a desire for personal fulfillment. Babyak’s study showed that the pushy
types were 60 percent more likely to die of all causes and die younger from
heart disease than their more reserved peers. One possible explanation is
that they stay juiced on their own adrenaline, therefore keeping their ar-
teries bathed in stress hormones.
On the other hand, individuals who were the most calm and thought-
ful in their speech patterns were the least likely to die during this particu-
lar study. Behavior does have an influence on our health. Babyak suggests
taking more time to reflect and finding ways to relax. Developing a more
pensive, introspective style will help us outlive the problems and the prob-
lem people we face.
Are you a type-A personality? The answer is most likely yes if you’ve
found your success by driving, pushing, confronting, and thriving on stress.
Quite frankly, sales organizations do well with this personality type. Traits
such as high energy, driven, overachieving, and “won’t take no for an an-
swer” are descriptions of President’s Club members and, possibly, individu-
als with many failed relationships, problems with alcohol, compulsions, or
worse. Living in this highly adrenalized state has a dark side. For one thing,
how does an individual come down from that state and feel normal?
Alcoholism researchers speculate that people who abuse alcohol are
trying to medicate some sort of brain abnormality. Alcohol temporarily
quells the symptoms of this abnormality; however, when the effects wear
off, the symptoms return—all the more heightened. To keep these symp-
toms under control, individuals continue to drink even greater amounts at
more frequent intervals, until they become dependent.
Dr. C. Robert Cloninger of Washington University has proposed two
fundamental personality types among alcoholics. The first is anxious, in-
hibited, eager to please, and rigid. The second resembles an action hero—
confident, impulsive, and constantly seeking new experiences. The sales
ranks are filled with these two personality types.
Perhaps these problems are better addressed at a preventative level—
at the juncture of a stressful event. The manner in which we appraise and
respond at that moment determines the flow of stress hormones that will
be released into our systems. Once a destructive appraisal and reaction
takes place, long-ingrained negative patterns and destructive habits gain
power over us.
Remember that, even if you don’t struggle with any serious issues be-
cause of a highly charged state, you still may be bringing stress into other
people’s lives by virtue of your perpetually adrenaline-charged state. As one
executive assistant told me when I asked if her boss was stressed out, “No,
but he’s definitely a carrier!”
Solving the Stress Mess 87