Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

What about depression is it the same as stress?  Many of the symptoms of stress are also symptoms of depression, but it is not clear whether depression and stress cause the same physiological responses in the body. It is estimated that between 25 and 30 million Americans suffer from clinical depression (not just moodiness), although many go undiagnosed. The hallmark signs of depression are a loss of interest in life in general and a hopeless, withdrawn, or pessimistic attitude. Depressed people often experience a loss of energy, feel restless, and have trouble concentrating and making decisions. Some do not experience the agitation and rise in blood pressure and heart rate that are part of the stress response; others do. High levels of cortisol are present in many severely depressed patients, contributing to high levels of LDL (the harmful fat in cholesterol) in the blood. If for no other reason than that depression is linked to an elevation in LDL, people with heart disease m...

Are there any medications that are helpful?  Sometimes medications may be useful in the short term to relieve stress and induce relaxation by lowering heart rate and reducing anxiety and depression. However, the end goal is to leam to relax and cope with stress on your own. Medications should be used onlywhen other relaxation methods, such as yoga, have not been successful and you may still be troubled by sleep disturbances, overwhelming feelings of unhappiness or hopelessness, or difficulty in performing your daily activities. It is then important to consult your physician, who may prescribe specific antidepressant or antianxiety drugs. Betablockers are commonly used in people after a heart attack to reduce pulse rate and, to a lesser extent, alleviate anxiety.

How can I reduce stress?  Once you have identified the stresses in your life, there are two options available to you to reduce or eliminate them. The first option is to remove the stressful elements from your life. If working with a certain colleague is on your list of stress inducers, you could talk to your supervisor about the problem, ask to be transferred, or find a new job. If traffic continually has you on edge, you could look into participating in a car pool or taking public transportation. The other option is to change the belief that working with this particular colleague is stressful, or that traffic congestion causes stress. There are various ways to work on such attitudinal changes. Affirmation, in which you mentally rehearse the actions and attitudes you wish to adopt, can be helpful. Affirmations are believed by some to “reprogram” negative beliefs already established in your mind. Visualization, in which you imagine the scenario you’d like to become your reali...