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 The hallmark signs of depression are a loss of interest in life in general and a hopeless, withdrawn, or pessimistic attitude.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...

Can exercise reduce stress?  Physical activity is a good way to reduce stress and depression. From walking to swimming, no matter how gentle or how challenging, physical activity is a great healer. Most of us know from experience that exercise makes us feel better psychologically, but scientific support for this belief appeared in Cardiac Rehabilitation : Clinical Practice Guideline, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1995. A panel of experts reviewed various studies and concluded that “exercise training enhances measures of psychological and social functioning . . . including measures of emotional stress.” It is known that exercise stimulates production of endorphins, which promote a sense of well-being in the body. Find some time for some physical activity, even if only for a few minutes or for a short walk, each and every day.

In those who have survived one heart attack, the chances of survivors with depression having a second heart attack within the next two years is double that of nondepressed survivors. Poor coping with stress can be one of the many causes of depression. Lack of social support, such as a comforting spouse or friends, has been shown to lead to increased stress and depression, and to a lower survival rate after a heart attack. We therefore discuss the social support issue in the section on stress. Keep in mind that if social support can help a heart attack survivor, it can also help prevent the first one from occurring.

How can I keep from being depressed over my diabetes? It's not easy. It's only logical to be depressed when you first learn you have diabetes. And all the cheerful remarks people make about how much nicer it is to have diabetes than leprosy or than being run over by a moving van or some such nonsense do no good at all. You know that it's not better than having nothing wrong with you. After all, you have to make many, many changes in your life, and at first glance, these changes all seem to be for the bad. On top of that, you feel like an outcast. You're no longer like everyone else. Of course, no one ever is like everyone else, but at the moment you feel like the town pariah, and you're certain that all your friends are going to drop you now that you have diabetes. You get the automatic "why me?" reaction. "Why should i be selected to get this rotten disease?" "Why should / be threatened with blindness or kidney failure or gangrene o...