Resource Articles

Stress is inevitable. Whether it's triggered by an attacking lion in a pre-historic jungle or by the sales quotas of the "corporate jungle" of today, it is a fact of life. Today's stress may even be more intense and unrelenting than that felt by our ancestors.

Written by Ellen Clark, L.C.S.W. The holiday season brings an onslaught of media messages that say that this is "the happiest, most joyful time of the year." Holiday songs convey this message. Magazine covers extol the fun of decorating, cooking, and family gatherings. Consumers are pursued relentlessly to buy, buy, buy, and get that perfect gift. The holiday bar is set high. So why is it that many people find the holidays stressful, lonely, sad, and depressing?

If your spouse or significant other displays a combination of these behaviors, he/she may be a potential batterer:

Decide to save some money and resources.

Few stressors in life are more distressing than having creditors calling and then feeling out of control because your spending has exceeded your income. It is overwhelming! Trouble with debt cuts across all social strata from doctors, professors, lawyers to clerks and food service employees. Those who make over $100,000 annually and those who live below the poverty level may owe beyond their ability to pay their bills. Debt is debt.

The winter holiday season is a time of stress; both good and bad. The anticipatory activity before the events can be followed by a whiplash of emotional post-holiday letdown when it is all over. The result may be feeling frazzled. Sometimes the simplest of things becomes the most precious. It is a time that we often postpone our regular self-care efforts and may over do it. Here are some Seasonal "Stressages" (stress-busting messages) to help us cope with the festivities.

From time to time, life happens and each of us may have the need for expert legal advice (wills, trusts, divorce, disputes, contracts, and other services.)

By Jim Kendall, LCSW and Carole Kendall, Ph.D.

Finding the right provider is important when beginning the therapeutic process. Work/Life Connections-EAP at 615-936-1327, is available for a confidential meeting with a faculty/staff member of Vanderbilt to assess the presenting problem, identify related issues and consider important demographic considerations (location, insurance, etc.) to assist in matching you with a potential provider. A counselor will suggest three or more potential providers who may meet your needs. The counselor may also talk with you about the process of selecting a provider with whom your are comfortable.

All of us will grieve at one time or another. Grief is related to love and attachment; it is love under the condition of absence. Grieving is caring about someone who is no longer present. Loss, death and grief are part of the human experience. To grieve is normal; to not grieve is pathological.