Stressed Out? Help vs. Root Cause

I saw this fascinating report on the Today Show this morning that I think is particularly relevant during this very busy and potentially stressful season.


Please hear me loud and clear. I am not anti medication (see note). I just think this report really misses the mark, because it addresses symptoms but not the root. As women, we are often trying to take on too much. Turning off the tv an hour before bed or taking anti-anxiety pills may help with our symptoms, but it doesn't do anything to address our over-scheduled lifestyles.

I was especially riveted to Today's story after reading Glynnis' Encouragement for Today devotion today titled "An Overloaded Life". Please take a moment to read it if you haven't already. She also has a terrific blog post on managing the big projects in our lives and a chance to sign up for her 15-day decluttering challenge for January. I love that she's giving us help to address the of anxiety for a great number of us.

Note: I have a much-loved family member who went through a severe bout with depression. It was decades ago before anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and sleep medications were safe and available. She says now that she wishes that she had had some medication to help her begin to emerge from the deep, dark place where she started. However, she also is grateful for the hard work of counseling and therapy. It allowed her to get to the root, and she has been able to go on through life free of depression. Hers obviously had a cause other than chemical imbalance, but she worries that too many people are using medication to dull the symptoms rather than being healed of the root wound. I am not a professional, but I tend to have the same concern. I agree with her that medication combined with therapy or other actions to address the root are probably most effective in the long-run.