Stress is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States and the recent economic news will no doubt worsen the conditions. While we cannot control the investments on Wall Street, we can and should invest in something that we can control; our personal health and well-being.
“Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. 75 to 90 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.” Source: http://www.apa.org
“Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit. Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.”
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/
“Four in 10 children say they feel sad when their parent is stressed or worried. One-third of children (34 percent) say they know their parent is worried or stressed out. One in five children worry a lot or a great deal about things in their lives, but very few parents (8 percent) report that their child is experiencing a great deal of stress (8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10).
Nearly a third of children indicated in the past month that they experienced physical health symptoms that are often associated with stress: 38 percent reported trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Thirty-three percent experienced headaches and 31 percent reported having an upset stomach in the past month.” Source: http://www.apa.org
I hope that reading this did not cause more stress. That is not my intention. My goal is to get the word out and call to everyone’s attention to the damaging effects that stress can have on adults and children. Please take the time to learn the common symptoms of stress and take the steps necessary to protect yourself as well as others. Chronic stress can and will cause physical harm and destroy close relationships. If you feel out of control, don’t blame yourself; get some help. Denial and suffering is not a wise investment strategy.