What Worries the World Mar 2019

WHAT WORRIES THE WORLD - MARCH 2019

Source: Ipsos.com

New global poll finds four concerns top the world’s worry list: financial/political corruption, poverty/social inequality, unemployment, crime/violence. Meanwhile, in most countries surveyed (22 of 28) the majority think that their nation is on the wrong track.

The Ipsos What Worries the World study finds the majority of people across the participating 28 nations feel their country is on the wrong track (58% on average), with South Africa (77%), France (77%), Spain (76%), Turkey (74%) and Belgium (74%) recording the greatest levels of apprehension. There are, however, wide-ranging disparities in scores across the globe.

“What Worries the World” is a monthly online survey of adults aged under 65 in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.

Right Direction

·         China (94%) inspires the most confidence about its national direction. More than 9 in 10 Chinese citizens say that China is moving in the right direction.

·         Saudi Arabia (84%) is once more in second place followed by India (73%) and Malaysia (57%).

·         India and Sweden are the nations with the greatest month on month increase in positive sentiment of all 28 countries, with both reporting an 8-point increase in those seeing the nations as heading in the right direction.

·         Notable rises in citizens considering their country as headed in the right direction are also seen in China (94%) and Hungary (28%) - both reporting a 6-point increase.

Wrong Track

·         At the other end of the spectrum, South African, French, Spanish, Turkish and Belgian nationals have the greatest apprehension about the direction taken by their country. Just 23% of South African and French citizens consider their nations to be heading in the right direction, followed by 24% in Spain and 26% in both Turkey and Belgium.

·         Mexico (56%) has seen the biggest fall in optimism— with a reduction of 12% from a positive sentiment spike reported last month (68%).There are also 6-point falls in both Italy and Canada.

The four major worries for global citizens are:

1.     Financial/ Political corruption (34%). South Africa (69%) has the most citizens apprehensive about this issue, followed by on Peru 63% and Hungary on 60%. Canadians (30%) have the greatest month on month increase in this concern, with a rise of 11 percentage points. Germans (9%) are the least worried citizens along with Great Britain (14%) and Sweden (15%).

2.     Poverty/Social Inequality (34%). The greatest levels of anxiety are held in Russia (58%), Hungary (56%) and Serbia (54%). Sweden (19%) and Saudi Arabia (20%) are the least concerned nations in this area followed by the US (21%). In terms of trend, we observe a strong 8-point increase in concern in this area in Hungary.

3.     Unemployment (33%). The highest levels of worry are seen in Italy (69%), South Korea (66%) and Spain (61%). Turkish citizens (+7%) and Argentinians (+6%) are the nations which have recorded the greatest month on month increase in this issue. The US public and Germans (11%) are the least concerned, followed by citizens in Great Britain (14%) Sweden (15%) and Poland (15).

4.     Crime & Violence (31%), The highest levels of worry in this issue are seen in Mexico (64%) – closely followed by Peru (62%) and Chile (59%). China (22%) records the largest increase in anxiety with an increase of 11 percentage points from the previous month. There are other increases in Chile (+9), Malaysia (+9) and Turkey (+7). Concerns around crime are lowest in Russia and Hungary (8%), and Poland (11%). The greatest falls in this issue come from Poland (-10) and Serbia (-9).

Top five global issues

1. Financial/ Political corruption (34%)
2. Poverty/Social Inequality (34%)
3. Unemployment (33%)
4. Crime & Violence (31%)
5. Healthcare (24%)

The survey was conducted in 28 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The 28 countries included are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America. 20,019 interviews were conducted between February 22nd, 2019 – March 8th, 2019 among adults aged 18-64 in Canada, Israel and the US, and adults aged 16-64 in all other countries. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

Disclaimer:

The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

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Getting quality Sleep when Stressed

GETTING QUALITY SLEEP WHEN STRESSED

By Elizabeth Scott, MS

Updated October 30, 2019

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on February 21, 2017

Sleep is an important resource that keeps you healthy, mentally sharp, and able to cope with stress more effectively, among other things. Unfortunately, stressed and busy people tend to get less sleep than they need. According to a poll on this site, roughly 50% of readers like you are missing enough sleep to triple their risk of a car accident. Learn some of the reasons why stress and sleep deprivation seem to go together, and important techniques for getting the sleep you need.

Factors That Contribute to Lack of Sleep

The following are all common factors that contribute to lack of sleep:

• Overthinking: Many people take their work home with them, either physically or metaphorically. And it makes sense: with today’s demanding workloads, it’s often difficult to come home from a day of troubleshooting and automatically stop thinking about all the, well, trouble. Stay-at-home parents and students can experience this as well. If you find yourself still trying to solve problems at the end of the day, and the thoughts won’t seem to leave your mind, this can make sleep come much more difficult. It can even disrupt your sleep in the middle of the night as you transition between sleep stages.
• Caffeine: People under stress tend to consume significant amounts of caffeine to get a boost that gets them going in the morning or helps them make it through the day. Caffeine can actually exacerbate stress levels and significantly affect the amount and quality of sleep you get.
• Cortisol: This stress hormone is one of the key players responsible for the fight or flight response—that jolt of energy you get when you feel stressed or threatened that enables you to respond. Unfortunately, chronic stress can lead to excessive levels of cortisol, and this can disrupt healthy sleep patterns.
• Over scheduling: A hectic, busy life can rob you of time you can actually dedicate to sleep. If you find yourself pushing your bed time back further and further to get things done, or getting up earlier and earlier in the name of productivity, you may feel tired a lot of the time but not realize the toll lack of sleep is taking.
• Anxiety: Like overthinking, anxiety can make sleep difficult and wake you up at night. Anxiety keeps your mind busy as you imagine threatening scenarios and worry about what may happen next. You may become preoccupied with finding solutions. That racing of your mind can rob you of sleep by keeping your cortisol levels high, making sleep harder to achieve.

How to Get the Sleep You Need

Try these tips if you find yourself regularly short on sleep:

• Maintain Healthy Nighttime Habits: Keeping regular sleep-promoting nighttime habits can go a long way toward helping you consistently get more high-quality sleep. Here are some sleep-doctor-recommended strategies for promoting sleep by maintaining the right habits.
• Release Your Stress: One great way to purge your body of stress so your mind can relax is to learn progressive muscle relaxation and deep muscle relaxation techniques. Meditation is also a proven tool to relax your body and quiet your mind; it can easily transition you into sleep. Here is how to get started with meditation.
• Have Sex: A favourite way for many people to relax before bed—one you may have already thought of—is sexual activity. Sex with a loving partner (or solo) can give you a dose of relaxing hormones and provide several other stress management benefits. Unfortunately, many people find that stress zaps their sex drive. Here are some tips on getting in the mood when stressed.

When All Else Fails—Nap

If you've done everything you can and you're exhausted anyway, don’t underestimate the value of the power nap. It's not recommended to take naps if you're having difficulty sleeping because it may decrease your nighttime sleepiness. However, if the problem is not that you can't fall asleep but that you don't have enough time to sleep because you are too busy, fitting some nap time into your day can really help. Napping can increase your productivity and give you a valuable dose of sleep when you need it. And when you're well-rested, you can be less reactive toward stress.

Disclaimer:

The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

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Managing Stress Associated with COVID-19 Virus Outbreak Impact

Managing Stress Associated with COVID-19 Virus Outbreak Impact

Managing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Individuals and Communities

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has the potential to increase stress and anxiety, both because of the fear of catching the virus and also because of uncertainty about how the outbreak will affect us socially and economically.

There are practical steps you can take to improve your wellbeing. Coping with the Stress of COVID-19 Dealing with stress reactions caused by the COVID-19 virus outbreak can improve your health, quality of life, and wellbeing. The following evidence-informed principles have been shown to be related to better outcomes in many adverse situations (Hobfoll et al., 2007). There are key actions within each element that might be especially helpful for those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak (Reissman et al, 2006; Gonzales, 2003). It’s not necessary to have all elements in place but implementing some of the following suggestions may help you deal with the stress caused by the COVID-19 virus. Increase Sense of Safety Reduce anxiety with healthy actions that make you feel safer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts suggest the following good hygiene habits to limit the risk of infection:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Properly dispose of used tissues.

• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, arm, or elbow if you don’t have a tissue.

• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing.

• Stay at home if you are sick.

• Avoid contact with those who are sick.

• Clean and disinfect objects or surfaces that may have come into contact with germs.

• Make plans for what will happen if someone in the home becomes ill or if quarantine or shelterin-place measures are ordered.

Read more about prevention on the CDC website. March 2020 www.ptsd.va.gov 1 National Center for PTSD Managing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak Stay Connected

• Seek support from family, friends, mentors, clergy, and those who are in similar circumstances.

• Be flexible and creative in accessing support via phone, email, text messaging, and video calls.

• Talk to your supervisor about the possibility of working from home temporarily. Cultivate Ways to be More Calm

• Realize that it is understandable to feel anxious and worried about what may happen, especially when many aspects of life are being affected.

• If you find that you are getting more stressed by watching the news, reduce your exposure, particularly prior to sleep.

• While circumstances may be stressful and beyond your control, you can try to offset them with positive calming activities. Practice slow, steady breathing and muscle relaxation, as well as any other actions that are calming for you (yoga, exercise, music, keeping the mind occupied).

• Preparing for a range of possible scenarios and having adequate supplies should sheltering at home be necessary can help you feel calmer. For instance, you can put together a kit with supplies to last you and your family 3 – 5 days. Include supplies such as:

• Water and food, vitamins, fluids with electrolytes, and food preparation items such as a manual can opener.

• Prescribed medical supplies or equipment, such as glucose or blood pressure monitoring equipment; thermometer; medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen; anti-diarrheal medication.

• Hygiene supplies such as soap and water, alcohol-based hand wash, soap, tissues, toilet paper, and disposable diapers if necessary.

• General supplies such as a flashlight and batteries, portable radio, and garbage bags. Read more about pandemic preparedness on the CDC website. Improve Your Sense of Control and Ability to Endure

• Accept circumstances that cannot be changed and focus on what you can alter.

• Modify your definition of a “good day” to meet the current reality of the situation.

• Problem-solve and set achievable goals within the new circumstances in your life.

• Evaluate the absolute risk of contracting the virus and recognize the benefits of accepting a certain level of risk in order to maintain as much of your normal routine as possible.

• Those who have been faced with life-threatening situations recommended the following strategies:

• Quickly recognize, acknowledge, and accept the reality of the situation.

• Make a plan for dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed or overly distressed. Preparation can make you feel more in control if these feelings arise and help you move through them quickly.

• Combat unhelpful emotions by using distraction or staying busy---both mentally and physically. March 2020 www.ptsd.va.gov 2 National Center for PTSD Managing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak

• Avoid impulsive behavior.

• Get organized.

• Increase positive coping behaviors that have worked in the past.

• Shift negative self-statements to statements that allow you to function with less distress. Try changing “this is a terrible time” to “this is a terrible time, but I can get through this.”

• Rather than getting discouraged, focus on what you can accomplish or control.

• Seek out mentoring or information to improve your ability to make decisions and take actions when necessary.

• Try to engage in the situation as a challenge to be met, which can increase your ability to act both creatively and decisively (Gonzales, 2003). Remain Hopeful

• Consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective.

• Look for opportunities to practice being more patient or kind with yourself, or to see the situation as an opportunity to learn or build strengths.

• Celebrate successes, find things to be grateful about, and take satisfaction in completing tasks, even small ones.

• Give yourself small breaks from the stress of the situation by doing something you enjoy.

• Draw upon your spirituality, those who inspire you, or your personal beliefs and values. Resources

• Tools to help with symptoms are available—see Resources for Survivors and the Public Following Disaster and Mass Violence on our website:

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/resources_disaster_violence.asp

• If you need help right away call 1-800-273-8255 Press "1" if you are a Veteran. References Gonzales, G. (2003). Deep survival. Who lives, who dies, and why. True stories of miraculous endurance and sudden death. W.W. Norton & Company. New York. Hobfoll, S. E., Watson, P. J., Bell, C. C., Bryant, R. A., Brymer, M. J., Friedman, M. J., et al. (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: Empirical evidence. Psychiatry, 70(4), 283-315. Reissman, D. B., Watson, P. J., Klomp, R. W., Tanielian, T. L., & Prior, S. D. (2006).

Pandemic influenza preparedness: adaptive responses to an evolving challenge. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 3(2). Whether stress or stress-related disorders play an important role remains speculative. Even more important is the question of whether any particular treatment of these stress-induced psychological illnesses can prevent autoimmune disease. I look forward to a clinical trial that examines this fascinating possibility.

Source: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

Disclaimer:

The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

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COPING SKILLS FOR STRESSED OUT SOUTH AFRICANS

Source Owner: 1Life Insurance Blog, Posted May 27, 2019

It’s no secret that South Africans are stressed! Try these practical methods of de-stressing.

South Africans are stressed out. Not only because of political and economic uncertainty, crime and corruption, financial pressures and high levels of unemployment, but day-to-day stressors like load shedding, single parenting and traffic congestion.

In a survey by the global market research and consulting firm Ipsos, titled ‘What worries the world’, conducted in 2018, results show that aside from these stressors, South Africans are also saddled with worry about education, healthcare, taxes, inflation, and moral decline.

Stress over a long period also wreaks havoc with your mind and body, because it activates your body’s fight-or-flight response, which in turn prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. When this fight-or-flight reaction stays ‘turned on’, the long-term overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body's processes, leading to anything from anxiety and depression to digestive problems, headaches, weight gain and even heart disease.

People are ‘trained’ by society (school, parents) to ‘keep anger in’

Unfortunately, a lot of us have no idea how to deal with stress, with a result that anger, and frustration levels rise, and we become physically ill. “People are ‘trained’ by society (school, parents) to ‘keep anger in’. Over time, stress can lead to physical illness, e.g. endometriosis, ulcers, spastic colons, or depression, or explosive outbursts of anger when stress levels build too much,” says Johannesburg clinical psychologist, Colinda Linde. “It’s also common for people to lapse into unhealthy ways of managing stress, she says, like alcohol, drugging or taking it out on the family.”

How to deal with stress: Here are some suggestions from Dr. Louis E. Kopolow on how to deal with stress.

Take care of yourself
Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, ask your doctor for help.

Try physical activity
When you’re nervous, angry or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or gardening are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that ‘uptight’ feeling, relax you, and turn frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together.

Share your stress
It helps to talk to someone about your concerns or worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek help from a professional psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or other mental health professional. Knowing when to ask for help may avoid more serious problems later.

Know your limits
If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don’t fight the situation. Learn to accept what is - for now - until such time when you can change it.

Make time for fun
Schedule time for both: work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.

Get involved
One way to keep you from getting bored, sad and lonely is to go where it’s all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved and become a participant. Offer your services in neighbourhood or volunteer organisations. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and other people, and you will find they are attracted to you. You will be on your way to finding new friends and enjoying new activities.

Check off your tasks
Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and, as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do them one at a time. Give priority to the most important ones and do them first and check off each task as it is completed.

Avoid conflict
Do you get upset easily, particularly when things aren’t going your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation. A little give and take on both sides will reduce the stress of being at loggerheads with someone and make you both feel more comfortable.

It’s OK to cry
A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it may even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.

Create a quiet scene
You can’t always run away, but you can change your scene. A quiet country scene painted mentally, or canvas, can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a book or playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace or tranquillity.

Avoid self-medication
Although you can use prescription or over-the-counter medications to relieve stress temporarily, they do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Pharmaceuticals should only be taken on the advice of your doctor.

The bottom line

Ultimately, controlling stress is about being practical in dealing with the sources of your stress, says Colinda Linde. “Separate what you can control, such as your reactions to a situation, from what is uncontrollable and which only wastes your time and energy,” she advises.

Disclaimer:

The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

Opt4health:

Cell: +27823716364

EMail: aubrey@opt4health.co.za  

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Positive Affect and Stress

POSITIVE AFFECT AND STRESS

Exactly How Your Good Mood Can Combat Stress

By Elizabeth Scott, MS

Updated June 05, 2019

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

"Positive affect" refers to one’s propensity to experience positive emotions and interact with others and with life’s challenges in a positive way. Conversely, "negative affect" involves experiencing the world in a more negative way, feeling negative emotions and more negativity in relationships and surroundings. These two states are independent of one another, though related; someone can be high in positive and negative affect, high in just one, or low in both. Both states affect our lives in many ways, particularly when it comes to stress and how we handle it.

Positive Affect and Stress

Positive affect is associated with other characteristics of people who tend to be happier, like optimism, extroversion, and success. However, positive affect isn’t just another by-product of a happy, less stressful life, it’s an influencing factor. A positive affect can bring lower levels of stress on its own. It’s not just that those who are optimistic and successful extroverts experience positive affect because they have so much to be happy about, and they just happen to be less stressed. You can experience greater resilience toward stress simply by cultivating positive affect or taking steps to get into a better mood more often.

The Broaden and Build Theory

Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson has extensively researched the effects of positive affect on stress and has come up with a model of how positive affect interacts with resilience, known as the "broaden and build" theory of positive psychology. Fredrickson and others have found that when we give ourselves a lift in mood, this can expand (or broaden) our perspective so that we notice more possibilities in our lives, and this enables us to more easily take advantage of (to build upon) these resources.

These resources include the following:

• Physical Resources: This includes energy, stamina, fitness, health, and overall wellness. For example, if you’re in a good mood, you may have more motivation to go to the gym and build your physical resources.
• Psychological Resources: This includes the ability to choose more optimistic perspectives, pull yourself out of rumination, or withstand hectic schedules without experiencing burnout, for example. If you’re experiencing more positive affect, for example, you might be less prone to dwelling on the negative and may focus on possibilities in your life.
• Social Resources: This means more supportive relationships, friends who will give great advice if you ask, lend you a shoulder to cry on, or bring you a casserole if you are going through a difficult time. If you’re chronically upset, you may drive away those who could be supportive in your life, whereas if you’re exuding positive affect, you may become more of an appealing friend.

These increased resources can lead to greater resilience toward stress. Basically, it can work as an "upward spiral" of positivity where positive affect begets more resilience toward stress and more positive affect.

Unfortunately, negative affect can work in the same way. This is why it really helps to cultivate positive moods and pleasure in life; it's not just something that will lead to some good feelings in the moment, but it can be a path to less stress and a happier life in general. It is well worth the effort of increasing behaviours that lead to positive affect, and fortunately, increasing positive affect is quite simple if you make the effort.

How to Increase Your Positive Affect

Positive affect can be developed and cultivated. While affectivity is somewhat inborn, meaning that some people are simply born with a greater propensity for being in a good mood as part of their personality, there are many things you can do to get into the habit if experiencing positive affect more often in your life, and making your good moods even better.

Many of these things involve changing our thought patterns and changing the experiences we put ourselves in. Here are some of the things you can do to increase your experience of positive affect.

• Maintain a Gratitude Journal: Research shows that writing about what you are grateful for in your life can bring about greater levels of positive affect, and this benefit lasts for quite a while. 
• Indulge in Life’s Pleasures: If you plan pleasurable experiences into your life, you can be constantly increasing your experience of positive affect and the benefits that come with it. Just remember to add new pleasures on a regular basis so you don’t become bored.
• Engage in Hobbies: Many of us don’t have as much time for hobbies as we’d like, but it’s important to make time. This can not only increase your positive affect, it can take your mind off of what may be stressing you, and leave you with a sense of accomplishment. 
• Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation: Meditation, in general, is great for stress management, but the loving-kindness meditation is a particularly sweet treat, especially in that it can increase your levels of positive affect and help you feel less stressed. 
• Exercise—And Make It Fun! Physical activity is a powerful stress reliever as well, and there are so many forms of exercise you can engage in, you can find several activities that are fun as well. Dancing, yoga, cycling, walking with a friend? Think about what might be fun for you, and do it! 
• Remember and Savour Positive Experiences: Research confirms what you probably instinctively know already: that actively savouring positive experiences can prolong the happiness you experience from them! And this can increase positive affect as well, leading to greater enjoyment of life and more resilience toward stress. 

Disclaimer:

The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

Opt4health:

Cell: +27823716364                  

Email: aubrey@opt4health.co.za

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Autoimmune Disease and Stress: Linked?

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND STRESS: IS THERE A LINK?

Posted: July 11, 2018, 10:30 am, updated August 22, 2018, 4:31 pm

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

A new study has raised the possibility that stress may cause autoimmune disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, because it found a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases among people who were previously diagnosed with stress-related disorders.

I have patients who heard about this research and are saying, “I knew it!”

But before we accept a potential link between stress and autoimmune disease, let’s look at some details of the study and consider how we define the terms “autoimmune disease,” “stress,” and “stress-related disorder.”

What is autoimmune disease?

These are fascinating and mysterious conditions in which the body’s immune system “misfires” and attacks its own tissues. There are scores of autoimmune diseases out there. Some of the most well-known are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

In some cases, a condition is labeled “autoimmune” based on conventional wisdom or expert consensus rather than hard science. And I’ve seen the term “autoimmune” used loosely to apply to any condition of unknown cause in which inflammation is present or the immune system appears to be active. But an infection could do the same thing. So perhaps some of these conditions now considered to be autoimmune will turn out to be chronic infections by an organism we’ve not yet identified.

What is stress?

A common definition of “stress” is any experience that causes tension, whether physical, psychological, or emotional, especially if it sets off the “fight or flight” response (during which the adrenal gland releases adrenaline, leading to rapid pulse and breathing, and increased blood pressure). This serves us well if chased by a lion. But it’s theorized that persistent stress (such as worry about finances, mental or physical health, or interpersonal relationships) could lead to chronic disease such as high blood pressure or autoimmune disease.

What causes stress for a person is highly individual. A common example is having to speak in public. Some people find it easy to give a speech in front of a crowd; for others, however, the exact same situation may feel nothing short of dreadful and causes worry for weeks in advance. A stressful experience can also be something quite positive, like getting married, or walking into a room on your birthday where friends and family are hiding. Surprise!

What is a stress-related disorder?

There is a big difference between stress and having a “stress-related disorder,” in which a particular, well-defined condition or disease develops following a specific and intensely stressful event. A dramatic example is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which a serious physical or psychological injury leads to a host of problems including distressing, intrusive memories of the traumatic event; memory problems; apathy; and irritability.

Exploring the connection between stress and autoimmune disease

In this new study, researchers analyzed more than 100,000 people diagnosed with stress-related disorders and compared their tendency to develop autoimmune disease at least one year later with 126,000 of their siblings, and another million people who did not have stress-related disorders.

The study found that individuals diagnosed with a stress-related disorder

·         were more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (about nine per 1,000 patient-years* who had stress-related disorders, but only about six per 1,000 patient-years among those without stress-related disorders)

·         were more likely to develop multiple autoimmune diseases

·         had a higher rate of autoimmune disease if younger.

*Patient-years is an expression that combines how many and for how long people are assessed in a study. If the frequency of a condition is 9 per 1,000 patient-years, that means 9 people would develop the disease among ,1000 patients monitored for 1 year, or among 500 patients monitored for 2 years, and so on).

A particularly important observation was that, for those with PTSD who were being treated with an SSRI (a type of antidepressant), the increased rate of autoimmune disease was less dramatic. While these observations are intriguing, they don’t tell us why or how a stress-related disorder might provoke or cause autoimmune disease.

The usual caveats about observational studies

It’s important to emphasize that a study of this type (called an observational study) cannot conclude that stress-related disorders actually cause autoimmune disease. There could be other explanations for the findings. For example, it is often impossible to identify a precise date that an autoimmune disease or a stress-related disorder began. So, despite the researchers’ requirement that the autoimmune disease be diagnosed well after the stress-related disorder, it’s possible that the autoimmune condition was already present before the stress-related disorder was diagnosed. If that was the case, the stress-related disorder could not have caused the autoimmune disease.

In addition, it’s possible that something other than the stress-related disorder was to blame for the higher rate of autoimmune disease. For example, people who have been through severely stressful circumstances may be more likely to smoke, and smoking has been linked to an increased risk of certain autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

One more point: this study appears to have included type 2 diabetes among the 41 autoimmune diseases it considered. Although this is the most common type of diabetes (accounting for more than 90% of all cases), it is not considered an autoimmune disease. Different results might have been noted if stricter definitions of autoimmune disease had been applied.

The mystery of autoimmune illness continues

Whether stress or stress-related disorders play an important role remains speculative. Even more important is the question of whether any particular treatment of these stress-induced psychological illnesses can prevent autoimmune disease. I look forward to a clinical trial that examines this fascinating possibility.

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