Drevis Hager, EdD, LP
Behavioral Health Services (BHSI), Golden Valley, MNhttp://bhsiclinics.com/
The American Academy of Family Physicians estimates that 60% of the health problems brought to physicians are related to stress in one way or another. In some instances illness is the direct result of the body’s sustained stress response, while in other instances the stress response exacerbates or extends a pre-existing illness.
The list of stress-related maladies is very long and includes (but is not limited to) psychological disorders, sexual dysfunctions, insomnia, tics, tension headaches, diabetic instability, impaired immunity, hypertension and other cardiovascular distress, gastrointestinal problems, elevated cholesterol, and impaired wound healing.
The physiology of the stress-health nexus is complex, but several potent processes have been identified. Here is just one example: When you are stressed-out, your catecholamine hormone levels spike rapidly and your glucocorticoid levels elevate as part of the process of gluconeogenesis - the creation of new glucose necessary for extended fight-or-flight response. Then, if the stress in your life continues, the persistently high glucocorticoid levels actually impair the operations of your thymus, lymph nodes, and spleen, and this delivers a big hit to your ability to fight off illness. This is why you get sick right when it seems things couldn’t get much worse.
Why Coping Skills Are So Important
Technically speaking, environmental events really aren’t the most powerful “stressors;” your own thoughts are! There is tremendous variability to how people react to life’s problems, and this determined by each person’s unique problem-solving style. Studies have shown that stress-hardy people view life’s problems as challenges to be mastered, are optimistic problem-solvers, and maintain good perspective on the relative importance of each problem. Several studies have also shown that people who meditate daily and maintain healthy lifestyles demonstrate far better coping abilities. So it is no surprise that these people also tend to have fewer health complications.
In contrast, stress-impaired individuals view life’s problems as dangerous threats, over-react to problems, and mentally turn molehills into mountains. They tend not to exercise, meditate, or eat right. They usually have higher catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels in their bloodstream (even when resting) and, consequently, have more health complications.
Stress Reduction Tips
When it comes to this intersection of stress and health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’d like to reduce your deductibles and co-pays:
1. Learn and practice the mental habits used by stress-hardy individuals. Practice optimistic problem solving. View problems as challenges and maintain good perspective on the relative importance of each problem.
2. Improve your lifestyle habits. Schedule your time realistically. Exercise regularly, eat right, and develop good social supports. Get adequate rest, recreation, and sleep. Minimize or eliminate alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco.
3. Learn a relaxation or meditation technique, and practice it every day! The large body of research on meditation and health is impressive, with hundreds of studies demonstrating an array of benefits such as fewer infections, faster surgical wound healing, lowered cholesterol, reduced arterial occlusion, and far less anxious reactivity.
4. Read a stress-reduction self-help book like Joan Borysenko’s Minding the Body, Mending the Mind or Herbert Benson’s The Relaxation Response.
5. Seek mental health treatment such as individual psychotherapy or participation in a stress reduction group. A qualified mental health professional can help you to manage your stress effectively and boost your satisfaction with life.
Drevis Hager, EdD, LP is a psychologist at BHSI's Golden Valley clinic, where he is also the clinic's Director and BHSI's Director of Clinical Services. He works primarily with adults encountering a broad range of problems and issues, and has a special interest in stress management training, meditation, and relaxation techniques.
