Mind under stress, body in distress...

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Latest research data on the health charts can be indicative of imminent attention that we all need to give to our lifestyles: at least 60-70% of all adult visits to the family physicians are due to stress-related problems. Most heart attacks are reported to occur at 9.00 am on a Monday morning. And the average age of people suffering from heart ailments has drastically gone down.<br />Experts contend that most complaints by patients today, who go to doctors, are a result of psychosomatic disorders. ‘‘The term itself is self-explanatory. Psycho, stemming from the mind, and somatic is what has to do with the body. The mind plays a very important role in the genesis of a number of diseases, being the governing chamber that sends signals to different organs — today, a number of problems being identified are purely because of the way the mind imagines them to be and can range from gastrointestinal problems to respiratory, common cold, high blood pressure, asthma and even cancer in some cases,’’ explains psychiatrist, Sanjay Chugh.<br />While stress manifests itself in psychosomatic disorders like depression, anxiety, negative thoughts, there are more ways than one in which it can be combated. ‘‘First of all one should be able to define one’s ambitions and expectations and view life objectively and realistically. Also, it is important to have a healthy and balanced diet and a strict exercise regimen is a must — from yoga, meditation to aerobics,’’ adds Chugh.<br />Infact, where psychological ailments are considered, there could be two kinds that have been identified. Explains Sandeep Vohra, psychiatrist, Apollo Hospital, ‘‘These kinds of ailments could be either categorised under psychosomatic or under somatoform disorders. <br />Psychosomatic disorders manifest themselves as high blood pressure, respiratory or nervous disorders. But somatoform disorders which are purely psychological and the most common complaint is that of pain or vague sensations in the body.’’<br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lucknow.times@timsegroup.com</span> </div> </div>