The Stress Test includes both the original stress control biofeedback card and a stress control handbook. The card is a thermal biofeedback device actually more valuable than electronic biofeedback devices costing in the thousands of dollars. This is because the card is portable and can be used whenever a person is stressed not just in the doctor's office. Plus the card has four relaxation techniques on the back that allow you to control your stress at the time of need. The card is the size of a credit card with a liquid crystal square that allows you to accurately measure fingertip temperature. The square changes color going from black to red to green to blue as the temperature rises. Blue indicates a temperature of 95 degrees F or higher which according to thermal biofeedback studies has been shown to be the criterion temperature indicative of being sufficiently relaxed to get rid of most stress-related problems. The handbook goes into great detail as to the many dangers and illnesses associated with excess stress including high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, alcohoism, drug and cigarette addiction. It also provides evidence from innumerable studies on thermal biofeedback that the card can indeed help eliminate many stress-related problems. Finally, it also provides additional methods for controlling stress including time management techniques, developing a set of positive mental attitudes to help one roll with the punches of life as well as a set of powerful mind-control techniques that facilitate re-programming of negative behaviors that might be causing stress. One of the biggest problems with most people is that it is very hard for them to change. These Self-Programmed Control (SPC) techniques facilitate re-programming. One can thus see why when the Stress Test first came out it reached as high as #2 on the Times best-seller list. --the author (and inventor of the stress card) Alfred A. Barrios, Ph.D.
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What Evidence Is There That It Works? First there is the evidence from innumerable studies on biofeedback where "temperature training has been found to effectively reduce self-reported and physiologically indexed anxiety and is a reliable indication of emotional arousal." (Cole and Milan in Proceedings of the Biofeedback Society of America Twelfth Annual Meeting, 1981, pp. 112-114).
The blue color indicating that one is relaxed first appears at a fingertip temperature of 95o F. Thermal biofeedback research has found that this is the criterion temperature indicative of a person being relaxed. This means that if a person can learn to achieve a fingertip temperature of 95o F or higher consistently, he can get rid of most stress-related problems. This includes such stress indicants as frequent headaches, insomnia, stomach problems, fatigue, irritability, etc. The card itself has already achieved no small measure of success. Thousands of stress management professionals now use the Stress Control Card with their clients. Presidents of at least two biofeedback Societies have extolled its value. Dr. Meyer Friedman, co-author of Type A Behavior and Your Heart and number one authority in the field of heart disease and stress has recommended the card to his patients. In the United States alone over three million cards have been sold to industry, schools and health services (including Blue Cross and Blue Shield). Perhaps most impressive of all, the U.S. Navy has ordered over a quarter million of the cards for their world-wide drug and alcohol prevention program. The following are excerpts from the many letters received from various professionals in the helping fields commenting of the value and accuracy of the card:
"I want to let you know how very useful I have found your hand-held, credit card size, biofeedback device. In addition to the self-programmed control techniques from your book, I have been using this card to retrain people suffering from stress-prolonged psycho-physiological illnesses. In addition to excellent results with those with high blood pressure, ulcers, colitis and agoraphobia.. I'm finding equally rewarding responses in the psychological treatment of cancer patients, especially those wanting to use the Simonton method of imagery. It is truly exciting to see the rapidity and convenience with which this little card teaches the users to monitor themselves and initiate stress-reduction techniques without expensive and time-consuming trips to their doctors or biofeedback laboratory. Thank you for developing such a useful addition to the therapist's treatment armamentarium, and one so useful in so many modalities".
Ruth McKinley, Ph.D.; Capper Psychiatric Medical group; Camarillo, CA
"Please accept my appreciation for developing a practical and simple to use method of determining and controlling stress (The Stress Control Handbook & Biofeedback card). I have read many books on the subject and attended many seminars conducted by experts in the field. Your booklet covers the entire field of stress education and also provides easy and effective ways to reduce stress. All of this in only 14 pages! The Biofeedback Card is amazingly accurate. I use it in my work as an industrial nurse to demonstrate to my patients that their stress level can be lowered by practicing these techniques. They are impressed at how much better they feel when they are in the blue. The card is as accurate as some of the Biofeedback machines I have used which cost several hundred dollars. The company where I work is purchasing a card and book for each employee. Thank you for caring enough to devote the time and effort you did to develop this most useful tool".
Norma Christensen, R.N. Lipton Tea Co Wellness Program
"I wish to take this opportunity to express my complete satisfaction with your stress management card, it has been an integral part of our employee stress program. I utilized it in Alliance, Nebraska, when I was Police Chief there and am in the process of incorporating it into a departmental wide wellness program here in Burleson. What I especially like about your card in comparison to others I've seen is the relaxation information located on the back. A person needs nothing more than your card to effectively manage their stress throughout the day. Stress can be easily measured on one side and relaxation excerises can be immediately referred to on the reverse side. Once again I want to emphasize the success I've had utilizing your card. If I can be of any other assistance, do not hesitate to contact me".
Keith M Rippy, Chief of Police, Burleson, TX
"Your biofeedback work was brought to our attention by a health care professional, Joan Berman, a psycho-therapist from Los Angeles. She utilized your Stress Control Cards as a major part of her presentation at our conference. My colleagues and I were extremely excited about using the cards and the results therefrom. It was of enormous interest to all who participated in the conference to see that after the original test which was followed by the simple exercises that you recommend on the card, at least 75% of those tested showed a decrease in tension within a matter of minutes. Many of our Rabbis expressed a desire to being this to the attention of their congregational groups. I for one was excited about having the opportunity of bring your work to the attention of my colleagues".
Rabbi E.M. Tenenbaum, Conf. Chair., The Rabbinical Assembly, Western States.
"I'm excited to share with you the results of the use of your Stress Control Biofeedback Card in my training programs for Navy personnel. The card is a key tool in all the programs because participants learn immediately that they CAN control stress and emotional upset - a key learning in all my programs. Listed below are the (17) Navy organizations for which I have conducted in-house programs. In addition, participants from more than 50 other Navy organizations have attended programs sponsored by the Naval Civilian Personnel Command. The card is making the Navy civilian community more productive and motivated. Keep the cards coming!..."
Lynn A. Lacey, Ph.D., Director Common Visions, Brookdale, CA.
"I find the biofeedback card to be the most cost effective and durable device for providing knowledge of temperature self-regulating capacities. It is an invaluable asset for achieving the relaxation response and positively reinforcing it; motivating practice in physiological self-regulation; controlling symptoms of psychophysiological disorders mediated by stress, sympathetic autonomic arousal and excessive muscle tension such as vascular disorders, and controlling pain. A very important feature of the card is that the person may practice inconspicuously anywhere".
Charles F. Kaiser, PhD. President, Biofeedback Society of South Carolina
Over one billion of these cards have been distributed world wide. Largest users have been: the government and the armed forces; employee assistance, wellness programs; companies wishing to give a valuable promotional gift to their client; professionals in the helping fields; and HMO's such as Kaiser, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and FHP.
About the Author
Dr. Alfred A. Barrios, a clinical psychologist (B.S. Caltech, Ph.D. UCLA) is author of Towards Greater Freedom and Happiness, is founder and current director of the Self-Programmed Control Center based in Los Angeles and is the inventor of the very popular Stress Control Biofeedback Card. He is a recognized authority on the power of the word and its effect on human behavior and is fast becoming one of the leading authorities in the Stress and Holistic Health fields, his Stress Card and SPC Program adding a new dimension to the field of medicine bringing renewed hope to the chronically ill. Formerly with the Institute of Comprehensive Medicine and the Health Care Management Institute, Dr. Barrios has lectured to thousands of medical professionals across the country and is perhaps best known for his work on the psychological approach to reviving the body's natural defenses against cancer, an area in which he has achieved international recognition. In 1996 he received the first annual Cancer Federation award in psychoneuroimmunology and was nominated for the Norman Cousins Award in Mind-Body Health. He has also pioneered the introduction of his SPC program into the educational field. This highly successful program for helping students achieve their full potential both as students and as people was first introduced at the college and university level with his classes at UCLA, East Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Southwest Colleges, later expanding into the primary and secondary schools through his class for teachers at Cal State University Los Angeles. Dr. Barrios has also done considerable work in the area of drug addiction and alcoholism, his SPC program providing a much needed new and powerful tool that has already been successfully applied in a number of ongoing addiction and alcoholism programs in California and Texas. Finally, he has done extensive work aimed at solving the ever present minority and welfare problems. His SPC program, applied in such work-incentive programs as WIN and CETA, has provided a powerful means of raising the all-important self-image factor that has held back so many of the disadvantaged.
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More About the Author
Alfred A. Barrios (B.S. Caltech,'59; Ph.D. in Psychology UCLA, '69) His Ph.D. dissertation on understanding hypnosis was nominated for the National Creative Talent Award. He is a pioneer in the area of mind-body medicine, writing his first paper, "Hypnosis as a possible means of curing cancer", in 1960 for which he received the Cancer Federation award in 1996. That same year he was also nominated for the prestigious Norman Cousins Award in Mind-Body Medicine. His book, The Stress Test, reached #2 on the Times best-seller list and he is the inventor of the Stress Control Biofeedback Card which accompanies the Stress Test. His biggest accomplishment is the development of a program, Self-Programmed Control (SPC), for giving people the ability to make lasting positive changes in their lives. The program is presented in detail in his book Towards Greater Freedom and Happiness The positive results of SPC's application in education, medicine, industry and drug rehabilitation are also presented therein. For example, its initial application in schools reduced the dropout rate amongst minority students from 56% to 16% (one of the first students to benefit is now the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa); and led to student substance abuse curtailment success rates averaging 80%+.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blessed relief...,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Stress Test Biofeedback Card and Booklet (Misc. Supplies)
I highly recommend this product. I've had one of these cards since 1985 and they really do work. I hadn't seen them for sale in a long time and thought I'd never find another one. While I didn't originally get the card from Amazon, I did just buy one from them because my old one is getting tatty.
Stress is exhausting (because of the adrenaline you are pumping) and it can do severe harm to your body. Unfortunately, it is a common thread in our day-to-day lives and not apt to go away. Just about anything that stress itself doesn't do to you, it will make worse. So, lowering your stress level will pay dividends in your health. The secret to these cards is that the test patch on the card is heat sensitive. When you are stressed, your body pulls blood away from your skin and so your skin becomes cooler. The test patch reacts with colors that show the cooling effect. There is a color scale from blue through green, red, and finally black. Dark blue is calm, black is highly stressed. Well, you get the idea. If you find yourself getting into the red or black area, it is time to do stress relief procedures. My personal favorite stress reducer is this: Sit in a chair with your eyes closed, your feet flat on the floor, and your arms hanging down at your side. Take a deep breath and hold it in for about 10 to 12 seconds. Then, slowly expel the air through your nose. Repeat the procedure as needed. Sometimes I do it for five or more reps. With practice, you can feel the stress rolling down your arms and away.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
stress eliminated,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Stress Test Biofeedback Card and Booklet (Misc. Supplies)
I ordered this card to keep an instant reminder of my stress levels. A friend had it and I could not get it off black!! I now use it frequently to make sure I am not too stressed. Great instant check.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
handy ,nice and reasonable priced,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Stress Test Biofeedback Card and Booklet (Misc. Supplies)
handy,nice and reasonable priced and can be used again and again.
can be a good aid to help with relaxation, for sure.
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