Mana for the Doctor's Soul

What do you see in in the above photo, hmmmm? It's a stress test: if you see anything but 2 dolphins there, you are stressed. If you happen to see a cow too, you are VERY stressed. I see the cow. I must be having an especially tough week. And as the comedian and actress Lily Tomlin tells us, "Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it." Sage observation with a grin, no? Deep within my own personal maelstroms, I've often remembered this quote and been able to laugh. Authentic laughter cleans out the pipes . But how many of us get truly bent out of our frames when what's in front of us doesn't match what we think "should" be there? Yes, we stress. And nearly everyone I've shown the photo to also sees the cow! Is reality the true cause of our stress, though? Or is there something amiss in how we're perceiving things? Also, how many of us keep as wide a berth as possible between our consciousness and actual reality? I ...

Ever wonder how chronic stress affects you and your body? There are many ways to notice this personally, if we can self-observe. But researchers at Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes Primate Research Center have developed an animal model that illustrates how stress affects physiology, behavior, and even reproduction. Anxiety, depression, and infertility are a few of the known results of chronic stress. Typical of many in contemporary biomedicine, these researchers describe effects in terms of neurohormones -- in this case, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). In response to stress, the hypothalmus (a part of the brain) secretes CRF; this stimulates the pituitary gland to make hormones that go on to stimulate the adrenal glands (ACTH). In acute stress, CRF levels rise, leading to a complete hormonal fight-or-flight cascade. Once the stressor passes, CRF levels fall. This process in our bodies helps us respond to immediate dangers such as flood...

People with high blood pressure (hypertension) often struggle with medications, side effects, and stress. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were something people could do to help themselves with this, besides take pills? There is. In fact, there are many ways. For instance, stress reduction programs such as meditation have a growing research base documenting improvements in both hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Rainforth et al recently published a review and meta-analysis of this work * In this review, transcendental meditation showed particularly positive results. Additionally, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction has more than 2 decades of research in stress-related illness. People take an 8-week course to learn to appreciate and modulate their inner responses, relating directly to whatever is happening in their lives. The same skills can help people with hypertension, chronic pain, anxiety, angina, bowel complaints, psoriasis, and many other conditions. Self-Identity thro...

Recently I experienced a very challenging situation. (At least it seemed so to me.) I'd been asked to speak on a very controversial topic at a large conference in another city. Wanting to share the material but also feeling anxious, I researched and prepared my presentation over many months. Travel arrangements solidified, and all seemed to be moving ahead. But a few days before the conference, the chairman reported that its accrediting body had withdrawn physician Continuing Medical Education units. Why? It turned out that the accreditation committee objected to certain presentations, including mine. Removing educational credit from the conference could severely discourage attendance. This threw me into a tailspin. What to do? Shock, hurt, anger and fear roiled inside me; what kind of reception would there be for our talks? I briefly described the situation to Mabel Katz . "Good for you!" she exclaimed. "Good for me?! What are you talking about? I'm suffering, h...