Everyone wants to be beautiful, young, healthy and fit. There is no end to the diets, workouts and health plans. Yet the most important diet of all has been overlooked. This is a diet that releases stress, relaxes muscles, offers sound sleep, diminishes appetite, and makes you look and feel younger; it brings you new friends, a happy work environment, good relationships, and adds years to your life.
This is the diet from anger– one of the worst plagues facing our nation.Anger is a serious problem for one in every five Americans. Road rage, workplace violence, school shootings, domestic abuse and addiction are just a few of its many outlets.
The reason such a huge proportion of our nation is on anti-depressants, involved in alcohol, and drug addiction, overweight, in broken relationships and involved in all kinds of destructive behavior, can be directly traced back to the effects of anger, particularly the hidden kind.
It has also been well documented that anger strongly affects physical health and is directly related to heart attacks, blood pressure, back pain and many other physical disorders. This is called symptom substitution.
We also turn our anger against ourselves in other ways. We become depressed or experience mood disorders, hopelessness, passive aggressive behavior, promiscuity, domestic abuse and many other forms of general misery. Sometimes anger converts itself into obsessive-compulsive disorders and individuals become unable to make decisions or choices about their lives.
Anger is ruthless in the course it takes, attacking and disrupting our body, minds and spirits. As school and workplace shootings rise, the divorce rate climbs, people are on increasing anti-depressants.
It is clear that anger is a societal problem, which is only growing worse. It is time we paid attention to the #1 terrorist we face: the anger we live with every day.
At the present time many of individuals in our society are dependent upon medication of all kinds. Anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, weight loss supplements, low blood pressure medication, blood thinners and antibiotics of many kinds are taken to ease the many symptoms of unhappiness, unbalance and disease we suffer from.
On the face of it the symptoms seem to differ from one another. If we look a little deeper, however, we can see that beneath the various forms of distress that appear, anger is quietly smoldering.
Today we fear many external enemies. It is not so easy to realize, however, that the worst enemy we face is this anger that resides within, the terror it causes us, and the ways in which this poison dictates so much of our lives.
Anger has many faces. It appears in many forms and creates different consequences. Anger that is overt and clear cut is the simplest to deal with and understand. When we or someone we know is openly angry, we know what we are up against and can directly address the cause.
Most anger lurks beneath the surface, however. It often does not even come to our awareness and manifests in endless, hidden ways - as depression, anxiety, apathy, hopelessness, and in many, many other forms.
It is crucial that we recognize anger for what it is, realize when it is appearing and notice the devastation it creates. Then we have an opportunity to root out this underground stream feeds our misery, and the misery we cause others. When anger is allowed to remain camouflaged it holds us in its grip and easily erodes the entire quality of our lives.
What To Do:
Just as we work out daily in the gym to strengthen muscles and attain flexibility, it is necessary to work out and strengthen the parts of ourselves that can recognize and release anger easily.
We must learn to give up the various forms of anger and replace them with a healthy antidote. Some healthy antidotes to anger include: letting go of blame, forgiveness, generosity, seeing the best in others, letting the other be right, (just for today), giving others the benefit of the doubt.
Choose one antidote and work with it for an entire day. Then choose another. You will begin to feel so good, you won’t want to go back to the old ways.
As we daily eliminate the toxicity anger provides to our systems, not only will the results be reflected in our mental and emotional well-being, but in our environment and physical health as well. Eventually it will become impossible for anger to maintain the hold it once had upon them.
All teachings encourage us to be forgiving, but there is little actual instruction on how to accomplish this. Each of the antidotes listed above will help you along the way. Anger is the great impediment to forgiveness. When anger is rooted out, love and forgiveness arise naturally. Our lives and the lives of those around us then become hallowed and become all they are meant to be.
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/brenda-shoshanna/20471.htm
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Monday, December 3, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Ten Steps to An Ideal Relationship
Here are ten important steps to a successful relationship.
These are ten tings you can do to create the ideal relationship. 1. Do your own personal emotional work first. It is necessary for each individual to become aware of and release the negative unconsciously stored self sabotaging relationship patterns they acquired during their childhoods. Unfortunately most individuals never do this and only find out about them after a failed relationship or an acrimonious divorce. 2. Nurture your own self esteem, self confidence and self worth. Too many individuals neglect themselves and thus wind up feeling very needy. This neediness then lures them into the unconscious belief that a relationship will help fill such needs. This is a recipe for disaster as it sets up unstable and often abusive co-dependent relationships that lead no where.
3. Nurture Self Awareness.
It is only through self awareness that you will be able to achieve mastery over your own thoughts, emotions, perceptions and behaviors. Anything less means that you are not fully in control of yourself and are vulnerable to making bad choices.
4. Know how to assess the maturity of others.
Most individuals become attracted to each other on the basis of appearance, mutual needs or by the fact that they represent unconscious parental figures. As a result the level of emotional maturity (see my article on the Emotional Maturity Quotient in this ezine) of the other person is completely ignored.
5. Maintain personal honesty as one of your highest priorities.
If you are honest with yourself and with others you will always maintain your personal integrity, self esteem, and self worth and in spite of what ever happens you will feel more resilient. This will also attract individuals who also uphold this as an important value.
6. Be courageous in all your communications.
It is important that when something is to be said that it is said in a respectful and truthful manner. Holding things back can cause them to be pushed into the unconscious where they will "ferment" into feelings of anger, negative behaviors, and abuse and so on.
7. Always look after your health and well being.
Without a solid foundation of good health any relationship will flounder. Your health is your responsibility and not anyone else?s.
8. Don''t act like a victim and don''t attempt to rescue victim like behaviors.
There is a tendency for immature needy individuals to take a victim role in order to manipulate others into rescuing or caring for them. This is irresponsible behavior which undermines some of the principles I mentioned above. When one engages or attempts to rescue victim like behaviors this fractures the trust in a relationship and irreversibly destroys it.
9. Always strive for greater emotional and sexual intimacy.
To know and experience each other fully is the most effective way to keep the bonds of understanding, love and empathy strong. This is the glue that keeps a relationship intact. Without it, it will eventually fall apart.
10. Always strive for personal growth.
A relationship will grow stagnant if either of the partners stops growing emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. In the same way that you would nurture a child''s growth one must continually nurture one''s own.
http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm
Copyright (c) 2007 Free Online Library
This article can be reproduced subject to these terms. Syndicate this article. More free articles for syndication
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
These are ten tings you can do to create the ideal relationship. 1. Do your own personal emotional work first. It is necessary for each individual to become aware of and release the negative unconsciously stored self sabotaging relationship patterns they acquired during their childhoods. Unfortunately most individuals never do this and only find out about them after a failed relationship or an acrimonious divorce. 2. Nurture your own self esteem, self confidence and self worth. Too many individuals neglect themselves and thus wind up feeling very needy. This neediness then lures them into the unconscious belief that a relationship will help fill such needs. This is a recipe for disaster as it sets up unstable and often abusive co-dependent relationships that lead no where.
3. Nurture Self Awareness.
It is only through self awareness that you will be able to achieve mastery over your own thoughts, emotions, perceptions and behaviors. Anything less means that you are not fully in control of yourself and are vulnerable to making bad choices.
4. Know how to assess the maturity of others.
Most individuals become attracted to each other on the basis of appearance, mutual needs or by the fact that they represent unconscious parental figures. As a result the level of emotional maturity (see my article on the Emotional Maturity Quotient in this ezine) of the other person is completely ignored.
5. Maintain personal honesty as one of your highest priorities.
If you are honest with yourself and with others you will always maintain your personal integrity, self esteem, and self worth and in spite of what ever happens you will feel more resilient. This will also attract individuals who also uphold this as an important value.
6. Be courageous in all your communications.
It is important that when something is to be said that it is said in a respectful and truthful manner. Holding things back can cause them to be pushed into the unconscious where they will "ferment" into feelings of anger, negative behaviors, and abuse and so on.
7. Always look after your health and well being.
Without a solid foundation of good health any relationship will flounder. Your health is your responsibility and not anyone else?s.
8. Don''t act like a victim and don''t attempt to rescue victim like behaviors.
There is a tendency for immature needy individuals to take a victim role in order to manipulate others into rescuing or caring for them. This is irresponsible behavior which undermines some of the principles I mentioned above. When one engages or attempts to rescue victim like behaviors this fractures the trust in a relationship and irreversibly destroys it.
9. Always strive for greater emotional and sexual intimacy.
To know and experience each other fully is the most effective way to keep the bonds of understanding, love and empathy strong. This is the glue that keeps a relationship intact. Without it, it will eventually fall apart.
10. Always strive for personal growth.
A relationship will grow stagnant if either of the partners stops growing emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. In the same way that you would nurture a child''s growth one must continually nurture one''s own.
http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm
Copyright (c) 2007 Free Online Library
This article can be reproduced subject to these terms. Syndicate this article. More free articles for syndication
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Stress in your marriage
Have you been married more than five years? Do you find that the tension between you and your spouse has been on the rise? Stress in the marriage is more common than most will think, or want to believe, but you can put an end, or at least ease up on the stress in marriage by following a few common things. You want to work on how you think about things, how you come across in the marriage, and in what you say, and you want to change the time that the two of your spend together.
Change how you talk to lessen the stress in your marriage
Think before you blurt anything out in a marriage. You may feel very comfortable in your relationship, and you may feel you can say just about anything aloud, but the truth of the matter is when you call some one stupid, or idiot, even in a joking manner it is going to hurt the relationship. Take the stress out of your long-term relationship by thinking about what you are saying before you are saying it.
Change how you act, and how you are around your spouse
Remember back in a time when you were dating, you were happy to see your spouse? You were happy to spend time doing your hair, picking out your clothes and such? Put that feeling back into your life by thinking of how you are going to make your spouse fall in love with you again every day. This is going to put the spark back into your relationship and will take the stress out of your relationship.
A lot of stress involved in a relationship is the lack of trust. Stressing out about where your spouse is, why they are working late, or just where they are in general will eventually put a major strain on the relationship. Take the stress out of your relationship and out of the marriage by putting trust back into the equation. It is going to be difficult if not impossible to not trust your spouse. Trust is going to put all the strain and stress behind you so the two of you can work on being together for the rest of your lives.
Stress in your marriage is going to appear not only after you have been married for a few years, but also when children appear in the family, and when money matters are tight. Take your stress and focus your energies on something constructive in the situation. If you are find you are stressed about money, find ways to save money. If you are stressed about the children, find a sitter for the night and unwind a little bit. Every problem, every stressful situation does have an answer and you can work through it.
Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com
© 2007 ArticleClick.com Free Articles - All Rights Reserved
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Change how you talk to lessen the stress in your marriage
Think before you blurt anything out in a marriage. You may feel very comfortable in your relationship, and you may feel you can say just about anything aloud, but the truth of the matter is when you call some one stupid, or idiot, even in a joking manner it is going to hurt the relationship. Take the stress out of your long-term relationship by thinking about what you are saying before you are saying it.
Change how you act, and how you are around your spouse
Remember back in a time when you were dating, you were happy to see your spouse? You were happy to spend time doing your hair, picking out your clothes and such? Put that feeling back into your life by thinking of how you are going to make your spouse fall in love with you again every day. This is going to put the spark back into your relationship and will take the stress out of your relationship.
A lot of stress involved in a relationship is the lack of trust. Stressing out about where your spouse is, why they are working late, or just where they are in general will eventually put a major strain on the relationship. Take the stress out of your relationship and out of the marriage by putting trust back into the equation. It is going to be difficult if not impossible to not trust your spouse. Trust is going to put all the strain and stress behind you so the two of you can work on being together for the rest of your lives.
Stress in your marriage is going to appear not only after you have been married for a few years, but also when children appear in the family, and when money matters are tight. Take your stress and focus your energies on something constructive in the situation. If you are find you are stressed about money, find ways to save money. If you are stressed about the children, find a sitter for the night and unwind a little bit. Every problem, every stressful situation does have an answer and you can work through it.
Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com
© 2007 ArticleClick.com Free Articles - All Rights Reserved
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Discover How to Deal Patiently with Your Anger in a High Intense Situation
All of us have feelings as human beings. We can be sad, angry and happy. We go through experiences in life that creates these types of emotions in us. Be it at home, running a business, playing sports or at your workplace, we have to deal with situations that deal with our emotions.
We deal with challenges in life everyday. Some of us faced bigger and uphill challenges than others. When the situation gets tense in facing challenges, emotions run high. It can lead to anger in us and people around can be affected. But such situations can be a wonderful learning experience for us.
Let us take a look at the following about Pete handling his anger in a tense situation. Pete, a business owner, together with his partner had to attend to an important wedding event. As they were about to leave the house, he realized that he had misplaced his wallet.
He told his partner that he had misplaced the wallet. Pete was reprimanded for being so careless of losing his wallet that contains important documents. He was reprimanded continuously. Emotions were running high as he continued his search for the wallet.
Pete realized that being angry and responding to the remarks about his carelessness in losing his wallet will not solve his solutions to the problems. Through his business experiences, he had learn to control his emotions. He decided to take a deep breath and told his partner firmly that he wish to focus on finding the solutions rather than focusing on the potential problems. He realized in such situations, he needs to focus on the solutions and think rationally to solve the problems. His partner did react to his comments and got angry initially. But after deep thoughts, agreed to Pete's point of focusing on the solutions.
He realized that he needs to be patient in his pursue of solving the problems. With clear thoughts, he tried to remember where he last placed his wallet. Once he was clear about the potential places where the wallet can be found, Pete continued his search. He faced failures in finding it initially but finally he found his wallet. With a smile, they then head for the wedding event. During the journey, they discussed and shared with each other on what they had learn from the experience.
From the story, we can learn that in handling such intense situations, it is important that we remain focus in the solutions rather than the problems and be patient in pursue of solving such problems or challenges.
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/rauf-yusope/35419.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/discover-how-to-deal-patiently-with-your-anger-in-a-high-intense-situation-259585.html
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
We deal with challenges in life everyday. Some of us faced bigger and uphill challenges than others. When the situation gets tense in facing challenges, emotions run high. It can lead to anger in us and people around can be affected. But such situations can be a wonderful learning experience for us.
Let us take a look at the following about Pete handling his anger in a tense situation. Pete, a business owner, together with his partner had to attend to an important wedding event. As they were about to leave the house, he realized that he had misplaced his wallet.
He told his partner that he had misplaced the wallet. Pete was reprimanded for being so careless of losing his wallet that contains important documents. He was reprimanded continuously. Emotions were running high as he continued his search for the wallet.
Pete realized that being angry and responding to the remarks about his carelessness in losing his wallet will not solve his solutions to the problems. Through his business experiences, he had learn to control his emotions. He decided to take a deep breath and told his partner firmly that he wish to focus on finding the solutions rather than focusing on the potential problems. He realized in such situations, he needs to focus on the solutions and think rationally to solve the problems. His partner did react to his comments and got angry initially. But after deep thoughts, agreed to Pete's point of focusing on the solutions.
He realized that he needs to be patient in his pursue of solving the problems. With clear thoughts, he tried to remember where he last placed his wallet. Once he was clear about the potential places where the wallet can be found, Pete continued his search. He faced failures in finding it initially but finally he found his wallet. With a smile, they then head for the wedding event. During the journey, they discussed and shared with each other on what they had learn from the experience.
From the story, we can learn that in handling such intense situations, it is important that we remain focus in the solutions rather than the problems and be patient in pursue of solving such problems or challenges.
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/rauf-yusope/35419.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/discover-how-to-deal-patiently-with-your-anger-in-a-high-intense-situation-259585.html
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Friday, October 5, 2007
Women More Sensitive to Stress Than Men?
Chronic Stress May Harm Women More
WebMD Medical News
Nov. 15, 2005 -- Constant stress at work or at home may be may be more dangerous for women than men, according to a new study that shows women are more sensitive to the effects of chronic stress.
"It's generally understood that females respond more strongly to acute (immediate, short-term) stress than males," says researcher Helmer Figueiredo, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati's department of psychiatry, in a news release. "Our research shows that this may also be the case in more clinically relevant chronic-stress conditions."
Researchers found levels of the stress hormone corticosterone were much higher in female rats exposed to chronic stress than male rats.
Corticosterone is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress in the same manner that the stress hormone cortisol is released in humans. When an animal experiences stress, these stress hormones are produced to aid the animal in survival and recovery.
"When appropriately handled by the body, stress can have beneficial implications in preparing the organism for the 'fight or flight' response," says Figueiredo. However, under intense chronic conditions, when extreme levels of these hormones are produced, stress can seriously harm the body.
For example, exposure to high levels of these stress hormones can lead to a bigger waistline, which is a major risk factor of heart disease, and impair the immune system's ability to fight disease and infection.
Stress Takes Heavier Toll on Women
In the study, presented today at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, researchers compared the effects of chronic stress in male and female rats. The rats were subjected to unpredictable and intense stress, such as vibration, being in a cold room, or a hot or cold swim, twice daily for 15 days.
The results showed that the exposure to chronic stress prevented normal weight gain in both male and female rats.
But the female rats had much more of the stress hormone in their bloodstream compared with the males.
In addition, chronically stressed female rats had a decrease in the weight of immune organs relative to male rats, suggesting their immune function may be more sensitive to the effects of chronic stress and became impaired.
"Serious disorders such as major depression, anxiety, and autoimmune dysfunctions, all linked to higher levels of circulating glucocorticoids (stress hormones), are more prevalent among women than men," says researcher James Herman, PhD, professor and stress neurobiologist at the University of Cincinnati, in the release. "This animal research provides a nice link between chronic stress and the physiological response to stress by females."
Researchers say a better understanding of the differences in how men and women respond to stress may lead to better drugs to fight stress-related diseases that affect women disproportionately.
© 2005 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
TheSAMIGroup.com
WebMD Medical News
Nov. 15, 2005 -- Constant stress at work or at home may be may be more dangerous for women than men, according to a new study that shows women are more sensitive to the effects of chronic stress.
"It's generally understood that females respond more strongly to acute (immediate, short-term) stress than males," says researcher Helmer Figueiredo, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati's department of psychiatry, in a news release. "Our research shows that this may also be the case in more clinically relevant chronic-stress conditions."
Researchers found levels of the stress hormone corticosterone were much higher in female rats exposed to chronic stress than male rats.
Corticosterone is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress in the same manner that the stress hormone cortisol is released in humans. When an animal experiences stress, these stress hormones are produced to aid the animal in survival and recovery.
"When appropriately handled by the body, stress can have beneficial implications in preparing the organism for the 'fight or flight' response," says Figueiredo. However, under intense chronic conditions, when extreme levels of these hormones are produced, stress can seriously harm the body.
For example, exposure to high levels of these stress hormones can lead to a bigger waistline, which is a major risk factor of heart disease, and impair the immune system's ability to fight disease and infection.
Stress Takes Heavier Toll on Women
In the study, presented today at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, researchers compared the effects of chronic stress in male and female rats. The rats were subjected to unpredictable and intense stress, such as vibration, being in a cold room, or a hot or cold swim, twice daily for 15 days.
The results showed that the exposure to chronic stress prevented normal weight gain in both male and female rats.
But the female rats had much more of the stress hormone in their bloodstream compared with the males.
In addition, chronically stressed female rats had a decrease in the weight of immune organs relative to male rats, suggesting their immune function may be more sensitive to the effects of chronic stress and became impaired.
"Serious disorders such as major depression, anxiety, and autoimmune dysfunctions, all linked to higher levels of circulating glucocorticoids (stress hormones), are more prevalent among women than men," says researcher James Herman, PhD, professor and stress neurobiologist at the University of Cincinnati, in the release. "This animal research provides a nice link between chronic stress and the physiological response to stress by females."
Researchers say a better understanding of the differences in how men and women respond to stress may lead to better drugs to fight stress-related diseases that affect women disproportionately.
© 2005 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
TheSAMIGroup.com
Monday, September 24, 2007
Stress Breaks Hearts
Emotional Stress Alters Heart Function, Ups Heart Disease Risk
Sept. 20, 2007 -- Here's a health fact most of us understand better than our doctors do: Emotional stress really can harm our hearts.
Intense grief, acute anger, and sudden fear can have direct -- sometimes fatal -- effects on the human heart. And long-term emotional stress shortens lives by increasing the risk of heart disease, notes Daniel J. Brotman, MD, director of the hospitalist program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.
"What is intuitive to people is not necessarily intuitive to physicians," Brotman tells WebMD. "Emotional stress, conceptually, is the same thing for cardiovascular risk as physical stress. But a lot of doctors blow that off, because they think emotional stress is a psychological problem, not a physical problem."
To overcome this false impression, Brotman and colleagues reviewed recent studies looking at the short- and long-term effects of emotional stress on the heart. Their resulting report, "The Cardiovascular Toll of Stress," appears in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet.
"In the hospital, I see people under all sorts of stress all the time -- and I see what happens to bodies under stress," Brotman says. "Our study illustrates how important the body's stress responses are in precipitating cardiovascular effects."
Heartache, Heart Harm
Psychological disorders, personality types, and other psychological stressors are linked to various heart problems:
People who suffer from depression, hopelessness, or a pessimistic outlook are more likely than others to suffer heart attack and sudden heart death. They are more likely to develop conditions that increase heart risk, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and impaired heart rate.
People who suffer chronic anxiety are more likely than others to suffer heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and sudden heart death. Their propensity for high blood pressure and impaired heart rate increases their heart risk.
Emotional trauma -- such as the death of a spouse, mental or physical abuse, or posttraumatic stress disorder -- increases risk of heart attack and heart death.
People with type D personalities (characterized by pessimistic emotions and inability to share emotions with others) and type A personalities (characterized by anxiety directed outward as aggressive, irritable, or hostile behaviors) are more likely than others to suffer heart attacks.
People with angry or hostile temperaments are more likely than others to suffer heart death.
Acute fear, grief, startling, or anger can cause "stunned heart." Wallops of emotion also can cause sudden death due to life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm.
Even when intense bouts of emotion don't kill, they may cause long-lasting heart damage.
"Most people who suffer the death of a loved one are not coming to medical attention, but that does not mean their hearts are not stunned for a period of time," Brotman says. "We doctors only see those with heart failure, or those with already-damaged hearts whose defibrillators fire. But probably, in every body, what stress hormones do today have some impact on how healthy your cardiovascular system will be 20 years from now."
It would seem to be wise for all of us to learn to deal with stressful emotions. But Brotman warns that there does not seem to be any one-size-fits-all way to do this.
"We don't have concrete evidence to suggest that if you manage your stress levels you will reduce your cardiovascular risk," he says. "People are different and have different ways of reducing stress. It is disingenuous to suggest that stress reduction is going to be simple."
Meanwhile, he urges doctors to pay more attention to what their patients are telling them when they talk about stress.
"Real-time physical effects correlate with intense emotional states," Brotman says. "We should think beyond cholesterol, beyond blood pressure, when thinking about what it means to live a heart-healthy lifestyle."
View Article Sources
SOURCES: Brotman, D.J. The Lancet, Sept. 22, 2007; vol 370: pp. 1089-1100. Daniel Brotman, MD, director of hospitalist program, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.
© 2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
4 Must-See Articles
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for heart attack and unstable angina
Aspirin for heart attack and unstable angina
Nitrates for heart attack and unstable angina
Beta-blockers for heart attack and unstable angina
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Sept. 20, 2007 -- Here's a health fact most of us understand better than our doctors do: Emotional stress really can harm our hearts.
Intense grief, acute anger, and sudden fear can have direct -- sometimes fatal -- effects on the human heart. And long-term emotional stress shortens lives by increasing the risk of heart disease, notes Daniel J. Brotman, MD, director of the hospitalist program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.
"What is intuitive to people is not necessarily intuitive to physicians," Brotman tells WebMD. "Emotional stress, conceptually, is the same thing for cardiovascular risk as physical stress. But a lot of doctors blow that off, because they think emotional stress is a psychological problem, not a physical problem."
To overcome this false impression, Brotman and colleagues reviewed recent studies looking at the short- and long-term effects of emotional stress on the heart. Their resulting report, "The Cardiovascular Toll of Stress," appears in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet.
"In the hospital, I see people under all sorts of stress all the time -- and I see what happens to bodies under stress," Brotman says. "Our study illustrates how important the body's stress responses are in precipitating cardiovascular effects."
Heartache, Heart Harm
Psychological disorders, personality types, and other psychological stressors are linked to various heart problems:
People who suffer from depression, hopelessness, or a pessimistic outlook are more likely than others to suffer heart attack and sudden heart death. They are more likely to develop conditions that increase heart risk, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and impaired heart rate.
People who suffer chronic anxiety are more likely than others to suffer heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and sudden heart death. Their propensity for high blood pressure and impaired heart rate increases their heart risk.
Emotional trauma -- such as the death of a spouse, mental or physical abuse, or posttraumatic stress disorder -- increases risk of heart attack and heart death.
People with type D personalities (characterized by pessimistic emotions and inability to share emotions with others) and type A personalities (characterized by anxiety directed outward as aggressive, irritable, or hostile behaviors) are more likely than others to suffer heart attacks.
People with angry or hostile temperaments are more likely than others to suffer heart death.
Acute fear, grief, startling, or anger can cause "stunned heart." Wallops of emotion also can cause sudden death due to life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm.
Even when intense bouts of emotion don't kill, they may cause long-lasting heart damage.
"Most people who suffer the death of a loved one are not coming to medical attention, but that does not mean their hearts are not stunned for a period of time," Brotman says. "We doctors only see those with heart failure, or those with already-damaged hearts whose defibrillators fire. But probably, in every body, what stress hormones do today have some impact on how healthy your cardiovascular system will be 20 years from now."
It would seem to be wise for all of us to learn to deal with stressful emotions. But Brotman warns that there does not seem to be any one-size-fits-all way to do this.
"We don't have concrete evidence to suggest that if you manage your stress levels you will reduce your cardiovascular risk," he says. "People are different and have different ways of reducing stress. It is disingenuous to suggest that stress reduction is going to be simple."
Meanwhile, he urges doctors to pay more attention to what their patients are telling them when they talk about stress.
"Real-time physical effects correlate with intense emotional states," Brotman says. "We should think beyond cholesterol, beyond blood pressure, when thinking about what it means to live a heart-healthy lifestyle."
View Article Sources
SOURCES: Brotman, D.J. The Lancet, Sept. 22, 2007; vol 370: pp. 1089-1100. Daniel Brotman, MD, director of hospitalist program, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.
© 2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
4 Must-See Articles
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for heart attack and unstable angina
Aspirin for heart attack and unstable angina
Nitrates for heart attack and unstable angina
Beta-blockers for heart attack and unstable angina
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Toll of Sleep Loss in America
Sleep loss is taking a toll on our physical and emotional health, and on our nation's highways.
Elise G. hits the alarm at 5:30 a.m. to get her kids and herself up and ready. She's an elementary teacher in Marietta, Ga., with a seasonal business on the side. When a big holiday is coming up, she's typically burning the midnight oil most nights. On weekends, she says, "I've just got to catch up on my sleep."
Multiply her story about 30 million times, and you've got a snapshot of America's sleep situation.
For the past six years, the Sleep in America polls -- conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation - have provided a snapshot of the nation's bedroom woes. Consistently, the polls have shown that about half of adults get a good night's sleep almost every night. Today, one in six adults report getting less than six hours of sleep nightly.
"It's no secret that we live in a 24/7 society," says Carl Hunt, MD, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health. "There are many more opportunities to do things other than sleep - 24-hour cable TV, the Internet, email, plus long work shifts."
Indeed, how we live is affecting how we sleep, says Meir Kryger, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Centre at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre at the University of Manitoba. "Often, our sleep deficit is related to too much caffeine, nicotine, alcohol. Often it's related to work - stress from work, putting in long hours at work, working night shifts, working on the home computer until the second we go to sleep."
Yet there's strong evidence that lost sleep is a serious matter. The Sleep in America polls and several large studies have linked sleep deficits with poor work performance, driving accidents, relationship problems, and mood problems like anger and depression.
Nearly eight in 10 married couples say their partner has a sleep problem, like snoring, insomnia, or incessant tossing and turning. A quarter say sleep difficulties force their mate into separate sleeping quarters. More than 20% say they're too sleepy for sex.
A growing list of health risks has been documented in recent studies, too. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity have all been linked with chronic sleep loss.
"People just don't realize how important sleep is, and what the health consequences are of not getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis," Hunt tells WebMD. "Sleep is just as important for overall health as diet and exercise."
They also don't talk to their doctors about sleep problems, he adds. "They figure everybody's sleepy, and what can be done about it anyway. And doctors don't ask about it. Sleep disorders are severely under-diagnosed and under-treated."
The Science of Sleep
Over the past decade, researchers have learned much about the science of sleep, says Mark W. Mahowald, MD, a neurologist and director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Rochester.
There are nearly 100 identified sleep/wake disorders, Mahowald says. In a recent issue of the journal Nature, Mahowald outlined the latest scientific findings on these two familiar patterns:
Hypersomnia: This is sleep deprivation, or excessive daytime sleepiness without an obvious cause. This pattern "should be taken very seriously," Mahowald writes. The result is sleepiness, which results in impaired sustained attention, with adverse, occasionally disastrous consequences in the classroom, workplace, or the highways. It is likely that more than 100,000 crashes occur annually in the U.S. due to driving while drowsy, he adds.
The most common cause of hypersomnia is voluntary sleep deprivation done for social or economic reasons - like work or surfing the Internet, he notes. "We get 20% less sleep than previous generations, yet there is no evidence that earlier generations required more sleep - or that ours needs less," he writes.
Insomnia: This is the most common sleep complaint, says Mahowald. It is not defined by total sleep time but by trouble falling or staying asleep. It is the inability to obtain sleep that is sufficiently long or "good enough" to result in feeling rested or restored the following day. Depression has been linked as a cause of insomnia; however, for many people, untreated insomnia may be a risk factor for depression, he tells WebMD.
Many insomniacs may have a condition called hyperarousal - essentially, they're always on alert, which means they rarely can sleep, Mahowald explains. "There is overwhelming evidence that many who have insomnia have a constitutional predisposition to be hyperaroused 24 hours a day. They have trouble sleeping, then feel miserable during the day, fatigued, washed out, have trouble concentrating. But they are not sleepy. They never take naps, because the same thing happens - they can't sleep during the day."
Neurological scans show differences between the brains of insomniacs and non-insomniacs. There seems to be a genetic component to both hyperarousal and insomnia, Mahowald tells WebMD.
"They typically have a family history of insomnia. Many people have had it as long as they can remember, since childhood. It takes very little for them to get insomnia - a test the next day, an upcoming trip. They can get insomnia for what seems like very trivial reasons, but it's probably constitutional. They are very fragile sleepers because they are predisposed to developing insomnia."
The Effects of Lost Sleep
An NIH State-of-the-Science Conference recently focused on the public health issues of chronic insomnia - including the larger impact that is not often noticed. When children and the elderly (particularly nursing home residents) suffer from insomnia, parents and caregivers also suffer. Employers suffer when an insomniac's work performance is affected.
Most people need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to feel refreshed and function optimally, says Hunt. "Obviously there's some variation, some people intrinsically need more sleep than others. A few people skip by successfully long-term getting less sleep - but that's a very small number."
If you're getting less sleep than your body needs, there can be serious consequences.
"There's recent evidence showing -- in men and women in several countries -- that chronic sleep deprivation increases risk of early death," Hunt tells WebMD. "Studies are showing that people who get less sleep are at greater risk for heart disease and heart attacks. And perhaps the hottest area of research has shown a link between chronic sleep deprivation and risk of overweight and obesity. These studies articulate the price society pays in not getting a good night's sleep."
The affect on our functional status was borne out in the 2005 Sleep in America survey. Over one-quarter of working adults - 28% -- said they had missed work, events and activities, or made errors at work because of sleep-related issues in the previous three months.
Laboratory studies have confirmed this impact on performance. In one small experiment, 16 young adults were allowed only five hours of sleep for seven nights. As the week wore on, the volunteers showed increasing difficulty performing tasks.
It's true, some people can get by just fine with less sleep. One study found that there are significant differences in impairment among sleep deprived volunteers - suggesting that vulnerability to sleep deficits varies greatly.
But for most people, getting less than six hours sleep translates into a bigger sleep debt than they may realize. Over a two-week period, missing out on the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep adds up to two full nights' sleep debt, one study found. If you're averaging only four hours a night, your brain reacts as though you haven't slept at all for three consecutive nights.
The most worrisome part: Many people are too tired to realize how sleep-deprived they are, experts say. But they have slower reaction time, weaker memory, and other thinking impairments.
The Dangers of Drowsiness
Sleep-deprived people often don't realize their vulnerability to sleepiness, and therein rests the self-denial, explains Joseph Kaplan, MD, co-director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
"Sleepiness is governed by two processes - the amount of sleep you get and the circadian rhythm," he tells WebMD. "You can go a night without sleep, and be fairly alert the next morning. But as the circadian influence begins to have its impact, that's when you really feel it."
Kaplan says the most vulnerable times for sleepiness: 5 to 8 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Most alert times: 10 a.m. to noon and 7 to 9 p.m. "Regardless how many hours you're awake, the sleepiest time occurs as the circadian night is ending," he says.
Night shift workers may be the hardest hit by sleep problems. They're less able to stay alert, they have decreased job performance, and they have more accidents. One study found that 20% of shift workers fall asleep during a single night shift compared to none during an afternoon or evening shift.
Several major disasters have been linked in part with too little sleep in the workplace: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the Exxon Valdez.
Nearly two-thirds of American drivers -- 60% -- reported driving drowsy in 2004; 4% had an accident or near-accident because they were too tired, or they actually dozed off while driving, according to the Sleep in America 2005 poll. Some 100,000 car crashes have been attributed to drowsy driving.
"We are very concerned that shift workers are on the highway, at increased risk for car wrecks," says Barbara Phillips, MD, sleep clinic director at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "Many are also in safety-sensitive positions, like health care workers and pilots."
Indeed, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are especially vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss - and patient safety may suffer because of it. Studies on performance of sleep-deprived doctors have suggested that they may be prone to more errors on routine, repetitive tasks - and also on tasks that require close attention for long periods. However, those same studies show that, in times of crisis or unusual situations, doctors may be able to rise to the occasion and function well.
Sleep-deprived drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers, Kaplan says. In one study, people who drove after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those who had a blood alcohol level of .05%. (A blood alcohol level of .08% is considered legally intoxicated in many states.)
Kaplan is a big advocate of napping. "Fifteen or 20 minutes may be all you need," he tells WebMD. "One strategy for truck drivers is to take a full cup of coffee, then immediately follow with a 30-minute nap. Caffeine doesn't take effect for about 30 minutes, so you get the benefit of both."
Tips on Getting a Good Night's Sleep
If you're having trouble sleeping, there are many solutions, say sleep experts. Turning off the computer or TV earlier is one simple solution. But other lifestyle issues might be hindering sleep. Sleep specialists advise following good sleep hygiene, including cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. They also advise developing a calming ritual before bedtime - one that helps you break from the day's tensions, and doesn't involve eating, exercise, or watching TV.
Beyond that, sleep medications and behavioral treatments can be effective treatment for chronic insomnia. Behavioral therapy involves changing your negative thoughts and expectations that may worsen your insomnia. Medications can help you break the pattern of insomnia.
"We now have very effective sleep medications," Mahowald tells WebMD. "Many patients have taken these sleep medications for decades without any dependence or tolerance problems. If they need the drugs, they take the drugs. If they don't need them, they don't take them."
"With medication and possibly behavioral therapy, we can make insomnia decidedly better in just a few weeks," he says.
More commonly, chronic insomnia is a conditioned response - a pattern of fearful thinking that develops after a few nights of restless sleep, Mahowald says. "There's worry that it will happen again, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."
By making sure you get enough sleep, you're improving your quality of life. "Sleep deprivation has a cumulative effect, escalating over time in fatigue, sleepiness, stress, mood problems," Kaplan tells WebMD.
"The good news is, although we're learning that sleep disorders are more common than we realized, there are effective treatments, ways to improve symptoms and quality of life for anyone who has a sleeping disorder," says Hunt.
By Jeanie Lerche Davis
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Feature
SOURCE: Carl Hunt, MD, director, National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, National Institutes of Health. Meir Kryger, MD, director, Sleep Disorders Centre, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba. Mark W. Mahowald, MD, director, Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. Barbara Phillips, MD, sleep clinic director, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Joseph Kaplan, MD, co-director, Sleep Disorders Center, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. WebMD Medical News: "U.S. Sleep Problems Getting Worse." WebMD Medical News: "Cranky? You're Likely Fighting Fatigue." WebMD Medical News: "Sleep Deprivation Leads to Trouble Fast." WebMD Feature: "Sleep: More Important Than You Think." WebMD Feature: "10 Tips to Get Better Sleep." NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement. Malik, S. Primary Care, 2005; vol 32: pp 475-490. Mahowald, M. Nature, Oct. 27, 2005; vol 437: pp 1279-1285. 2002 Sleep in America Poll. 2005 Sleep in America Poll.
© 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
Elise G. hits the alarm at 5:30 a.m. to get her kids and herself up and ready. She's an elementary teacher in Marietta, Ga., with a seasonal business on the side. When a big holiday is coming up, she's typically burning the midnight oil most nights. On weekends, she says, "I've just got to catch up on my sleep."
Multiply her story about 30 million times, and you've got a snapshot of America's sleep situation.
For the past six years, the Sleep in America polls -- conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation - have provided a snapshot of the nation's bedroom woes. Consistently, the polls have shown that about half of adults get a good night's sleep almost every night. Today, one in six adults report getting less than six hours of sleep nightly.
"It's no secret that we live in a 24/7 society," says Carl Hunt, MD, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health. "There are many more opportunities to do things other than sleep - 24-hour cable TV, the Internet, email, plus long work shifts."
Indeed, how we live is affecting how we sleep, says Meir Kryger, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Centre at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre at the University of Manitoba. "Often, our sleep deficit is related to too much caffeine, nicotine, alcohol. Often it's related to work - stress from work, putting in long hours at work, working night shifts, working on the home computer until the second we go to sleep."
Yet there's strong evidence that lost sleep is a serious matter. The Sleep in America polls and several large studies have linked sleep deficits with poor work performance, driving accidents, relationship problems, and mood problems like anger and depression.
Nearly eight in 10 married couples say their partner has a sleep problem, like snoring, insomnia, or incessant tossing and turning. A quarter say sleep difficulties force their mate into separate sleeping quarters. More than 20% say they're too sleepy for sex.
A growing list of health risks has been documented in recent studies, too. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity have all been linked with chronic sleep loss.
"People just don't realize how important sleep is, and what the health consequences are of not getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis," Hunt tells WebMD. "Sleep is just as important for overall health as diet and exercise."
They also don't talk to their doctors about sleep problems, he adds. "They figure everybody's sleepy, and what can be done about it anyway. And doctors don't ask about it. Sleep disorders are severely under-diagnosed and under-treated."
The Science of Sleep
Over the past decade, researchers have learned much about the science of sleep, says Mark W. Mahowald, MD, a neurologist and director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Rochester.
There are nearly 100 identified sleep/wake disorders, Mahowald says. In a recent issue of the journal Nature, Mahowald outlined the latest scientific findings on these two familiar patterns:
Hypersomnia: This is sleep deprivation, or excessive daytime sleepiness without an obvious cause. This pattern "should be taken very seriously," Mahowald writes. The result is sleepiness, which results in impaired sustained attention, with adverse, occasionally disastrous consequences in the classroom, workplace, or the highways. It is likely that more than 100,000 crashes occur annually in the U.S. due to driving while drowsy, he adds.
The most common cause of hypersomnia is voluntary sleep deprivation done for social or economic reasons - like work or surfing the Internet, he notes. "We get 20% less sleep than previous generations, yet there is no evidence that earlier generations required more sleep - or that ours needs less," he writes.
Insomnia: This is the most common sleep complaint, says Mahowald. It is not defined by total sleep time but by trouble falling or staying asleep. It is the inability to obtain sleep that is sufficiently long or "good enough" to result in feeling rested or restored the following day. Depression has been linked as a cause of insomnia; however, for many people, untreated insomnia may be a risk factor for depression, he tells WebMD.
Many insomniacs may have a condition called hyperarousal - essentially, they're always on alert, which means they rarely can sleep, Mahowald explains. "There is overwhelming evidence that many who have insomnia have a constitutional predisposition to be hyperaroused 24 hours a day. They have trouble sleeping, then feel miserable during the day, fatigued, washed out, have trouble concentrating. But they are not sleepy. They never take naps, because the same thing happens - they can't sleep during the day."
Neurological scans show differences between the brains of insomniacs and non-insomniacs. There seems to be a genetic component to both hyperarousal and insomnia, Mahowald tells WebMD.
"They typically have a family history of insomnia. Many people have had it as long as they can remember, since childhood. It takes very little for them to get insomnia - a test the next day, an upcoming trip. They can get insomnia for what seems like very trivial reasons, but it's probably constitutional. They are very fragile sleepers because they are predisposed to developing insomnia."
The Effects of Lost Sleep
An NIH State-of-the-Science Conference recently focused on the public health issues of chronic insomnia - including the larger impact that is not often noticed. When children and the elderly (particularly nursing home residents) suffer from insomnia, parents and caregivers also suffer. Employers suffer when an insomniac's work performance is affected.
Most people need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to feel refreshed and function optimally, says Hunt. "Obviously there's some variation, some people intrinsically need more sleep than others. A few people skip by successfully long-term getting less sleep - but that's a very small number."
If you're getting less sleep than your body needs, there can be serious consequences.
"There's recent evidence showing -- in men and women in several countries -- that chronic sleep deprivation increases risk of early death," Hunt tells WebMD. "Studies are showing that people who get less sleep are at greater risk for heart disease and heart attacks. And perhaps the hottest area of research has shown a link between chronic sleep deprivation and risk of overweight and obesity. These studies articulate the price society pays in not getting a good night's sleep."
The affect on our functional status was borne out in the 2005 Sleep in America survey. Over one-quarter of working adults - 28% -- said they had missed work, events and activities, or made errors at work because of sleep-related issues in the previous three months.
Laboratory studies have confirmed this impact on performance. In one small experiment, 16 young adults were allowed only five hours of sleep for seven nights. As the week wore on, the volunteers showed increasing difficulty performing tasks.
It's true, some people can get by just fine with less sleep. One study found that there are significant differences in impairment among sleep deprived volunteers - suggesting that vulnerability to sleep deficits varies greatly.
But for most people, getting less than six hours sleep translates into a bigger sleep debt than they may realize. Over a two-week period, missing out on the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep adds up to two full nights' sleep debt, one study found. If you're averaging only four hours a night, your brain reacts as though you haven't slept at all for three consecutive nights.
The most worrisome part: Many people are too tired to realize how sleep-deprived they are, experts say. But they have slower reaction time, weaker memory, and other thinking impairments.
The Dangers of Drowsiness
Sleep-deprived people often don't realize their vulnerability to sleepiness, and therein rests the self-denial, explains Joseph Kaplan, MD, co-director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
"Sleepiness is governed by two processes - the amount of sleep you get and the circadian rhythm," he tells WebMD. "You can go a night without sleep, and be fairly alert the next morning. But as the circadian influence begins to have its impact, that's when you really feel it."
Kaplan says the most vulnerable times for sleepiness: 5 to 8 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Most alert times: 10 a.m. to noon and 7 to 9 p.m. "Regardless how many hours you're awake, the sleepiest time occurs as the circadian night is ending," he says.
Night shift workers may be the hardest hit by sleep problems. They're less able to stay alert, they have decreased job performance, and they have more accidents. One study found that 20% of shift workers fall asleep during a single night shift compared to none during an afternoon or evening shift.
Several major disasters have been linked in part with too little sleep in the workplace: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the Exxon Valdez.
Nearly two-thirds of American drivers -- 60% -- reported driving drowsy in 2004; 4% had an accident or near-accident because they were too tired, or they actually dozed off while driving, according to the Sleep in America 2005 poll. Some 100,000 car crashes have been attributed to drowsy driving.
"We are very concerned that shift workers are on the highway, at increased risk for car wrecks," says Barbara Phillips, MD, sleep clinic director at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "Many are also in safety-sensitive positions, like health care workers and pilots."
Indeed, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are especially vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss - and patient safety may suffer because of it. Studies on performance of sleep-deprived doctors have suggested that they may be prone to more errors on routine, repetitive tasks - and also on tasks that require close attention for long periods. However, those same studies show that, in times of crisis or unusual situations, doctors may be able to rise to the occasion and function well.
Sleep-deprived drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers, Kaplan says. In one study, people who drove after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those who had a blood alcohol level of .05%. (A blood alcohol level of .08% is considered legally intoxicated in many states.)
Kaplan is a big advocate of napping. "Fifteen or 20 minutes may be all you need," he tells WebMD. "One strategy for truck drivers is to take a full cup of coffee, then immediately follow with a 30-minute nap. Caffeine doesn't take effect for about 30 minutes, so you get the benefit of both."
Tips on Getting a Good Night's Sleep
If you're having trouble sleeping, there are many solutions, say sleep experts. Turning off the computer or TV earlier is one simple solution. But other lifestyle issues might be hindering sleep. Sleep specialists advise following good sleep hygiene, including cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. They also advise developing a calming ritual before bedtime - one that helps you break from the day's tensions, and doesn't involve eating, exercise, or watching TV.
Beyond that, sleep medications and behavioral treatments can be effective treatment for chronic insomnia. Behavioral therapy involves changing your negative thoughts and expectations that may worsen your insomnia. Medications can help you break the pattern of insomnia.
"We now have very effective sleep medications," Mahowald tells WebMD. "Many patients have taken these sleep medications for decades without any dependence or tolerance problems. If they need the drugs, they take the drugs. If they don't need them, they don't take them."
"With medication and possibly behavioral therapy, we can make insomnia decidedly better in just a few weeks," he says.
More commonly, chronic insomnia is a conditioned response - a pattern of fearful thinking that develops after a few nights of restless sleep, Mahowald says. "There's worry that it will happen again, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."
By making sure you get enough sleep, you're improving your quality of life. "Sleep deprivation has a cumulative effect, escalating over time in fatigue, sleepiness, stress, mood problems," Kaplan tells WebMD.
"The good news is, although we're learning that sleep disorders are more common than we realized, there are effective treatments, ways to improve symptoms and quality of life for anyone who has a sleeping disorder," says Hunt.
By Jeanie Lerche Davis
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Feature
SOURCE: Carl Hunt, MD, director, National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, National Institutes of Health. Meir Kryger, MD, director, Sleep Disorders Centre, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba. Mark W. Mahowald, MD, director, Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. Barbara Phillips, MD, sleep clinic director, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Joseph Kaplan, MD, co-director, Sleep Disorders Center, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. WebMD Medical News: "U.S. Sleep Problems Getting Worse." WebMD Medical News: "Cranky? You're Likely Fighting Fatigue." WebMD Medical News: "Sleep Deprivation Leads to Trouble Fast." WebMD Feature: "Sleep: More Important Than You Think." WebMD Feature: "10 Tips to Get Better Sleep." NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement. Malik, S. Primary Care, 2005; vol 32: pp 475-490. Mahowald, M. Nature, Oct. 27, 2005; vol 437: pp 1279-1285. 2002 Sleep in America Poll. 2005 Sleep in America Poll.
© 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sourced By:TheSAMIGroup.com
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