Stress: Portrait of a Killer

In the National Geography documentary “Stress: Portrait of a Killer” directed by John Heminway, stress is explored highlighting it not as abstract or mythical aspect but stark reality that man has to battle with in the society today. Diseases, which are caused by stress-related problems, are among the biggest threat that faces man in modern industrialized society, whereas little seems to be known about stress. The revelatory science is significantly explored on in this documentary where latest discoveries shed light in stress through scientist Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University professor. Sapolsky had been mesmerized by the fact that some people were affected by stress compared to other. As depicted in this documentary, Sapolsky goes to Maasai Mara to study baboons on fact-finding research. From the comprehensive research on stress and social hierarchy in primates, it thus emerges out that the higher one is in the social hierarchy the lower the stress and vice versa.

            The theatrical ingenuity of Heminway is brought out in the way he packages facts and scientific discoveries of Sapolsky and other scientists in “Stress: Portrait of a Killer.” Sapolsky’s scientific discoveries from his fieldwork in Maasai Mara, Kenya, and his laboratory experiments in Stanford delves in explaining stress, which remains a main killer of man as a result of its side effects. I find it astonishing in the way a baboon is close model to man as far as stress and the underlying factors are concerned. Just like man indulges himself to find sustainability and other basic needs, and exposes himself to stressing conditions; the baboons spent time in a day in the quest to look for a meal, something that leads them on straying on each other to say the least in psychological stress.

            Robert’s revelatory discoveries on the close association between hierarchy and stress are quite fascinating, informative, and point to facts that define the social order of the contemporary human society. He argues out that stress in most of primates is something where they cannot exercise and keep under control. Just like humans who have social hierarchy even at place of work, exemplifying on the stress hormones in different people of the hierarchy, the baboons exhibit the same similarities, and the strong survive and rule the baboon troop. The strong baboons according to Robert have lower stress because there is no one to bully them, whereas those down the hierarchy find social and psychological stress catching up with them after they are bullied. I strongly agree to the theory and comparison made by scientists about the hierarchy at workplace where a lawyer of lower rank has high level of stress hormones because he is under pressure from all quarters to deliver. This lawyer in the low rank can be compared to younger baboon who finds himself in stressing conditions given the fact that he is bullied other strong and older baboons. However, humans unlike animals do not have the switch to turn down stress because they have a lot of issues that cause them stress, for instance the desire to pass examination, bills yet to be paid, unemployment, just to name a few add up to stress.

            Robert’s scientific research on baboons bears similarity with that carried out by Professor Michael as both point out to the common correlation between stress and social hierarchy. The cases given of government workers, one from lower rank and the other from senior rank and the amount stress each has is a quantifying example. At a time when unemployment allover the world has become a common denominator, it is notable that a junior employee is working tirelessly accumulating fatigue only to be rebuked by seniors adding more stress to him or her. The senior employee on the other end enjoys many privileges and thus the lower level of stress hormones. It is more horrifying as the discoveries indicate, the lower a person is in the social hierarchy, the more the stress, and thus the more one is likely to fall prey to diseases given that stress interferes with the body’s immune system given its damaging effect to cells.

            Other scientific studies elsewhere have concurred with same discoveries where stress has negatively impact on the health of people in society. Elizabeth Blackburn’s discoveries try to give the correlation on how individuals respond to stress and how it impacts on society in general. The common finding that stress affects the genetic matter is quite scaring. That stress affect body cells, especially brain cells is scaring for people can thus attribute loss of memory as one of the side effects. That the fact that stress cause high blood pressure has been proven whereas this triggers other damaging effects on the body. Those people lower in the hierarchy, from discoveries have exhibited damaged arteries, clogging of the arteries, and shrinking of brain cells. Scientists have also argued strongly that stress can affect even fetal life as indicated by the case of Holland, where 60 years after hunger had affected the society, the people still bear the effects.

            In summary, the recommendations scientists like Sapolsky from their researches are that the society should find ways of dealing with stress to alleviate its damaging effects. The people should change their values and treat one another with care, passion as well as being fair to those lower in the social rank. Appreciation of those in the lower hierarchy significantly reduces stress, consequently increasing productivity. In my view people in the society can protect themselves from harmful effects of stress by learning their stress limits and taking preventive measures, thus control the harmful effects.