More and more men are falling prey to the symptoms of stress as life gets busier. We consult Dr. Mark Rowe’s book The Men’s Health Book to get the lowdown on stress and look at ways to beat the problem
Modern life can be stressful and Irish men seem to have become increasingly susceptible to stress and other mental health problems. Large numbers of Irish men suffer from stress, but often in silence. Irish men are slow to seek help with mental health issues, including stress. This may be for many reasons, including ignorance, fear, embarrassment or the perception that admitting to being stressed in some way implies inadequacy or weakness. It goes back to the attitude that ‘real’ men don’t go to the doctor and that big boys don’t cry. Unfortunately, this type of attitude does nothing to help Irish men or their loved ones.
Is stress harmful?
The precise mechanisms that govern the interactions between stress and ill-health remain poorly understood. However, it is felt that chronic stress can affect the quality of the immune system, causing the body’s own natural defences against illness to be lowered. One possible explanation for this is that prolonged job stress may affect the nervous system. Another possible reason for this is the fact that chronic stress may affect the body’s hormonal balance and result in a weakened immune system.
Chronic stress is a risk factor for heart disease. Research has found a link between chronic stress and the development of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or more of the following five factors: high blood pressure, central obesity (excessive abdominal fat), raised blood fat (triglycerides), low HDL cholesterol and raised blood sugar.
Chronic stress is also associated with many other medical conditions, including:
> Irritable bowel syndrome
> Migraine
> Psoriasis
> Tension headaches
> High blood pressure
> Some cancers
> Depression
> Hair loss
> Diabetes
> Ulcers
> Burnout
> Heart disease and stroke
Stress and heart disease
Chronic stress – or rather distress – is thought to be a risk factor for heart disease in later life. Anger and hostility can be powerful emotions with the potential to trigger a heart attack. The link between stress and heart disease is complex and not fully understood. If you feel stressed, your body will produce more stress hormones. Although they are useful in small quantities, too much of these hormones, continuously and over time, can damage your arteries and may lead to high blood pressure. Also, when life becomes pressurised, people are more likely to smoke more cigarettes, drink more caffeine, drink too much alcohol and be less physically active. All of these things can contribute to heart problems.
The Type A personality
‘One man’s meat is another mans’ poison’, as the saying goes. What’s stressful to one man may be all in a day’s work for another. The difference appears to lie in our perceptions of various events. It is felt that personality can play a major role in how we perceive and cope with stress. Many factors influence and shape our character. These include a large inbuilt or genetic component. We have our own unique temperament when we are born. This is further influenced by our life’s experiences, which affects our individual way of thinking, feeling and behaving. This is your personality. Men with ‘Type A’ personalities, for example, tend to be in a hurry, ambitious, time-conscious and driven. These traits, if not properly managed, can create stress-related illnesses. On the other hand, men with ‘Type B’ personalities are much more relaxed, and less time-conscious and driven. Type B personalities are better able to put things into perspective, and think through how they are going to deal with situations. Consequently, they tend to be less prone to the adverse effects of stress.
Burnout
Burnout is a term used to describe someone who is completely mentally and physically exhausted. Chronic stress can cause burnout, so that a person becomes emotionally exhausted and feels a strong lack of personal accomplishment. There are many early warning signs of burnout:
> Chronic fatigue – exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically rundown
> A sense of being besieged
> Anger at those making demands
> Self-criticism for putting up with the demands
> Cynicism, negativity and irritability
> Losing your temper easily over seemingly trivial things
> Feelings of helplessness
> Increased degree of risk-taking
> Physical symptoms, which may include frequent headaches, gastrointestinal
disturbances, weight changes, sleep disturbance and symptoms of depression
Stress busters
The good news is that there are several things you can do to stay healthy and reverse many of the negative effects of stress in a surprisingly short amount of time, with a few relatively minor lifestyle changes. Men who cope best with stress seem to have these things in common:
> A sense of being in control of their lives
> A network of friends or family to provide social support
> Personality traits like flexibility and hopefulness
There is no doubt, a healthy lifestyle can protect against the adverse effects of stress. A good, regular exercise programme, combined with a healthy diet and adequate relaxation time, can be a great counterbalance to a stressful job. Getting enough sleep and maintaining a positive outlook are also important for overall health.
Stress busting tips
Stress management is a life skill which we men can learn. While there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, the following list of stress busters can help combat the adverse effects of stress.
1 Talk about your feelings
This can be difficult for us men as it’s often something we find hard to do and may have little experience of.
2 Don’t bottle up your emotions
Learn to express and talk through your feelings. Writing your feelings down can be an excellent way of letting off steam, even if the letter gets shredded at the end.
3 Breathe
The first step is to breathe. Many men breathe shallowly but by taking time to pause and take deep breaths, you can settle your nerves, focus your mind and calm down faster. Next, realise that the things causing your stress are not threats to you but rather, situations you can handle. Many men let their problems overwhelm them to the point where they view everything pessimistically. Analyze what is causing your stress and instead of letting it eat at you, be positive and strategise what steps you need to take to offset it.
4 Move
Exercising can also be a positive way to push stress out of your mind. When you’ve physically exerted yourself, the last thing on your mind is whatever is troubling you. Many men can find relief in jogging, doing pushups, lifting weights, or swimming. Follow that up with a nice shower and a healthy meal and you’ll be able to take on anything.
5 Do yoga
One of the most popular types of exercise for reducing stress is yoga, which will tone your body as it calms your mind. The best way to get started in yoga is through a class with an experienced instructor that can make sure you are performing all of your positions correctly. Once you have mastered the basics, you can continue your yoga programme at home with the help of DVD.
6 Lay off the booze and cigarettes
Avoid excessive drinking and/or smoking. While these may seem to make your stress go away, it actually harms your body, which can add to the physical strain that stress can cause. Instead, turn to water, fruit juices or smoothies and lay off the smoking. When your mind and body feel good, your mental clarity will improve as well.
Symptoms and signs of stress in Irish men
Your relationships and your performance at work, at home and in the bedroom can all be affected by excess stress. Telltale signs of stress building up include some or all of the following symptoms:
> Feeling tense – this may include a knot in the stomach or neck and shoulder tension
> Feeling sweaty or having a dry mouth
> Being unable to make decisions
> Reduced work performance
> Sleep disturbance
> Loss of enjoyment of food
> Loss of interest in hobbies
> Being irritable or impatient, short-tempered or snappy
> Constipation and/or diarrhoea
> Increased need to urinate
> Feeling tired all the time, fatigue
> Heartburn
> Headaches
> Being more withdrawn, less sociable
> Having a constant need to stay busy
> Increased alcohol intake
> Erectile dysfunction
Real life stress story
49- year-old Eugene Fleming from Waterford suffered a heart attack. One evening after work, he felt a pressure in his chest. He thought it was heartburn at first or that he’d pulled a muscle. But as the evening went on and the pressure continued, he thought “this isn’t right”. So at 3am, he rang the Care Doc and told them he thought he was having a heart attack. The doctor said, “He said it was down to the pressure of what I do – not my work, but socially I’m heavily involved in the organisation of a soccer club. I was totally stressed out.” Eugene used to be a smoker for about five years smoking 25 cigarettes per day. But he has now been off them 16 years. He also has a strong family history of heart disease – his dad had a quadruple bypass and his uncle had heart problem too. He said, “I blame stress. Looking back, I didn’t realise how stressed I was.” Eugene has since been fitted with two stents and when he was in hospital, he was told he had had a heart attack eight months previously and he never knew it! Again, he thought it was heartburn.
Eat these to beat stress
Bananas
They also help the body to create melatonin, which promotes calmness and helps you get a good night’s sleep.
Milk
Minerals in milk can help keep your blood pressure down to a healthy level. Milk is also a great source of protein.
Beef
Steak is packed full of zinc, iron and B vitamins, which helps to even out your mood throughout the day.
Oil-rich fish
Research has shown that ingesting a decent amount of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce angry feelings by 20%. Go for oil-rich fish such as salmon, mackeral and sardines.
Spinach
Spinach is a rich provider of the B vitamins which help produce ‘feel good’ hormones.
Box:
Further reading
The Male Stress Survival Guide: Everything Men Need to Know (Dr. Georgia Witkin, Newmarket Press – www.amazon.com
For further information on reducing your stress see the Irish Heart Foundation’s website www.irishheart.ie or call their Heart & Stroke Helpline on 1890 432 787.
