafiolu maintained that stress management revolves around knowing the cause and possible ways to respond by ensuring a balance between negative and positive stress, while being aware of the management techniques to combat it.

The Head of Department, however, stresed that good time management is vital in the management of stress, noting that making a daily priority list, setting achievable goals, maintaining a positive/healthy lifestyle and ultimately speaking positive words to every situation, are great elements of coping with stress.