Your Personality and Your Disease Resistance

Researchers have recently been looking into why some people succumb to different chronic illnesses while others retain their good health.  There has been a lot of discussion about the possibilities of a type of personality that is, in a very real way, "disease resistant".

So how is this possible?  Researchers have found that the way a person deals with stress greatly affects their ability to deal with illness and, as a result, they can successfully ward off severe chronic illness.  It is thought that just by changing the outlook on everyday stressors – such as having a sense of humor about backing the car out of the garage with the door open – can improve a person's overall well being.  This also applies to people who already have chronic illnesses: there is a better survival rate among patients with positive attitudes than in patients with depression.

Check out our section on Alternative Medicine for more information.

Darn! I Feel Really Bleak!

I know there are a lot of symptoms that indicate anxiety exists, but one of the worst is living in fear that a panic attack can hit at any time.  It’s really difficult to not start worrying about the awful physical reactions that occur during an anxiety attack.  I get very jittery and dizzy.  I sometimes feel as if I’m choking or having a heart attack.  My heart will race and I start sweating profusely.

For those of you who wonder if you have anxiety, there are certain signs you can look for on a daily basis.  For example, I have learned that my pessimism can be a symptom.  I look back on my life and instead of congratulating myself on successes, I dwell on my failures.  The most difficult part of diagnosing anxiety is sorting through what are real symptoms and what are normal reactions to life events.  Unfortunately, worrying about an anxiety attack can actually trigger one.

Visit our section on Stress Management here!