Stress: Portrait of a Killer - Review and Random Thoughts

Thoughts and Review

Earlier, I never thought about stress nor about its impacts on a person and its relationship to community until I watched this documentary. Stress is not isolated to human, but it’s a curse and impact of stress is significant in today's human life and generations to come. No doubt we have been changing the surroundings and natural environment for our convenience at very fast pace creating stress and its impact across all other living beings on the earth. I do not know, if any researchers perceived to measure impact of human created environment and its stress on other living beings.

Stress not only impacts physical appearance but also brain, hormones, resulting in health and sleep disorders, early aging/death of memory cells, irregular blood pressure and heartbeats. Finally results in shut down of immune system making one more vulnerable to other diseases. In addition think about today's fast food and processed food we eat every day that fuels our stress levels. And also the medicines and diet drinks that are manipulating body chemistry.....

Recently, I read an article - Studies indicate that most of the children born with health disorder is not because of mother or her health condition, but its mostly because of hormonal  changes in Fathers health. Mostly this kind of trend was observed in father of age group 30 and above. If we think logical with respect to life today makes sense- the time when one is expected to be settled down financially and start family. Thus exposed to different levels and types of stress... 

Today, as we grow old we are more and more vulnerable to increasing stress and types of stresses like Financial stress, Family related stress, Driving /traffic stress, Work related stress, Travel Stress, Competitive Stress, Stress caused my others, differentiation and discrimination stress and what not....

Countries with ancient histories and civilization led a happy life in groups mostly due to sharing and caring...but the fast changing world have been creating nuclear families... resulting in extinction of joint/large families.....indicating collapse of community system.... 

Technological revolutions are great, but every human still today require basic needs like food, clothes and shelter for him and his family to survive. Parents don't have time to look after their kids and its same with kids when they grow-up. Family meals and/ dinner are almost extinct, if by chance family dinners - might not be the perfect one, I m sure kids busy using electronics and parents are watching/reading  on TV /laptop....collapse/ failing family system... Thus in most of the developed and developing countries, market for psychologist and psychiatrist is in great demand. What do they do? After spending $$$, listen to you about your problems and concerns in life ...that are creating stress/unhappiness - leading to suicidal attitudes.... and offers positive approach / counseling to life ... .....

In past, one/two person in a large family used to work full-time and might get stressed sometimes- but when he gets back to home from days' work, rest of the family used to absorb the stress.....But today we have small families with size of  2 to 4 people. If both husband and wife are working and exposed to stress who is going to absorb the stress? And what impact it has on community and future generations to come?

I always used have a question, why women didn't go to work in olden days? I guess, now I have better reason... in olden days, I am certain that elders had better understanding about women, health issues, stress, and her role in family.

In my perception, all religions are about different philosophies to lead happy life and are equally important to understand. In the holy text (Puranas) of Hinduism, it is cited that Lord Siva drank the Halahala poison churned up from the sea (Samudra Manthan) to eliminate its destructive capacity. Shocked by his act, Goddess Parvati (wife of Lord  Siva) strangled his neck and hence managed to stop it in his neck itself and prevent it from spreading all over the universe supposed to be in Shiva's stomach. However the poison was so potent that it changed the color of his neck to blue. My understanding/thoughts about above text - Poisons is referred to "Stress" and irrespective of who you are, everyone will be exposed to stress and have to go through it. Wife's role and importance in managing it....

Across the globe most of the Policy makers or government/s generalizes policies/plans and also crime prevention policies, techniques and procedures to control...... yet it is unfortunate that crime is inevitable. I doubt, if any researcher or government/s across globe have heard to them or at-least perceived these areas as "Special Zones" or "Zones with Special Needs"........ Understand what their needs and what would relieve stress from these communities --- Food, Shelter, Clothes, Education, Job, Health??....In short these areas are needed to be perceived as "Hot Spot for Special Needs /Policy Needs"....

Stress has become such a powerful tool today, even extremist have chosen it as a best weapon to instigate or provoke.... Everyday, we hear a lot about people committing Suicides and Crime at a rapid pace across the cities. Did we ever think, why someone might have considered these approaches? Answers simple the amount of  "STRESS".... Times of India Article - study reveals Suicide may soon be leading cause of death in India... Four of India's southern states — Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnakata and Kerala — that together constitute 22% of the country's population recorded 42% of suicide deaths in men and 40% of self-inflicted fatalities in women in 2010. These kind of studies indicate significant relationship to stress. 

A relationship between human was more of understanding others, but no wonder newer generations had coined it as "Every relationship is a Long term and Short term economic relationship"...So we need to understand and remember that - "I cannot stress others because I am unhappy, frustrated and stressed..." 
If you do stress out others because of your frustration and concerns.. .for no reason you are putting relationship at risk.... if this goes on continuously unnoticed and not taking steps to overcome - you might soon see yourself in social isolation, thus resulting in the starting point for suicidal thoughts...  

In the mad race of life today it is misinterpreted.... irrespective of age and gender- Human activities are getting complex and competitive- measured in economical terms of productivity. As human we have been failing to understand fellow human and also failed to understand the culture and system that was left behind by older generations for us.... What are we giving to future generations - divine chaos life full of stress with peanuts of bank balance(as these days money is changing its value at a rapid pace)???.... Life support on Pills?......... All the nations have all kinds of people, but all are human beings.... None of us can exist in isolation.... Race and Tag for "Superiority" is the cause of all evils....Well, we cannot build the perfect world, but we can at least try and listen to others concerns.... 

In short, none can distinguish Stress among Good vs. Evil, Worker vs. Non worker, Activities vs. Age-groups, Relation vs. Compensation, Rich vs. Poor, Height vs. Weight, Region vs. Religion, Language vs. Color.....We all heard a lot about Stress Management and practice Aide but not actual cure.......

Unfortunately, it is not the same stress tolerance and absorption levels for everyone. So next time, if you are intentional creating stress for someone..... It is as bad as killing someone by inducing slow poison......

"Prevention is better than Cure".... so please think twice ....

Now I understand better about why it was said - "Speech is Silver, Silence is Gold".............

Need for Education Policy - "The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

Need for Education Policy - "The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

Hello! I am Aditya Kumar Katragadda. The following ideas have been kept infront of government on 6/12/2009. I am glad that government and respective institutions have repsonded positively to most of the issues addressed in this e-mail.

I would like to share my views about education in India. No doubt that the Indian education system is the best system in entire world. Apart from teaching technical skills, we also learn facts and principles that are essential in every one’s life. In my opinion, “Education is a means to achieve life time learning process”, but today for most of them, “Education is a means to achieve life time earning process”. Top most concerns is that higher education in India is not given sufficient importance, it is indicated by the number of people going abroad to pursue higher education compared to the number of people pursuing higher education in India.


In India, the zeal to pursue engineering and medicine is considered to be highest in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In this belief, children are being forced to prepare for engineering and medicine entrance examinations right from childhood, parents did forget to teach or guide children about importance of life which is leading to many major and dangerous social and psychological problems not only in family but also in society.

As many students are opting to pursue engineering and medicine education from neighboring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc., Government of Andhra Pradesh understanding the pulse of the public has introduced hundreds of engineering colleges and medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh. But according to my opinion, the government’s policy was good, but not the best. Since, the government has failed to regulate the establishment of number of colleges being established. Most of the colleges never met the minimum standards required to establish a college. This policy not only discouraged people pursuing degree courses but also the establishment of degree colleges.

In Andhra Pradesh, government's have failed to take necessary action and policies to educate the people that engineering and medicine fields are not the only specialisation available for education. In Andhra Pradesh, the co-operate education centers are hailing in almost urban centers with number of branches and centers. These colleges are also promoting and preparing students for Engineering and Medicine streams entrance examination by promising quality education and collecting huge amounts as fees. These colleges are not only affecting the life of children but also mental and financial ability of entire family.

Every year, thousands of engineering students are graduating from various university colleges established in India. And most of them are opting for Software industry for employment or pursuing masters abroad - “Brain Drain”. After completion of master’s degree abroad irrespective of field of specialization most of them are switching to software industry with help of consultants abroad to secure placements. The recent recession outbreak in United States, most of employees were laid off from jobs, and recruited giving priority to its citizens indicating the policy maker’s policies and implementations in the best interest of their nation.

Today, the private engineering colleges, junior colleges and schools are ruling the state's education delivery process. These college are paying better salaries and benefits, resulting in shift of employee's interest towards private sector. Advancement of Research and Development is beyond the scope of private organizations, as their main intension are profits and to promote there products. Apart from this, the government institutions have stopped recruiting employees. Government employee are about to retire from services, but there is no recruitment. Instead, most of the employees are being recruited on the basis of contract employees or as consultants offering low compensations that are insufficient for today’s cost of living and salaries are low for individual’s education qualification, which discourages them from participating in research activities.

Do we have right to achieve a job in same profession matching educational background? What are the forces or factors causing these kinds of disturbances in the society? Is this situation because of policy failures? Is there any immediate need for policy maker’s and public representative's to frame and implement new education policies in the best interest of nation? These sort of questions can be effectively answered only by incorporating them in the policy making process.

To some extend the issues can be resolved by:

1) Providing continual research in educational institutions and government sectors.

2) National Education Policy and State level Reforms to achieve policy goals.

3) Employment security and updating the eligibility qualifications.

4) Encourage Regional focus in the specialization of subject especially at degree and higher education level.

5) Discourage establishment of education centers as business centers.

6) Encourage and implementation of policies that build confidence of students.

7) Social counseling to students and parents from school level.

8) Providing better stipend for student’s pursuing master degree in any field and in return employ them for research activities.

9) Encourage student to participate in different field's of study.

10) Regulating private institutions inorder to promote government institutions.

11) Regulate and discourage profession shift (switching of profession for job).

As, a planner by profession, I strongly believe that proper education can change the life of every Indian. Education is not merely achieving grades, or maximum hours of study, but it is the level of mental maturity and sense of responsibilities. I interpret that the present education process is the indication of social problems arising in the society like acid attacks, suicides, harassment deaths etc. requiring policy maker attention.
Law can protect from issue, control issue and subside issue, but proper education will definitely bring a positive change .This indicates the need for "Better Educational Policy".

"The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

I do not intend to discriminate, criticise or offend anyone in this email. My main intension of this e-mail is to describe the situation and the urgent need for education policy at state and national level. This was purely based on my thinking process.