Stress Relief or Self Expression. Why do we post?

TBryant · Oct 22, 2014

Going through a little personal crisis got me back on here after I had basically decided to not bother with PF anymore. (can't wait for the disappointed responses from that one) And it got me to thinking, how many people on PF have to deal with some sort of super stressful situation where they have to hold their tongues and keep their true opinions to themselves to just get by?

I am by no means conservative, but I see crazy unfair situations happen all the time due to misguided liberal enlightenment. Others I see caught in personal or occupational situations where they have no voice, but are held responsible for every mistake and random problem. Many times in the real world we are not even allowed to complain, its a sign of weakness or disloyalty etc. It must be very hard to never lash out at the people that are truly causing the problems.

Thinking about this makes me take the comments I see here in a completely different light. Here you can speak (write) your peace of mind and not be considered weak or disloyal. Here having an exaggerated or excessive opinion is a sign of power and confidence. The tone of so many post can be seen as a sort of literary primal scream. Proving someone wrong equates to proving oneself right, and a sort of jungle law emerges that is not at all based on logical debate but rather the will to keep repeating the same points over and over until the opposition is crushed.

For me self expression is just as much a release. I like to work at social puzzles and mysteries and I do not get a lot of opportunity to vent my interest on people in the offline world. Though I am sure I have inspired many a blank eyed stare into the distance from posters on PF, at least I don't have to see it, here I can imagine some interest in my POV. I have also spent a lot of time intervening in slanted disputes, standing up for the underdog is just engraved in my bones, and I have taken on arguments I have no agreement with just to spite the top dog of the moment. It wins me no popularity contest, but it keeps me at peace with myself.

Anyone out there had similar thoughts?

waltky · Feb 20, 2017

Granny says, "Dat's right - it's all dem anti-Trump lib'ral yankee media types fault...

Startling rise in stress levels witnessed in America due to current political upheaval
Saturday 18th February, 2017 - - The recent political climate in the U.S. is said to have left the country under significant stress.

According to a poll conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) between January 4 and 19, 57 percent of adult Americans said they said they considered the current political climate a very" or "somewhat" significant source of stress, up from the 52 percent who felt the same in August. People on average reported that their stress levels rose from 4.8 to 5.1 (out of 10) between August and January according to the report titled Stress in America." Honestly, these are some pretty startling figures, Vaile Wright, a licensed clinical psychologist and member of the APAs Stress in America team was quoted as saying.

Americans are experiencing the highest levels of stress that they've had in the past 10 years, with the poll showing that the increase was the fastest rise on record since the APA's Stress in America survey first began in 2007, the report noted. The elections last year in the country clearly had a toll on the citizens with two-thirds of respondents saying the future of the nation is a significant source of stress, and 49 percent saying the outcome of the election was a significant source of stress. The poll results were divided according to party lines. In total, 66 percent of Americans were worried about the future of the country, with 76 percent of Democrats reporting they're stressed and 59 percent of Republicans saying the same.

Some 72 percent of Democrats saw President Trump's victory as stressful; however, only 26 percent of Republicans felt the same way. People in rural areas reported less stress, with just 33 percent saying they were very or somewhat stressed about the political changes. Forty-five percent of suburbanites reported stress, as did 62 percent of city dwellers. "The fact that two-thirds of Americans are saying the future of the nation is causing them stress, it is a startling number," Wright said. "It seems to suggest that what people thought would happen, that there would be relief [after the election], did not occur, and instead since the election, stress has increased. And not only did overall stress increase, what we found in January is the highest significant increase in stress in 10 years. That's stunning," he remarked.

Muslim Americans, immigrants and victims of sexual trauma were particularly prone to greater stress since the election, and mental health specialists who work in Veterans Affairs hospitals have reported their patients have made comments such as This isnt what I risked my life for, Wright said. Katherine Nordal, APAs executive director for professional practice, said in a statement, The stress were seeing around political issues is deeply concerning, because its hard for Americans to get away from it. Were surrounded by conversations, news and social media that constantly remind us of the issues that are stressing us the most. Some 1019 adults were interviewed as part of the poll.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/...-in-america-due-to-current-political-upheaval
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waltky · Mar 1, 2017

Hmmm, mebbe is why I had a small stroke last week?...

Constant Email, Text, Social Media Checks Lead to Stress
February 23, 2017 - Nearly 90 percent of Americans say they constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts leading to increased stress, according to a report from the American Psychological Association (APA).

Those who said they checked constantly showed, on average, higher stress levels than those who checked less often. Using a 10-point scale, where one is little or no stress and 10 is a great deal of stress, constant checkers reported a 5.3 stress level compared to 4.4 for those who were less glued to their smartphones.

Working Americans who check their work email on days off reported a stress level of 6. The emergence of mobile devices and social networks over the last decade has certainly changed the way Americans live and communicate on a daily basis, said Lynn Bufka, PhD, APAs associate executive director for practice research and policy. Today, almost all American adults own at least one electronic device, with many being constantly connected to them. What these individuals dont consider is that while technology helps us in many ways, being constantly connected can have a negative impact on both their physical and mental health.

The study found parents realized the stressful effects of constant checking on their children, with 94 percent of parents saying they try to manage their childs usage and 58 percent reporting feeling as if their child is attached to their device. Moreover, 45 percent of parents said technology is making them feel disconnected from their families, 58 percent reported being worried about the influence of social media on their childs physical and mental health. Constant checkers are also more negatively impacted by social media, the study found, citing 42 percent of constant checkers said discussing politics on social media caused them stress. That was compared with 33 percent in the non constant checking category.

Perhaps one of the most telling findings was that 65 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly agree that unplugging at times or taking a digital detox is important for mental health. Only 28 percent said they actually did take breaks from technology. Taking a digital detox is one of the most helpful ways to manage stress related to technology use, Bufka said. Constant checkers could benefit from limiting their use of technology and presence on social media. Adults, and particularly parents, should strive to set a good example for children when it comes to a healthy relationship with technology. The survey was conducted online between Aug. 5 and 31, 2016, among 3,511 adults 18 or older living in the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association.

Constant Email, Text, Social Media Checks Lead to Stress
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See also:

Study: Cats Not Linked to Mental Illness
February 22, 2017 - There is some good news for cat lovers. Turns out those reports that people who grew up with cats have a higher risk of mental illness are not true.

Writing in the journal Psychological Medicine, researchers from University College London say a common parasite associated with cats, Toxoplasma Gondii, which is associated with mental health issues, does not cause mental issues in people who grew up around cats. Lead author Dr. Francesca Solmi said, "The message for cat owners is clear: there is no evidence that cats pose a risk to children's mental health." She said, "Previous studies reporting links between cat ownership and psychosis simply failed to adequately control for other possible explanations."

Solmi said, "In our study, initial unadjusted analyses suggested a small link between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms at age 13, but this turned out to be due to other factors. Once we controlled for factors such as household overcrowding and socioeconomic status, the data showed that cats were not to blame." Researchers say their study of those who grew up around cats is significantly more reliable than studies that suggested a link between cat ownership and mental disorders because the subjects were monitored for nearly 20 years, rather than asking people with mental illness to remember details from their childhood, as was the case with studies suggesting a link.

Furthermore, they say those studies were relatively small with gaps in the data. "Our study suggests that cat ownership during pregnancy or in early childhood does not pose a direct risk for later psychotic symptoms," said senior author James Kirkbride. "However, there is good evidence that T. Gondii exposure during pregnancy can lead to serious birth defects and other health problems in children. As such, we recommend that pregnant women should continue to follow advice not to handle soiled cat litter in case it contains T. Gondii."

For this study, researchers investigated 5,000 people born in 1991 or 1992 who were part of an 18-year ongoing health study. Data from the study showed whether cats were in the house when the mother was pregnant or had cats while the children were growing up.

http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-study-cats-not-linked-to-mental-illness/3735029.html
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Dutchess2 · Mar 2, 2017

I like your post because you are right we all should use a place where we can vent our frustrations or opinions.
I Have a problem with talking a normal conversation in real life I can get the words out good , I want to say so many things but the words don't come out right so I write on this where I can say what I want and if they don't like it I don't have to see the disaproving stare they give me and make me feel like I am not worthy.
Its hard to say what one want to say without coming over like a duffus ..lol

I always look for people who have similar idieas or atleast something that I can put my heels in I know it is hard to follow me my English leaves me sometimes in lala land ..LOL but I get that way when I want to say so much and cant get the words out.
Yes I go through something too and have trouble understanding why it is that people don't seem to get it that it is allowed to agree to disagree they don't get that and get angry and I don't get that then so you can see it is a vicious circle that keeps going on and on but okay I will just leave that person out of my circle what I find really hard to do because I thought we were friends.

liberalminority · Mar 2, 2017

it is stress relief for people of power, and self expression for people without power.

HereWeGoAgain · Mar 2, 2017

I post because so many people are misguided and need to be straightened out.

I honestly don't know why anyone posts after I do. Once I've posted, what needs to be said is said.

scarlet witch · Mar 3, 2017

I think the boards cause more stress not less, so many arguments makes no sense to come here for stress relief.

There are news articles I wouldn't normally come across, so come here for the out of ordinary and to see what fake news the right wingers posted.

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Stress Relief or Self Expression. Why do we post?

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