ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with psychological aspects of stress; the environmental aspects of flight stress (high levels of ‘g’, hypoxia, etc.) are covered in the following chapter. Early models of stress were based simply upon the notion that it was a negative affect experienced when eternal pressures on the individual became excessive. Later characterisations of the condition were more sophisticated in that they did not regard the individual merely as a passive pawn but also recognised that it was the way in which people reacted to these external pressures that was an important factor in the experience. Some people react in a positive way, managing the sources of the stress and dealing with them; some people actually enjoy and thrive with a modicum of occupational stress (pressure). However, others choose a more maladaptive coping strategy, for example drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, hence the title of this chapter (although it should be stressed that the chapter is not solely about the consumption of alcohol in response to occupational stress). Personality has also been identified as a key factor in the experience of stress and the way that people cope with it.
