Go easy with stress: Psychiatrist

SEMARANG: Stress could make someone either mature and more immune to future stressful situations or cause one to suffer from mental disorders, Diponegoro University-based psychiatrist Ismet Yusuf told a seminar here on Wednesday.

In the seminar titled "Stress and its Impact on Health and Ways to handle it", he said if someone was capable of dealing with stress, he or she will be able to cope with the next strain easily, making one more mature and immune to stress.

He, however, warned that if someone failed to deal with it, he or she could suffer from serious mental problems.

Ismet added that if someone could overcome stress by using an effective defense mechanism, he or she will gain benefit from the experience.

He said stress was always associated with a lack of working spirit, lack of ability to socialize and to use time effectively due to frustration, disappointment, conflicts and threats and is often characterized by physical complaints.

Ismet added that stress can be overcome by, among other things, enhancing the defense mechanism.--Antara