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About me, or what do I know about stress, anyway?Torrey Offley, M.A.I'm a trained psychotherapist with many years' experience working with stress issues. My masters degree is in clinical psychology.I'm also a goofball. Oh, and I love boxing if you couldn't tell. Much of what I know about stress management I developed and taught myself, starting with my mother's death when I was only 21 years old and a senior in college. So you could say I had a hardcore crash course in this stuff just as I was entering adulthood. This experience sparked my interest in psychology and helping others negotiate life's difficulties. Over the years I have become adept at working with my own stressors so that while I am aware of them, I am able to defuse my response to them so that I no longer suffer (at least not very often!). But since I am alive, I am still learning and growing, and refining my understanding of how I best cope with pressure. As this website grows, I hope to learn as much from you as you learn from me. Together, we will master* dealing with life's hardships and surprises and making room for more peace and light in our lives. On the personal side, I am 48 and grew up in California, Micronesia, and Hawai'i (yeah, there's a story -- no, stories -- in there). I currently live in Texas with two dogs and two cats. I have three married siblings and a nephew and two nieces who are scattered around the U.S. Both my parents are now dead, but I am also adopted and have a great relationship with my (alive!) birthmom since our reunion 12 years ago.
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Stress NewsIt's National Stress Awareness Month!Did you know April is National Stress Awareness Month? Since 1992, thanks to the Health Resource Network, Americans have a month to focus on the problem of stress and how to better handle it. According to HRN's website, health care professionals and people who promote health are disseminating information and leading forums, discussion groups, and community events to raise awareness and educate the public about stress.
There's also a National Stress Awareness Day -- April 16, the day after taxes are due.
Which may make it a great occasion on which to reflect about starting your taxes
earlier next year. Gene Reduces Vulnerability to StressIf you handle stress well, you may have mom and dad to thank. UCLA researchers studying the IL6 gene and the biochemical pathway that triggers it have discovered that people who have a less common variant of the gene may be more able to withstand life's stressful events. The IL6 gene controls the body's immune response, causing inflammation when activated during the body's "fight or flight" response to stress. The most common variant of IL6 is associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, and people with this variant have an increased risk of death for 11 years after suffering a stressful life event severe enough to trigger depression. But a less common version of IL6 lacks the pathway for stress to trigger it, resulting in no increased risk of death following major stress for those who carry it. The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.(UCLA News Release, 2/10)
Want More Stress News?Stress News Archive |
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Stress During Learning Affects Ability to Remember StuffIf you want to retain what you learn, don't try to learn it when you're under stress. German researchers subjected people to stress (immersing their hands in cold water -- ouch!) while they were learning words. During recall and recognition tests 24 hours later, the numb-handed people performed less well than control subjects who were not exposed to stress during the learning exercise.(Journal of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2/10) |
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