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ADVICE FROM YOUR
&
23
LOCAL DOC
Stressed Out?
LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AND DEAL WITH YOUR STRESSORS
By Dr. John
E. Reesor,
Family Practice
Associates of
Lexington, P.S.C.
According to the
American Institute of Stress (AIS)
(www.stress.org), stress is the No. 1
health problem in America. The AIS
says the term “stress” as currently
used was coined in 1936 by Hans
Selye, who defined it as “the nonspecific response of the body to any
demand for change.”
Chronic stress can wreak havoc
on our bodies and all its systems –
nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular,
even reproductive. When you’re
stressed, muscles get tense. You may
find yourself hyperventilating. Your
heart starts beating harder. Your
stomach feels knotted. Stress can
cause hypertension, strokes, heart
attack, diabetes, ulcers and low back
pain.
Stress can also affect your mental
health. It can put you in a bad mood
and cause you to cope with it in
unhealthy ways, such as overusing
alcohol or drugs. You may lash out
at friends and family. You may find it
difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
You may even succumb to depression because of the stress in your life.
Not all stress is bad. Some happy
occasions – such as getting married,
starting a new job, having a baby –
can still be stressful.
Sometimes stress is a reaction to
danger or a threat – we’ve all heard
of the “flight or fight” response. In
the past, this was a defense mechanism that could mean the difference
between life and death. Stress would
amp up adrenalin so you could
either run from the danger or defend
yourself. Blood sugar would elevate
to give you energy, and blood flow
to the brain would increase so you
could focus, think clearly and make
good, quick decisions. The AIS says
stress today tends to arise primarily
from psychological rather than physical threats. We are not often confronted by wild beasts or marauding
warriors, but our bodies still react in
the age-old ways.
It is vital to learn how to cope
with stress. Some stress is caused by
external factors such as relationship
difficulties, work and financial problems. The situations and pressures
that cause stress are known as stressors. Learn to recognize the signs
and symptoms of your particular
stressors. Accept that there are some
things in life you can’t change, but
realize you can contr