Filed under: Prevention, Research, Mind Body medicine,
stress
Survivors of the September 11th attacks deal daily with a host of related issues -- especially
stress -- 37 percent of rescue workers seen in hospital over the last year have been diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder. But its not just the people who were actually in NY at the time who suffer the after-effects of the tragedy. A University of Florida study found that heart patients in Florida experienced over two times more cardiac therapies after the event than before it, even more than people who were actually in NY at the time.
The media is a powerful player in causing
stress, which adversely effects the heart. One way to help de-
stress yourself is to change the channel or turn off the TV entirely. I'm not promoting ignorance or purposely becoming unaware, but sometimes enough is enough when it comes to the over-exposure of TV news tragedies. Another easy way to de-
stress is to get up out of your chair, go for a walk, drink some water and breathe deeply. Also, don't bottle up those feelings and reactions to what you've seen and heard -- confiding in a loved one can really release the internal pressure that
stress can build up.
