Q: I am a HR professional. I often feel stressed, due to the nature of my job. I am working in night shifts and not getting proper sleep. When I lie in the bed, many things run through my mind, which disturbs my mind and sleep. I often feel depressed due to personal and official pressure. I am not able to concentrate on any thing properly. I often feel defeated when things don't go my way. My parents want me to marry, but I am not interested in marriage due to some bad experiences from my past girlfriends. I am slowly developing a habit of hating all girls. I did not change my job for the first 3 years, but in the past 2 years, I have changed my job thrice. But none was able to give me any satisfaction. I tend to take decisions very fast, which sometimes turn against me. I am scared of my future. What is the solution to my problem? I am thinking of meeting a psychiatrist.

A:You have correctly assessed your problem. It is basically arising from the inability to cope with excess stress. This may be due to your not being able to cope with the pressures at work or maybe due to the ending of a close relationship. Most likely its the result of both. The probable reason for your current dislike of females may also be your past experience. The symptoms of stress, adjustment problems and anxiety are manifested in your inability to sleep, headaches and inability to concentrate. These may also be resulting in your low opinion of your self, which will only further add to your distress. Although these problems may not be extreme at the moment, but in the long term they could become more serious. Also, since it is interfering with your daily functioning, it should be addressed immediately. You need to develop your resistance to stress and focus on reducing the current level of stress. Stress-Inoculation training may be of help to you. It is advisable to contact any practicing clinical psychologist or counsellor that you are comfortable with approaching. Also, your company may have a psychologist who is specially trained to deal with such stress and burn out related problems, you could also contact them. If you are looking for an immediate solution to your sleep disturbance problem, then you should approach a psychiatrist who could prescribe a mild dosage of sedatives or tranquillizers.