Stress

I

t is a well known saying that work means stress, but psychologists claim that those who suffer from stress are often not high-powered executives but unskilled workers doing boring, repetitive jobs, especially those on production lines. Unemployment often has a similar effect on its victims. If we wish to prevent this type of stress and the depression that frequently follows long periods of it, we will find ways of educating people to cope with this sudden increase in leisure time.

Many have already turned to pills and tablets to combat sleeplessness and anxiety, two of the symptoms of long-time stress and depression. In Britain, we spend £650 years on different kinds of medicines. About one-third of this is spent on tranquilizers and anti-depressants. We million swallow a staggering three million sleeping tablets every night. Although these “drugs of the mind” can be extremely useful in cases of crisis, the majority of patients would be better off without them.

        The boredom and frustration of unemployment are not the only causes of stress: poor housing, family problem, overcrowding and financial worry are all significant factors. Nevertheless, doctors believe that if people learnt to breathe properly, took more exercise, used their leisure time more actively and expressed their anger instead of bottling it up, they would not depend so much on drugs, which treat only the symptoms and not the causes of the stress. If doctors refused prescriptions more often and discouraged patients with minor ailments from visiting the surgery, the country would have more money to spend on improving leisure facilities and adult education, which are at present inadequate in many parts of the country. Moreover, doctors would have more time to spend on those patients in real need of their help.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.

1. Sleeping pills are the best anti-stress medicines.                  ……………..

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2. Leisure facilities are now sufficient.                                             ……………..

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ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What sort of people are likely to be stressed? why?

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2. Give two examples of social causes of stress.

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3. How should we fight stress effectively?

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4. How could doctors devote more time to serious cases?

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COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES:

1. The long-term stress symptoms are …………………………………………………………………………….
2. The drugs the patients take aren’t totally curative as …………………………………………………….

FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS THAT MEAN MUCH THE SAME AS:

1.      To deal successfully with (p.1):                   ………………………………………….

2.     Illnesses (p.3):                                        ……………………………….…………