Links > Stress and Health


These are sites reviewed and recommended by AlleyDog.com. Please let us know if we've missed some good resources!

1. The Medical Basis of Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Sleep problems, and Drug Use
The authors (by Steve Burns, MD, and Kimberly Burns) state that their site contains information about stress and health presented in "fun, easy to read format". I am not sure about fun, but they have definitely provided an easy to read website that truly is filled with lots of useful information. In this site you will find explanations of different types of stress, stress scales, well written descriptions of chemical aspects of stress, neurotransmitters, common, everyday chemicals that affect our stress levels, overstress, treatments, and much more. If you can deal with the (sometimes) overly simplistic presentation, then you will really like this site (just so you know, I think a straight forward, simple presentation of scientific information is often the best. I used The Human Brain Coloring Book to get me through undergraduate biology and physiology). Stress and Health link


2. David Baldwin's Trauma Information Pages
According to David Baldwin, "These Trauma Pages focus primarily on emotional trauma and traumatic stress, including PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), whether following individual traumatic experience(s) or a large-scale disaster." As you can tell, the site has a heavy focus on a specific type of stress disorder (PTSD), but there are also some more general pages that can give you some useful information. Many Introductory Psychology courses address PTSD, so I thought it was a good idea to include a site devoted to it. But there are also some other pages within the site that address other stress-related issues. For example, go to the "about trauma" page, and them scroll down to the section on "secondary traumatization". There you will find links to stress management and stress reduction. Stress and Health link


3. The Canadian Mental Health Association's, Coping with Stress
The Canadian Mental Health Association provides clear, understandable, basic-level information about stress. This site is definitely NOT one of the best on the web, so you may be asking why it is included here (ok, just pretend you were asking yourself that question). The reason is that the site puts the basic terminology and concepts into terms that are easy to understand, logically organized, and small in size (so they get right to the point, no excessive wording). However, I would stay away from the "Stress Stoppers"; they are weak, weak, weak (and this is being kind). Stress and Health link


4. Gift From Within: An International Charity for Survivors of Trauma and Victimization
Gift from Within provides information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for those that suffer from the disorder or those that know others who may be affected. The site was founded by (and much of the content is written by) Frank Ochberg, a former associate director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Ochberg is currently a psychiatrist who specializes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and the effects of violence. In addition to articles, poetry, art and other content about PTSD, there is a pen pal list for those that want to share personal experiences with others. As a representative from Gift from Within indicated to me, "The purpose of this service is to give survivors the opportunity to connect (email, regular mail and phone) emotionally with others about what they are feeling and experiencing. This support system also gives survivors the unique opportunity to help others in need. This service is not meant to be a substitute for any kind of professional help." If you are interested in PTSD, check out this site. Stress and Health link


5. The Transcendental Meditation Programme
Ok, it had to be done. I am not adding this sight for a couple of reasons. First, TM has been scientifically demonstrated to be an effective means of reducing stress and promoting overall health (I sound like an advertisement). In addition, AlleyDog.com would be remiss if a site about TM was not added on a page about Stress and Health. And finally, I personally believe that most people can benefit from taking some time to relax, calm down, and relieve some tension from their lives. I am not saying that I practice TM or would even attempt to promote the use of it, only that it has been around for thousands of years and is a relevant addition to the Stress and Health Topic. Now that I have rationalized, take a look at this page if you have any interest in finding a popular way of reducing stress and feeling a little better. (And who doesn't want those things?) Stress and Health link


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