Top RI Doctor Chan Discusses Stress - And How It's Impacting Our Health
Top RI Doctor Chan Discusses Stress - And How It's Impacting Our Health
“Stress is actually a normal part of life. We all experience occasional stress for sure, whether or not you have a big test or something big to do at work or significant stress related to the death of a loved one, loss of a job, etc. It's a normal part of life, and so is anxiety,” said Dr. Chan.
Dr. Chan discussed when normal stress can begin to become a problem.
“We generally think about [stress] and anxiety as a way in which your body responds. What's abnormal is for people who worry or have long-term stress — when you're worrying all the time, when it starts to interfere with how you think. And people even can start to experience physical consequences of stress, which can lead to specific medical disorders; things like general anxiety disorder; that's when it can be a problem,” he adds.
Overload
Dr. Chan cites information overload as one of the causes.
“I think that life has gotten more complicated in many ways, certainly with the advent of social media, certainly with the internet — we're so connected. There's so much news there's so much going on. We're bombarded non-stop by events really from all over the world. You know, if you think about how we used to communicate, things just used to be slower right 30 to 40 years ago,” said Dr. Chan.
15% Suffer From Anxiety Disorders, and Half of Patients Raise Issue of Stress
“We do know that approximately 15% of the population does experience sort of these medical anxiety disorders," said Dr. Chan.
The health issues of stress can also be intertwined with physical health issues.
Dr. Chan, a primary care physician, argues for taking basic easy initial steps to improve health.
“We know that things like being overweight or being obese can definitely contribute to mental health diseases things like anxiety disorders, and we also know things like exercise — even just getting out for a walk — can lead to decreased mental health and disorders as well as other physical disorders like hypertension and cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Chan
How to Manage
Dr. Chan said, “I do feel like I talk about it with almost half of my patients that come in. There's so much in the world that we can't control. What I try to do is remind people about the things that we can control. You can control your level of exercise [and] what you eat. A lot of times you can control your sleeping habits and I think at the end of the day, it really just boils down to taking moments, taking time for yourself."
He had a number of suggestions to tackle stress.
"Try to set limits, for example, with social media with media in general — except for GoLocal," said Dr. Chan, with a smile. "Just creating some boundaries and taking some time for yourself; making sure that you eat healthy; making sure that you get regular exercise."
“If you do feel overwhelmed and stressed, find a counselor. It's often helpful to talk with people,” said Dr. Chan.
He says that some people are good at managing their stress and that they have found the right balance and they work at it.
Managing Politics - Be Respectful
Dr. Chan also talked about the impact of politics and said regardless of the issue or one’s political leanings. He urged Rhode Islanders to be respectful and decent to one another.
“We need to be respectful, especially to each other, and engage in forums and discussions that are beneficial and that are positive and move us to a better place. I do think in general that most people want that,” said Dr. Chan.