The Huffington Post – Lawrence Rosen, M.D.
“Stress, according to noted Slovakian researcher Hans Selye, is neither good nor bad. Instead, it is defined as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” At some point, though, stress ceases being an impetus for productive effort in the service of positive performance and instead overwhelms our bodies, minds and spirits. The result? Fatigue, withdrawal and, ultimately, breakdown. As a pediatrician, I witness this phenomenon regularly in the form of the American adolescent, one after another, coming to me with debilitating migraines, chronic abdominal pains and severe depression. The daily life of a high school student is marked by poor eating habits, limited physical activity, lack of adequate sleep, no outdoor time and not one minute of downtime. Any time not spent being “productive” inevitably involves a screen of some sort…The good news is there are alternative stress-coping methods that are inexpensive, accessible, safe and effective.”(more)