Review of

 Managing Stress: principles and strategies for health and well-being

Author: Brian Luke Seaward

Publisher & Date: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc., Boston, Mass. ,1999

By Paul B. Schlosberg

Commentary:

Brian Luke Seaward Ph.D. is currently recognized as a foremost teacher and practitioner of holistic stress-management. Seaward has received glowing praise for his books and work from such luminaries as renowned actress Joan Lunden, Seaward’s mentor Larry Dossey M.D. ,  mind-body guru Deepak Chopra, and scientist Candace Pert, among many others.  Brian has taught thousands of students at the University of Illinois, University of Maryland, The American University, The University of Colorado, and taught hundreds of workshops.  Brian is considered an expert in holistic stress management, meditation, and techniques for relaxation.

The book Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-being by Brian Luke Seaward helps make a way toward positive changes in healthcare and wellness.  The book is a primary text used in undergraduate and graduate courses in stress-management and on the psychology of stress[1].  I highly recommend this text not only to students but anyone interested in improving their health, physical, and psychological well being; and, interested in gaining a solid understanding of the basics that underlie stress-related health conditions.  It is also an excellent text for beginning and advanced students in related fields of academic study such as health arts and sciences, many areas of psychology, medicine, exercise physiology, and education.

The reason I find this book has impact, importance, and usefulness is that it is a truly integrated, holistic, and interdisciplinary systems-based text on the ways people respond to and handle stress in daily life.  The book is both theoretical and practical in scope.  What really excites me is that it integrates the best of what I consider traditional areas of stress related study with the non-traditional, or alternative and holistic areas of stress-management (or, complimentary and alternative medicine).  Seaward achieves integration: he shows there is no need for a hard-line between complimentary and traditional practices in current healthcare.

In the book, Seaward explains that between 70% and 80% of all trips to traditional M.D.’s are stress-related [2].  Common conditions such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, or asthma, among many others, are now known to be borne from high a stress lifestyle.  Thus, the implications are we have a tremendous need for stress-related research, and a need for increased public awareness regarding stress-related coping and healing strategies.  In attempting to raise public awareness, the book achieves its goal.  Seaward explains that historically (prior to WWII) the leading causes of death were usually complications from infectious diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, and similar types of conditions.[3]  Due to the tremendous advances in technology and its related industrial and occupational pressures, stress or lifestyle related conditions have now taken over as the leading causes of mortality; for instance, coronary heart disease (CHD) is annually the number one killer, and cancer, diabetes, suicide – also considered lifestyle related conditions – are close behind. 

Seaward explains that key early researchers in the areas of stress were people like Walter Cannon who coined the four stages of the fight or flight syndrome, and Hans Selye with his general adaptation syndrome (G.A.S.).  More recently we have individuals like Herbert Benson at Harvard University, and his description of the relaxation response, Joan and Miri Borysenko’s research in the areas of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), and Candace Pert’s advances in PNI, (specifically neuropeptide and neurotransmitters relationships to the immune system).  Also, Dr. Bernie Siegel with work on cancer patients and immunity, and behavioral integrative medicine expert Dr. Kenneth Pelletier, among others who have contributed greatly to the study and development of stress-related theory and practice. 

Whereas theorists and leaders of many fields of traditional health and psychology spend time theorizing and quibbling about how much of diseases are biologically based, how much are developmental, etc., in this book Seaward and his influences have wasted no time on those type of diversions.  Their main premise is to find the soul in healthcare and solving the overwhelming stress dilemmas in Western culture, of which both common sense and science show are lifestyle related.  In this book, Seaward cites that Kenneth Pelletier is not yet  “convinced that enough evidence has been collected to substantiate a stress-disease model”[4] He certainly feels, however, we need to use common sense in the war against stress and disease and fight the battle with resources already available, while striving to learn more. In Pelletier’s para-model it shows that the new-age, mind-body-spirit paradigm and its metaphysical, subtle energy connection (gleaned from Eastern practices such as acupuncture and yoga) cannot be ignored by modern experts, and there is much evidence for their support that cannot simply be explained away with reductionistic logic.  An example Seaward cites of Pelletier’s work is with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). Pelletier has written that Western science has a difficult time explaining how someone with MPD can have one personality diagnosed with no medical problems, and yet the same individual also simultaneously diagnosed with asthma or diabetes in a second personality! [5]  Additionally, Pelletier talks about numerous cases of spontaneous remissions (instantaneous unexplained reversal of cancer cells or other disease) that are known about but often ignored by traditional science and medicine.

The book probes the heart of holistic coping strategies and interventions and shows how the integration of both time tested (even ancient) practices, as well as progressive new technologies are being merged successfully for success in stress-management.  The main difference in today’s world is we have more science and studies to so-call “prove” their successes.