Stress

Stress Management

by Marianne Cook, LICSW, Clinician, Harvard University Mental Health Service

Stress is the feeling we experience when our bodies respond to difficult situations—whether that means running from a grizzly bear or studying for a final exam. A series of physical changes occur (e.g. increased heart and breathing rate) to prepare our bodies to deal with the pressure. In mild amounts, stress can actually be helpful, keeping us alert and attentive. Unfortunately, many children and adolescents experience too much ongoing stress, which can wear the body down and lead to a number of health problems, including weakened immune system, headaches and stomachaches, allergies, insomnia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

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Resource Organizations » Stress

8 listing(s), including 1 with hotlines and 1 offering support groups

In Massachusetts

Parents Helping Parents and Parental Stress Line

parentshelpingparents.org
Offers support group(s)
108 Water Street
Watertown, MA  02472
Parents Helping Parents: 617-926-5008
Parental Stress Line: 800-632-8188
Since 1972, when the organization was founded as Parents Anonymous Organization of Massachusetts, Parents Helping Parents (PHP) has offered hope and support to thousands of parents. PHP's mission is to promote and support healthy parent/child relationships and break the cycle of child abuse through peer-led, professionally facilitated mutual help groups, which provide a nurturing, non-judgmental environment in which to improve family relationships. The parental stress line is free and confidential and is available to parents 24/7 for support and guidance.

Mood Gym

www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome/new/splash
MoodGYM is an interactive program designed to help you:
* Identify whether you are having problems with emotions like anxiety and depression,
* Learn skills that can help you cope with these emotions.
MoodGYM is based on two programs which are successful in preventing and treating depression and anxiety. These are: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy.
MoodGYM is designed to be used by people who would like to prevent mental health problems or manage problems which are troubling but not incapacitating. MoodGYM is not specifically designed for use by people with clinical levels of depression or anxiety. MoodGYM suggests that those with depression scores above 2-3 seek contact with a health professional.

Project Joy and Life is Good Playmakers

www.projectjoy.com and www.lifeisgood.com/playmakers
323 Newbury Street
Boston, MA  02115
617 266 4589
888 339 2987
Project Joy is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the healthy development of young children who are at risk. Through innovative training retreats, Project Joy provides teachers and childcare providers with the resources they need to strengthen and heal their children through play. Established in Boston in 1989, Project Joy has expanded to national scope, currently supporting children and their caretakers from Boston to Biloxi and beyond.

School Psychiatry Program and MADI Resource Center

www2.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry
50 Saniford Street
Boston, MA  02114
For Children and Adolescents: 617-726-2725
For Adults: 617-724-7792
Schoolpsychiatry.org is a joint project of the School Psychiatry Program and the Mood & Anxiety Disorders Institute (MADI) Resource Center, both of the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Schoolpsychiatry.org is committed to enhancing the education and mental health of every student in every school. The Mood & Anxiety Disorders Institute (MADI) Resource Center translates the latest research advances into practical information, helping people work with their clinicians toward the most accurate diagnosis and best possible treatment results. The Center also offers resources and support to help people manage daily living with mood and anxiety disorders and cope with the disorders' effects on family relationships.

Stress Reduction Program - UMass Medical School

Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA  01655
508-856-2656
The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is dedicated to furthering the practice and integration of mindfulness in the lives of individuals, institutions, and in society through a wide range of clinical, research, education, and outreach initiatives in the public and private sector.
Since its inception, more than 18,000 people have completed our eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program and learned how to use their innate resources and abilities to respond more effectively to stress, pain, and illness. The central focus of the Clinic is intensive training in mindfulness meditation and its integration into the challenges/adventures of everyday life.

Stress@Work

www.uml.edu/centers/cph-new/job-stress/default.html
One University Avenue
Lowell, MA  01854
978-934-3268
This website is designed to help employers and employee health program planners understand how to reduce workplace stressors. In workplaces where job-related stress is common, this is a vital component of employee health promotion and health protection programs. This website is focused on reducing exposure to stressors in the workplace, not on stress reduction strategies for individual workers.

Outside Massachusetts

American Institute of Stress

www.stress.org
124 Park Avenue
Yonkers, NY  10703
914-963-1200
The American Institute of Stress is a non-profit organization that serves as a clearinghouse for information on all stress-related subjects. Its mission is to explore the multitudinous and varied effects of stress on our health and quality of life. The website includes information on stress, its effects on the body and mind, and ways to reduce stress.

E-Couch

ecouch.anu.edu.au/welcome
E-couch is a self-help interactive program with modules for depression, generalised anxiety & worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss & grief.
It provides evidence-based information and teaches strategies drawn from cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies as well as relaxation and physical activity.

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Additional Sources of Information

Disclaimer: Material on the Project INTERFACE web site is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. Project INTERFACE urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.