Staying healthy amid the stress

May is Mental Health Month and with the economy adding untold stress on many residents, Dr. Katherine Weeks has a few tips to maintain a healthy outlook.

Weeks, a family practitioner with Primary Care Associates of Byers Creek, on N.C. 150 west of Mooresville, explained that stress is "caused by the body when it feels a need to defend itself."

"It's a natural response, the fight-or-flight mentality," she said. "It can also cause unhealthy physical symptoms if it goes on too long. Many people are feeling stress due to today's challenges."

According to a survey taken by Mental Health America, one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress. Weeks has seen a "slight increase" in stress-related visits to her practice, mostly related to job loss, she said. Life changes, such as divorce or being unhappy in your career, can also add to your stress level.

"Some of the symptoms of stress include trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, an upset stomach, headaches, anxiety, fatigue, depression, back pain and sometimes it can lead to high blood pressure," Weeks said.

Her advice for dealing with temporary stress was to "look at your beliefs about the situation."

"Examine what's going on," she said. "If you believe, for example, that being stuck in a traffic jam means bad things are happening to you, that you will be 10 minutes late and get fired, then of course you are going to stress yourself out. If you change your perspective, tell yourself that you are usually on time, that it's not a big deal and that this is out of your control, you can calm down. Focus on what you can control."

Weeks also suggested eating healthy meals regularly, quitting smoking, drinking in moderation, meditation, exercise and speaking to a friend or counselor about your concerns.

"Your attitude really is a lot of it, so it's a personal challenge to remain positive," she said. "Make sure your beliefs about the situation at hand are appropriate and try not to blow things out of proportion."

Mental Health America formed a list of tools for better living on their Web site and had a few more suggestions for releasing stress.

"Connect with others by joining a book club or volunteering with a community organization, get enough rest, and create joy by taking the time to do something you love," the site said.

Long term, if stress is left alone, it can be very damaging to the body.

"You can develop high blood pressure, gain or lose weight, have chronic headaches, back pain and have problems with constipation or diarrhea," she said. "You can also develop depression and heart disease."

Weeks said if you have tried to gain perspective, increased your exercise and tried to instill healthy habits but you still feel extremely stressed, it may be time to see your physician.

"If you are down, depressed or anxious, you could need professional counseling or medication," she advised.

For more tips on how to cope with stress, visit Mental Health America's Web site, http://www.liveyourlifewell.org