http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-07-stress-economy_N.htm
Economic stress is taking its toll on the USA's emotional and physical health ....More than half of Americans report irritability or anger, fatigue and sleeplessness, and almost half say they self-medicate by overeating or indulging in unhealthy foods.That is exactly how I self-medicate.
In the past few weeks, tension likely has escalated, says the APA's Katherine Nordal. "Stress that people don't feel they have any control over" causes more concern. "It's almost like a different threat level."Last week's USA TODAY/Gallup Poll about the financial news of late September reflects similar worries. Of 1,021 adults surveyed, 40% felt afraid, 53% angry. More than half said their financial situation was harmed; two-thirds said it will suffer long-term.
Tom Kochan, a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Mass., says many adults today grew up in "relative prosperity, with minor downswings in the economy. This is the first time people look at the situation and say, 'We are going to take a big hit in our standard of living, and hope that it doesn't snowball into something worse.' "
The rise in symptoms indicates more chronic stress, which can weaken the immune system, disturb sleep, increase appetite, raise blood pressure and lead to unhealthy habits, says Rajita Sinha, director of the Yale Stress Center at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.
Chronic stress creates a vicious cycle, she adds. "We are wired to feel the stress and come up with solutions and solve it. When uncontrollable stress hits, that's when the stress system starts to go into overdrive."
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS More Americans this year than last reported signs of stress from worrying about the economy:
Irritability or anger
2008: 60%
Fatigue
Sleeplessness
Overeating/unhealthy eating Source: Harris Interactive surveys for American Psychological Association
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