aging as a stressful life event, the consequent emotional upheaval will invariably contribute to stress-related illnesses. The more stressful the aging process is perceived to be, the greater the probability that the stress will trigger disease. As a result, it’s not unusual to experience some sort of mental health problem as one gets older. Depression is common among the elderly, suicide is higher than it is in any other age group, and phobias and other mental disorders are also high due to four factors:
1. Because the immune system gradually loses its capacity to fight disease, the elderly are more prone to infections and become chronically sick. This leads to preoccupation with mortality and the onset of emotional disorders. Depression and suicide increase when physical and mental activities decrease.
2. Sensory and motor functions decline, which frustrate most older individuals. They are less likely to initiate a daily exercise program or to maintain healthful lifestyles because they feel as if nothing they do will help.
3. Continued stress reactions lead to negative conditioning. This habitual reinforcement strengthens the stress response and causes even more illness and disease.
4. The elderly typically have decreased social interactions. This is especially true after a spouse dies, following an illness, or when children move away. Rather than getting involved in activities that enhance their social support, they become isolated and depressed.
Despite the fact that we succumb to more diseases as we age, life expectancy has been rising steadily. Worldwide, the average lifespan is expected to extend another ten years by 2050. In the United States, the numbers of adults over the age of sixty-five will more than double by 2030, as will the number of adults over the age of eighty. The reasons are improved nutrition, more activity, decreased rates of smoking, and better health practices such as stress management that keep our immune systems working better and longer.
No matter what we might wish, no one has as yet discovered the elusive Fountain of Youth, and we are nowhere near a breakthrough that will reverse aging or stop the programmed end of life. What we can do is make sure that life ends naturally and not with a disease that could have been avoided. In the chapters ahead, I’ll discuss ways in which we can condition the brain to help us slow the aging process and maximize life span. I’ll also discuss proven methods for boosting the immune system and fighting disease throughout life, no matter how old we are.
Using the Mind-Body Connection to Prevent Disease
Recognizing Signs and Symptoms
Reversing the disease process and maintaining health and well-being throughout life is not as challenging as it sounds, so long as we maintain a regular program of prevention and, when necessary, intervention. Regular checkups, screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and mammary exams, etc.), healthy diet, exercise, stress management, and even alternative treatments are all part of a strategy that keeps our immune system strong and healthy.
A sign is the physical effect caused by a particular disease: an unusual lump, a lesion, a change in skin color. A symptom is what we feel to be a change in our normal bodily function: pain, nausea, fatigue, etc. Some diseases affect very limited body areas. Carcinogens, for example, affect only certain cells in certain parts of the body. Therefore, we need to be aware of any changes and not ignore symptoms, even if we don’t think they’re very serious. Keep in mind, though, that we all have different levels of tolerance. A small irritant to one person can actually be a major symptom that indicates the beginnings of a disease.
Under no circumstance should we try to diagnose ourselves. That’s what people spend years in medical school and residency programs for. But what we can do is look for early warning signs and symptoms that, once discovered, should always be discussed with our physician or healthcare provider. It’s easy to overlook small, insignificant things or to chalk symptoms up to nothing more than minor aches or pains. And though we don’t want to become hypochondriacs, misdiagnosis is a common way to allow a disease that could have been treated at an early stage to progress and get out of hand, in some cases becoming incurable.
By looking and feeling for changes regularly, you’ll be more aware of them when they do eventually happen. Some of us may not like the idea of inspecting ourselves; we may feel its immodest or just “not how we were raised.” But how else do we become familiar enough with our body to know what it normally should look and feel like?
Symptoms are divided into how they affect us physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally. And though many common signs and signals of stress reactions can mimic symptoms of other problems, or do not lead to serious disease, they certainly might. The following table lists the most common signs to look for in the physical, mental, and emotional spheres, as well as the behavioral signs.
Common Signs and Signals of a Stress Reaction
These symptoms don’t necessarily indicate disease. But stress always leaves an unmistakable pattern of signs and symptoms, followed by stress-related illnesses. Not heeding our body’s signals can be a serious mistake because diseases frequently manifest themselves early on as dull aches, sharp pains, nervous twitches, nausea, numbness, or sudden throbbing in a particular area of the body.
We must also keep in mind that pain isn’t always the first sign of a disease process. In cancer, for example, there is usually no pain at all until the disease progresses and begins to affect nerve cells and destroy the sensitive tissue surrounding the tumor. The American Cancer Institute lists the seven early warning signs of cancer so that the first letter of each sentence spells the word “caution.”
• Change in bowel function or bladder control and/or habits.
• A sore that persists, spreads, or does not heal.
• Unusual bleeding or discharge.
• Thickness or a lump in tissue such as the breast, testis, etc.
• Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
• Obvious change in the shape of a mole, wart, or blemish.
• Nagging cough or a persistent sore throat.
Recognizing early warning signs is critical in treatment success rates and significantly improves recovery. Prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men, is one of the most curable cancers when caught early. Tragically, men don’t discuss prostate cancer with other men or their sons, they fail to get regular prostate screenings like they should, and they are not diagnosed early enough to get effective treatment.
Personality also plays a role in how we recognize symptoms and how intensely we feel those symptoms when we get them. An individual with a Type A personality, for example, may assume that his or her symptoms are nothing more than the unpleasant consequence of work. He
