A recent Gallup-Healthways survey has found that Tennessee has a widespread problem with stress, so badly that we have the 14th highest stress rate in America. According to the survey, 40.3 percent of residents reported feeling stressed out for much of their day. Dr. Angela Willis, a family medicine physician with Nashville Medical Group in Cool Springs says that stress is an enormous health problem and can lead to issues in the future. Dr. Willis noted that nationwide, 75 to 90 percent of all primary care doctor visits are for stress related problems while the number one complaint among patients is fatigue, a common side effect of stress. Recently, Dr. Willis among other doctors in the area have seen an uprise in patients complaining about stress related problems, which manifest themselves in a variety of ways.
It is easy to attribute the sudden uptick in stress to economic hardships as well as last year’s devastating flood. Willis shared with The Tennessean, “So many people are dealing with stress that they are not accustomed to.” Conditions that are most likely to cause stress related heath problems are chronic health conditions, traumatic events, and persistent stressful situations. The risks of stress are also startling. Tennessean’s have consistently high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and prescription drug use. The most important way to fight stress is to find productive and helpful ways to cope, without being destructive towards your body. Doctors recommend things such as exercise, meditation, and eating a healthy diet to help counteract stress. To check out the full article, click here (picture source).