stress-management2

Men’s Health and Acupuncture – David Schiman, Acupuncturist

 

June is Men’s Health Month at RCA, and this month we will look at how stress affects men’s health.  Next month we’ll look at why acupuncture is so popular amongst professional athletes.

Stress affects men differently than women, and because they seek help less frequently than women, the impact is often greater.

I found this on the HelpingMen blog of Glen Poole “In recent years, researchers have revealed that Men and Women have different chemical responses to stress. In very simple terms men under stress are more likely to go into “fight or flight” mode while women are more likely to “tend and befriend”.”

He goes on to share that “Physiologically, instead of releasing large amounts of norepinephrine and cortisol into the bloodstream the way men do, UCLA social psychologist Shelley Taylor argued that women respond to stress by secreting more endorphins – neurochemical substances that help alleviate pain and make us feel good about social interactions – and oxytocin, a neurohormone that is linked to the motivation to behave in a friendly manner to children or close social partners.”  Men tend to get ready to fight, or flee, at a much higher rate than women.

“Fight/flight chemicals can translate into fight=aggression, flight=avoidance. Men aren’t kidding when they say they need to take a breather and cool down or go for a run to get rid of those built up stress chemicals (those racket sports aren’t so popular for nothing!). Men really do need to “take a break”, “have some space” or even “get aggressive” through a sport to calm down so they don’t get into unnecessary fights or take off.”

If you’d like to read more about Glen Poole’s blog report, click here.

“In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, Carnegie Mellon University psychologist Sheldon Cohen has found that stress is a contributing factor in human disease, and in particular depression, cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS”

Cohen also found that “chronic stress — such as stress experienced daily in the workplace — contributes to cardiovascular illnesses such as coronary heart disease, a relationship that medical studies have clearly demonstrated.”

According to WebMD, “a 2001 CDC report, women are 33% more likely than men to visit a doctor in general, although the gap narrows with increasing age.”  So, men often put things off and end up having bigger problems down the road.

Another interesting fact about men is that according to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 6 million men have depression each year.  The number of men with depression could be even greater since men may show signs of depression in a manner different from many women.

Instead of sadness, depression in men may play out in the following ways:

  • Anger
  • Aggression
  • Work “burnout”
  • Risk-taking behavior
  • Midlife crisis
  • Alcohol and substance abuse

The top 10 causes of death in men are: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, accidents, pneumonia and influenza, diabetes, suicide, kidney disease, and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.

When reviewing this top 10 list the first thing that comes to mind is how much of a role stress and male-style depression plays in the onset of many these causes of death.

Male depression symptoms could be said to be dominated by anger, and in Chinese medicine, anger is most related to the Liver.  In fact, anger damages the Liver and it’s paired organ, the Gall Bladder.  Anger related damage leads to problems with alcohol and substance abuse (self medication), tendon issues, Liver and Gall Bladder problems, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and also muscle stiffness, head aches, and migraines.  The Liver plays a huge role in the body and a damaged Liver is a big problem for having a healthy, long life.

Acupuncture is well known for it’s calming effects and I’ve had thousands of patients testify to the fact that “stress at work just isn’t bothering me that much anymore” or, “I’m drinking less”, or “I quit smoking”.  When we treat the Liver and bring about a smoother flow of Liver qi (which effects the entire body) patients start to notice an improvement in mood, less muscle stiffness, less anger, and better sleep… just to name a few.  It can even lead to better blood flow and a better sex life!

While men don’t have exclusive rights to getting angry, they are more likely than women to be taught by our culture to repress emotion and “act like a man, don’t cry”.  This limiting cultural bias towards repressing emotions leads to repressed anger, especially in men, and eventually wrecks havoc on the body and mind.  Why not give acupuncture a try and see if it can help you live a more balanced, harmonious, and happy life?!

Next month we’ll cover sports injuries and you’ll see why so many professional athletes use acupuncture!