eap and your health

While doing research for an upcoming presentation for Tanner’s cardiac rehabilitation program I came upon some information I thought might be of interest to a wider audience.
• Stress management and relaxation training have been shown to decrease the likelihood of a second heart attack (after suffering a first) by 75%.
• A study reported in Circulation compared treatment for emotional distress with conventional medical treatment alone among 150 men with comparable heart disease severity. The men who were taught stress reduction techniques were four times less likely to die after nine years.
• Stress helps account for two-thirds of family doctor visits and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half the deaths to Americans under 65.
• Several studies have shown a direct relationship between unresolved anger and physical illness.
• Excessive stress compromises the immune system which increases the likelihood of many illnesses.
• Relaxation training has been shown to reduce symptom reports and acid exposure in patients with GERD.
Many physicians take seriously the impact of stress upon physical and mental health and often recommend counseling in addition to medical treatment. The Employee Assistance Program is a benefit that can be of great value in maintaining and restoring our physical as well as our mental health. If you or a family member have chronic pain, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, acid-reflux disease, or any of the dozens of illnesses that have been shown to be helped by counseling, stress management, and the learning of more effective coping skills, consider a call to your confidential EAP provider. 770-834-8327