38

ALANBAA
English 38
Monday, 13 October, 2014
Psychology
Dr. Maria Grammenou
By: Dr. Maria
Grammenou
Clinical PsychologistStrategic PsychotherapistClinical Sexologist
Ph.D in Psychology of
Art & Literature
Stress is a part of life
that we all encounter from
time to time. A little stress
can be helpful, putting us
into action to get things
done; but too much can
affect us both mentally
and physically. Stress is
the second major cause of
illness at work after back
pain, and is becoming more
and more of an issue in
today’s culture.
In a stressful situation
our brains release a range
of ‘stress chemicals’ such
as cortisol and adrenaline
to provoke a fight-or-flight
reaction. The fight reaction will have us standing up, ready to fight for
our lives, while the flight
reaction encourages us to
flee from danger and protect ourselves.
Everybody is unique
and stress affects people
in different ways - some
thrive off it, while others
find it incredibly difficult
to deal with. How we react to stress depends on a
variety of factors, including our personal temperament and the type of stress
we’re dealing with.
In life we generally
encounter two types of
stress; the first is the constant stream of everyday
pressures like deadlines
and bills, and the second is the sudden rush
of stress brought on by
one-off events such as
death, moving house or
divorce.
When you are feeling
stressed, you will be affected both emotionally
and physically. While everyone reacts differently,
here are some common
stress symptoms:
Emotional symptoms
• Anger or irritability feeling easily agitated
and frustrated with people around you.
• Crying - feeling overwhelmed, teary or overemotional.
• Anxiety - feeling anxious
for no particular reason
or feeling anxious about
every-day things.
• Low self-esteem - feeling low, unattractive or
unsatisfied.
• Avoiding others - wanting to be alone and avoiding social situations.
Physical symptoms
• Using unhealthy coping
methods such as smoking,
ecc - stress often makes
us seek comfort in unhealthy ways.
• Sleeplessness - stress
can make our minds race
and can make switching off at night near on
Stress
impossible.
• Digestive problems - our
body’s fight-or-flight reaction can cause our digestive systems to slow down
or even inflame, leading
to problems such as constipation or diarrhea.
• Dizziness and sweating
- this occurs when chemicals are released during
the body’s fight-or-flight
reaction.
• Chest pains or palpitations - stress may aggravate heart conditions or
provoke palpitations as
the heart beats faster when
under stress.
Causes of stress
Most people will find
themselves suffering from
stress at some point in their
lives and depending on
your personality; you may
find yourself more susceptible than others. People
who strive to succeed at
all costs and those who
look to please others may
find themselves less able
to cope.
One of the most com-
mon causes of stress is
feeling powerless. Feeling unable to control or
change our lives in the
way we want is one of
the modern world’s biggest concerns.
Big changes in your life
can also leave you feeling stressed and anxious,
even if they are positive
changes. Typical changes
that can cause stress include having a baby, marriage, moving house, or
illness.
Long-term circumstantial problems also contribute to our daily stress levels; for example, issues
surrounding family, relationships, and work issues can all leave us feeling stressed.
When is the best time
to seek help?
Stress is a problem that
feeds on itself and lowers
your ability to cope - so
the sooner you seek help,
the better. The stereotype
of mental illness means
many are reluctant to get
the help they need, sadly
this will only encourage a
destructive cycle of stress,
anxiety and depression. It
is vital to work on yourself when:
• Stress (and the effects
of stress) are dominating
your life.
• Stress is affecting you
physically to the point that
you feel unwell.
• You are experiencing angry outbursts that are affecting those around you.
• You feel often anxiety,
irritability and you blame
others for this.
There are no quick fixes
when it comes to treating
stress, however getting
the appropriate treatment
will help you deal with
stress management in the
long-term. Acknowledging the issue is your first
step; many of us choose
to bury our heads in the
sand, accepting our daily
stresses as a part of life.
Once you acknowledge
that you are not OK and
need support, only then
you start the process of
change that leads towards
your goal.
Talking through the issues you are facing with
a therapist can help you
to deal with any underlying issues that are affecting your stress levels such
as low self-esteem, emotional management and
relationship issues. Your
therapist may also be able
to identify your personal stress triggers and can
talk you through ways of
dealing with them. Whilst
we cannot control certain
stressful situations in life,
we can control the way we
react to them. One of the
key ways of dealing with
stress is learning how to
manage it.
Drop of Change
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‫٭٭‬tel: 22444428 – 22444429
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‫٭٭‬Sharq, Gulf Road, Building 1, Ahmed Tower, 12th floor
“2014 Discover America Week” in Kuwait, 13–21 Oct.
th
The SelectUSA 2015 Investment Summit,
WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23 -24 , 2015
President Barack Obama
and Commerce Secretary
Penny Pritzker have made it
clear that the United States
is “open for business “ and
warmly welcomes foreign
investors to operate in our
transparent, stable and open
market. SelectUSA provides world -class services
for international firms of
all sizes as they consider investing in the United States. The SelectUSA
2015 Investment Summit
will bring together key
players to help investors
learn about the incredibly diverse opportunities
For students around
the world , studying in the
United States provides a
lifetime of benefits and
rewards:
• Quality facilities, resources and faculty;
• Opportunity for students to become highly
skilled and competitive in
their fields and leaders within their communities;
• Choice of different types
of institutions, programs,
academic and social environments, and subjects;
• Value for the money invested in higher education;
• Knowledge of American customs, culture, and
history.
Preparing to study in
the United States can be
challenging and feel overwhelming. Our EducationUSA Advisor is familiar
with the U.S. university
system , and is trained to
help students research and
apply to U.S. colleges and
universities. Our advisor
is based at the Ministry of
Higher Education (Sanabel Tower, Sharq) every
Monday and Wednesday
from 10:00-13:00, and at
the National Union for
Kuwaiti Students- USA
Branch (NUKSUSA) every
Tuesday from 17:30-19:30,
and is committed to helping students pursue educational opportunities in
the U.S.
Here are some impor-
across the country - all in
one building The 2015 Investment Summit aims to
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So...what happened at
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Last October, President
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with a sold-out crowd of
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economic development
officials from nearly every U.S. state and territory. Five members of President Obama’s Cabinet
and CEOs from leading
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presented opportunities
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Stay informed - Sign
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Updates: http:// selectusa.
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Taking place March
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- Hear from a variety of
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-on-one meetings to make
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small (Under 5,000), medium (10,000+) or large
(20,000+) school?
• What kind of environment do I want to live in?
(large city, small town, cold
climate, close to family,
etc.)
• Does my secondary school
coursework prepare me
for the demands of th is
major?
• What do I want to
study?
• What is my budget and
how much can my family afford?
• Do I want to go to a private
or public institution?
• Do I want to attend a university that has services for
international students?
ty websites and/or printed
application materials for
details. You may be required to submit the following items before universities evaluate your
application:
• A completed application form
• An application fee
• Official copy of your academic transcripts stamped
by the Ministry of Education. If the transcript is not
in English, then it needs to
be translated by a Ministry of Higher Educationapproved translator and
then stamped by the Ministry of Education.
• An application essay
• Two or three letters of
recommendation.
• Financial documents
proving you have adequate
funds, or a scholarship, to
study in the U.S.
• Official standardized test
scores sent directly to the
university from the testing
company (TOEFL iBT/SAT/
GMAT/GRE, etc .)
All items must be submitted according to application deadlines set by
the college. Deadlines can
range anywhere from 3
to g months before classes start.
applicants, regardless of
the intended field or level of study, as they need
to prove that they have a
strong command of both
spoken and written English. Undergraduate students are often required
to take the SAT Reasoning Test. Some competitive institutions require
scores from the SAT Subject Tests. Graduate students are required to take
the GMAT for MBA programs, while other students are almost always
required to take the GRE
General Test. A few graduate programs will require
scores from the GRE SUbject Tests in addition to
the GRE General Test.
Always check university websites for specific
details on standardized
test requirements.
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FAIR IN KUWAIT
October 14, 6:00pm
Marina Hotel Kuwait
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Location - Marina Hotel Kuwait
Six Palms Restaurant, Salmiya, Opp. Marina Mall, Arabian Gulf Road, 22000 Kuwait,
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Presentations
5:30 - 6:00 pm
(Writing a Winning Application)
Local Contact: AMIDEAST - Kuwait
Tel: 965-22 47-0091 ext. 6819/6820
Email: [email protected]
EducationUSA Common Questions
tant questions that Kuwaiti
students may ask before
they apply to study in the
U.S:
How do I start?
There are more than
4,000 accredited higher
education institutions in
the United States. Students
should start their research
at the EducationUSA website. This website provides
accurate, objective, and
comprehensive information about U.S. educational
institutions and guidance
on how to access those opportunities. The EducationUSA website provides information about applying
to a U.S. university, selecting universities that match
a student’s study goals,
and applying for financial
aid. http://EducationUSA.
state.gov/ Ask yourself a
few questions;
• Can I meet admission
requirements?
• Do I want to go to a
When do I begin my
search for universities in
the States?
It is recommended that
you begin your search 12-18
months before your intended departure date. For example, if you plan to start
study in the U.S. in September 2015, you should
begin your search in June/
July of 2014.
What documents must
I submit for admission
to U.S. colleges and
universities?
Individual institutions
set their own admission
requirements and application procedures.
Check college/universi-
Which standardized
tests will I be required
to take?
The TOEFL iBT is required of all international
What if I apply but my
TOEFL score is low?
You need strong English language skills to be
successful at a U.S. university. If your academic
grades are good, but your
TOEFL score is a little
low, you may be able to
take an Intensive English Language program
at a U.S. university. The
university may offer you
“conditional admission.”
That means that you must
take the Intensive English Language program
rst
to improve your English.
If your English skills improve, you will be able to
start your regular coursework. Read the university
website carefully. Some
universities will require
you to take another TOEFL test at the end of the
English Language program. At other universities, you need to pass the
English Language Program course to move into
regular coursework.
If your TOEFL score
is very low, you are not
ready to study in the United States right now. Continue studying English,
taking courses, and practicing every day. Then
take the TOEFL test later.
If you have been working hard, your score will
increase.
How do I apply for a
Visa?
The U.S. Embassy in
Kuwait accepts applications for students who
would like to study in
the United States. Obtaining your visa is the
final part of the process
of applying to study in
the United States. You
should apply after you
have been accepted for
admission at an American college or university and have accepted the
admission offer. Information about applying for a
student visa is available
on the U.S. Embassy Kuwait webpage.
I am a Kuwaiti girl
who would like to
study in the U.S. My
parents are not in
favor of this and are
concerned that the
U.S. is unsafe and
culturally inappropriate for girls. How can
you be of help to me
on this?
There is a large number of Kuwaiti girls currently studying in various
universities all around
the U.S., so you are definitely not alone. Our
EducationUSA Advisor
can put you in touch with
one of these girls to talk
to you about her stay in
the U.S. Your parents are
also more than welcome
to visit the EducationUSA Advisor and address
all their concerns.
In addition, the U.S. offers you the chance to enroll at any of its prestigious
Women’s Colleges, from
which many of the world’s
most influential women
have graduated.
http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/visaservices.
html
For more information, contact an EducationUSA Advisor:
EducationUSA.Q8@
state.gov