While scrolling through the
endless stream of facebook statuses the other day, I came across one that
struck a chord. It mentioned that
October was Mental Illness Awareness Month.
The author went on to make some quirky remarks about how his job, his
wife and yes, even his kids, were saddling him with so much stress that he
might actually enjoy a trip to the funny farm for a little R&R. While many responded with the typical “LOL”,
I silently pondered the validity of his status; was he just joking or was he
actually experiencing an insurmountable amount of stress.
My concern was not so much about
the private details of his life, but about his overall health. While being “stressed out” may feel like a
temporary mental illness, the truth of the matter is that when subjected to
stressful situations over an extended period of time, the body is adversely
affected; resulting in an increased risk of developing high blood pressure and
cardiovascular disease.
According to Kate Kusterbeck of the EarthMind Wellness
Center at Honor’s Haven Resort & Spa, “Heart disease is the leading killer
for both men and women among all racial and ethnic groups; making it exceedingly
important to learn healthy lifestyle habits as well as how to manage stress
effectively.”
On Saturday, October 19th,
from 2:00PM – 4:00PM, Kusterbeck and her staff will be conducting a High Blood
Pressure & Cardiovascular Diseases Management Workshop.
To learn more about this workshop
and how you can decrease your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke
through simple lifestyle changes and stress management, call the EarthMind
Wellness Center at 845-210-3143 or visit them on the web at www.earthmindwellness.com.
