Portable Biofeedback Devices Can Significantly Reduce Anxiety

In a study published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, March, 2008, participants using a portable Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) biofeedback trainer reported a significant reduction in anxiety, anger and sleep disturbances. They found the device more helpful than other relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and unassisted breathing techniques.

These devices guide the participant to synchronize slow, controlled breathing with heart rate. Many of my patients have reported benefits from using the Emwave or the Stress Eraser.

Benefits of Antidepressants Questioned

Prozac and similar drugs are "little better than placebos" according to a new review. The analysis, published February 26, 2008 in the journal, Public Library of Science Medicine, looked at data from over 47 clinical trials, including data that the manufacturers chose not to publish. The trials compared the effects of the drugs versus a placebo. An analysis of the data showed that patients taking the medications (which included Prozac, Effexor, and Serzone), showed improvement, but those taking the placebo improved just as much. The only exception, the most severely depressed patients did better on the drugs.

Although patients with severe depression need pharmaceutical treatment, patients with mild to moderate depression would do much better with a mix of exercise, dietary changes, and cognitive therapy.

Happily Married Women Rebound More Quickly from Stress

According to a new study published in the January edition of Health Psychology, women seeking to reduce their stress levels at work may need to improve their marriages. In the study, which looked at dual-career married couples with school-age children, the happily married women rebounded quicker from daily stress, indicated by a steeper drop in cortisol (the stress hormone) throughout the day, than the women in less satisfying marriages.

Not only major traumas, but minor everyday hassles can influence long-term physical health.

Although marriage is often seen as a health protective factor for men, for women, unhappy marriages may negatively affect physical health. Increasing marital health may be just as important as eating right and exercising.

Stress could be link between HPV and Cancer

Elevated levels of chronic, daily stress could be the reason why some women infected with the malignancy-linked types of humabn papillomavirus (HPV) develop cervical cancer. In a study conducted at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia (precancerous cervical lesions)who were also experiencing stressful life events were found to have a lowered immune system response to the HPV virus. According to the researchers, HPV infection alone may not be sufficient to cause cervical cancer.

Most HPV infections in healthy women disappear over time without progressing to precancerous lesions or cancer. Practicing stress management techniques, such as deep breathing and positive thinking, may help boost the immune response to HPV.

Adults with ADHD Respond Impulsively to Problems

In a recent study published in Neurospychology, adults with ADHD favored speed over accuracy when faced with a problem. When compared with a control group, those with ADHD did not take more time to plan as the problems became harder. Instead, they plowed through at the same pace as when they were asked to solve easier problems. The group without ADHD gave themselves more time to figure out what they were going to do. The adults with ADHD employed ineffective, haphazard strategies.

One very effective way to counter impulsive tendencies when problem solving is to tune in to the breath. By purposively slowing down your breathing, the body quiets and more blood is sent to the centers of the brain that control executive functions such as planning, organizing, and problem solving. Identifying and stopping negative thinking (this is so hard, I'm going to fail) is another effective approach.

Stressed? Take a Break from the Computer

The neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and low back pain so common to desk-bound office workers may not be caused by poor posture and uncomfortable chairs alone. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, workplace stress may also play a role. Both mental and physical stress on the job may be caused by a common factor: an inability to take short breaks and step away (either literally or figuratively)from the desk.

At least every 15 minutes, take a slow, deep breath, roll your shoulders back, and find at least one positive thought or image.

Stress Can Increase Body Fat

While we have long suspected a connection between stress and weight gain, the relationship was thought to be psychological, as emotional overeating is one of the major causes of weight gain. For many people, the first response to feeling overwhelmed is to reach for food, particularly comfort foods that tend to be high in sugar or fat. However, the link between stress and weight gain is much stronger than originally thought. New research suggests an actual physiological reason that people under stress tend to gain weight. A recent study by the Georgetown University Medical Center showed that mice under stress gain extra weight even if their calorie intake doesn't increase. Stress appears to release a chemical reaction that triggers fat cells to grow and multiply in number.

The extra pounds caused by stress tend to be stored around the belly, as stress may stimulate an enzyme present in particularly high amounts in abdominal fat. This is the most dangerous place for fat to build up, as it increases the risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

The bottom line is that mental and physical relaxation techniques should be incorporated into a weight-loss program.