Blog
Doctor, my work is killing me
Saturday, 10 October 2009 08:18
“Doctor, my work is killing me.”
What person can't relate to feeling stressed at work? For some people, work seems synonymous with stress. This is truly unfortunate because most of us have no choice but to work – necessitating going back to a stressful situation five days a week, eight hours a day! Then there are so many other things in life that produce stress like finances, chores, and relationships. It isn't the stress itself that is necessarily bad, it is the effect it has on our bodies, minds, and relationships that make it “a foe for reckoning.”
So what are some of the causes of work stress? From my own experience, I know one of the worst is a superior who doesn't know how to manage. I hate working for someone who can't communicate well or motivate others positively or the person who must micromanage everything. Then there is the controller who must direct whether I hang my sweater in the closet or leave it on the back of my chair. Another stress for me is having so much to do that I can't do anything well. There's also conflict with others. In fact, where there is room for group work, there is room for conflict. This can be conflict regarding ideas, roles, processes, policies – you name it. Then there are personality conflicts and the person who can't get along with anyone.
You may ask, “Why is stress so bad?” Well, not all stress is bad. For instance, good stress (i.e., eustress) is often necessary to motivate us. However, severe stress, unrelieved stress, or a lack of coping capacity can lead to real problems - problems that can escalate creating even more stress. Examples of severe stresses are a divorce or losing one's job. Such circumstances are replete with anxiety which in turn leads to sympathetic arousal such as rapid heart rate, upset stomach, heartburn, anger, insomnia, depression, under or over-eating, and use of alcohol or drugs. Clearly, stress can be a general enemy to good health.
At Houston Mind-Body Counseling, among other things, I teach people how to cope with stress. The field of stress management in general is sometimes referred today as Mind-Body Medicine. This is so central to the work that I do that I decided to include the concept “mind-body” in my business name. For me, this refers to the important relationship between mind and body with regard to our health.
Moreover, there are numerous, scientifically validated methods which can restore a balance to people's lives. This is true regardless of the severity of the stress and one's coping capacity. We can all benefit from learning and applying these techniques regularly in our lives. It is part of wise self-care. Methods of stress management include progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, autogenic training, Eastern-style meditation, and hypnosis among others. In the next issue of HMBC Blog™ I will discuss some of the programs I've put together to help people learn why they should manage their stress and how to do it – until then, here's to your health!
Dr. Tom Rodriguez
Houston Mind-Body Counseling
Press Release - Grand Opening
Friday, 09 October 2009 18:00
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FOR HOUSTON MIND-BODY COUNSELING, LLC
NOW HOUSTON HAS A CENTER DEVOTED TO MIND-BODY SCIENCE
HOUSTON, October 8, 2009 – “Houston Mind-Body Counseling will open its doors for business October 15, 2009 with a grand opening celebration from 6 pm to 10 pm and open to the general public,” explained Center President and Nurse-Psychotherapist Dr. Tom Rodriguez. The Center is devoted to Mind-Body techniques and is the private practice of Dr. Tom Rodriguez, an advanced-practice registered nurse, board certified as an adult primary healthcare nurse practitioner and psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. Houston Mind-Body Counseling is located at 3400 Montrose Blvd., in Suite 307.
Mind-Body techniques have grown greatly in appeal and use in America. A web search, for example, will yield pages upon pages of web sites. “Some web sites of course, claim to utilize mind-body techniques but really just borrow the name. However, there are numerous places where these techniques are being utilized by practitioners from varying disciplines in a way that complements modern medicine,” explained Dr. Rodriguez. Perhaps the best-known site (although we are not affiliated with them) is the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Mind-Body techniques are helpful, powerful, and supported by scientific evidence (see Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007 for an excellent review of the stress-management field and research). They include techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis/autogenic training, cognitive therapy, biofeedback, meditation, and Yoga. These techniques are not voodoo! They work by making changes in the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems.
The Center’s services will include intensive workshops where small groups of people can receive training in mind-body techniques. Programs offered will target illness prevention and high-level wellness, blood pressure and heart health, diabetes mellitus, chronic pain, obesity, and smoking – some of the most common, troublesome, and costly ailments in the Western world! “As effective as modern medicine is today, I believe better outcomes can be obtained through a combination of medicine and complementary therapies,” said Dr. Rodriguez. Of course, psychiatric assessment, case formulation, counseling/life-coaching, as well as, individual, group, couples and family therapy will also be offered.
Although not exactly a rags to riches story, Dr. Rodriguez has overcome many obstacles and set a few precedents in his life. He achieved a doctoral education despite being of Hispanic descent and humble beginnings. Further, “I was probably the first nurse practitioner in Austin Texas to have his own prescription pad and prescribe medications,” he said. “Now nurse practitioners do this all the time.” He also did the unexpected by conducting a clinical trial for his dissertation research. Now, he is among the few nurses who own their own practices. “In Texas, the laws are not written in a way that promotes entrepreneurship by nurses,” he explained. [Reference: Lehrer, P. M., Woolfolk, R. L., & Sime, W. E (Eds). (2007). Principles and practice of stress management, (3rd ed). New York: Guilford Press.]
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Houston Mind-Body Counseling, LLC is independently owned by Dr. Tom Rodriguez, an advanced practice registered nurse. The Center focuses on utilizing the mind to create positive change in behavior and physiology. The company’s web site is being built as this release goes out and is available at www.houstonmindbodycounseling.com.