Book Review: Cliff Powell and Graham Barker, Unloading the Overload: Stress Management for Christians, Sydney: Strand Publishing, 1998.

Here's a practical book by a couple of Sydney-based Christian psychologists about one of the most talked-about human conditions in the modern world. When I was younger only my physics teacher talked about stress: now I have a file four inches high with articles on the topic - plus two shelves of books. When I offer a list of about ten subjects for clergy/leaders' conferences, my seminar on Stress and Burnout always wins hands down ('How to Pursue Excellence in Ministry Without Cracking Up!' if you're interested :-)!

It's a book, says the introduction, written for people who feel overloaded, and it's 'unashamedly based on Scripture.' There's actually a lot of Bible - texts and stories - in it. Which is O.K.: the biblical people were stressed too (though when psychologists use biblical material, unless they've done the requisite background study, it comes across as a trifle Sunday schoolish). The book is simply written, free of jargon (though there's got to be a simpler word or phrase for 'individuation'). The assessment and review/summary exercises are helpful. And I liked the Peanuts cartoons!

I'd have liked a bit more on the physiology of stress, on stress and anger, and a few more tips on time management. And, more seriously, I don't remember the book dealing at all with the formation (or lack of it) that happens in adolescent years - and concomitant stress. In my counseling practice I'm finding a high correlation between a father's relationship to his son/daughter during their early adolescence and their subsequent stress-levels. The women's and men's movements have highlighted the strategic importance of a father's input into the building of self-esteem of the adolescent...

Is stress a peculiarly modern phenomenon? Yes and no. Our cave-person forbears knew all about stress, but they could get over stressful situations fairly quickly. Today, we have the phenomenon of adrenal addiction; and 'many of us are only two pay-packets away from financial disaster' (p.xi). In terms of Christian theology, to borrow Larry Crabb's phrase, we are all 'living outside the garden'.

The first chapter begins with Carl Jung's truism: 'The world will ask you who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you'. The foundation-principles for a stress-controlled life have to do with setting priorities and having a sense of control of your life. 'Hobfoll, in his 1988 book The Ecology of Stress, suggested that stress comes from the perception that our life feels overloaded' (p.5). And the model of course is Jesus: 'We see in the life of Jesus a model of one who set priorities, both in life-goals and methodology. Because these life-goals were in place, he was able to handle the competing expectations, demands and pressures brought upon him in daily life' (p.15). Compassion was an important but not the _supreme_ value in Jesus' life: moment-by-moment obedience to God was. Jesus did not try to meet all the needs of all the people in his crowds. (My text for clergy conferences - Luke 5:15,16: 'But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray'). We too have to set limits; we must learn to say no. Unfortunately, some of the greatest models of Christian service (eg. William Carey, C.T.Studd) contained an element of drivenness. A similar problem relates to our inability to delegate and train others to share the load ('if I don't do it, it won't get done - or done well').

Then there are childhood influences. In dysfunctional families trust becomes a problem. And in our culture boys mustn't cry. Men don't easily talk about their problems (male friendships are built around _doing_ stuff with other guys). So our authors suggest we start becoming friends with ourselves, and then learning some basic conversation skills (pp. 52 ff. are excellent: if you're a shy person, go there first!).

Like most authors/teachers on stress this book emphasizes the importance of regular exercise, and a balanced diet. 'Exercise stimulates the production of... endorphins and enkephalins in the brain, and these serve to provide natural feelings of well-being' (p.59). But don't become too competitive. Fast food is expensive nutritionally (don't touch it more than once or twice a week); and be moderate in your intake of stimulants - eg. coffee, tea, and chocolate.

I have come to believe that while lifestyle variables are important in dealing with the _symptoms_ of stress, the _causes_ of stress lie deeper, in our unconscious needs, fueled mainly by family-of-origin experiences. And yes, our authors agree (against most of the articles you'll read in popular magazines about the subject). 'Unless we do something about _internal_ reconstruction, there will always be a gradual regathering of those discarded and unstructured external stresses' (p.67). Right on!

There are three dimensions to the self (pp. 68 ff.): emotional maturity, self-image, and spiritual maturity. A comment on each: when a child's separation and differentiation processes are blocked or delayed, the child is more prone to be anxious, and continue to express a strong need for a mother's presence. (In my view, this is also an important factor in adult males who have not been properly initiated into manhood by the men of the tribe when they were teenagers. Why does the President of the United States need the consolation of female flesh?) Re self-image. Alfred Adler has helped us understand our actions as needing to protect our self-image and overcome our inadequacies. Overload happens (particularly in driven adult professional males) when they take on impossible career-loads in order to feel better about themselves. And the healthy development of the spiritual self leads us to promote others and their giftings...

The book has a good chapter on relaxation. Some Christians have been indoctrinated against the value of relaxation and contemplation (in my view): these healthy practices are somehow 'New Ageish'. Fortunately, these authors don't buy that. There are hundreds of psychological studies underlining the value of relaxation for people under stress. Relaxation is 'letting go' (the Bible talks a lot about that). A good tip: if the ringing of a phone causes stress, take a deep breath and consciously relax before answering it.

There's lots more. Get someone to get it for you for Christmas!

Rowland Croucher
November 1998