Photo by Edward Osinski David Persyn walks on the treadmill to stimulate his heart rate as Sheryl DeGeeter, a registered nurse and Dr. Lingareddy Devireddy, chief of cardiology at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, observe during a demonstration of an exercise stress test at the hospital June 2.

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

With state unemployment at record highs — 12.7 percent at press time — a lot of people are stressed.

“And stress leads to drug and alcohol abuse,” said Ann Comiske, executive director of the Troy Community Coalition for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Major stress triggers for adults include death of a spouse, divorce, marriage, pregnancy, buying a house, speaking in public and loss of a job, Comiske said. She spoke May 28 at a forum held in Troy titled “Reducing Stress in Financially Challenging Times.” The coalition is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for all who live or work in Troy by promoting a lifestyle free from the abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Children are not immune from stress, Comiske said. Stress triggers for children include the birth of a sibling, parental illness, death of a family member or pet, natural disasters, moving, changing schools, divorce or remarriage of parents, and family financial problems.

“It’s important to recognize signs of stress in children,” Comiske said. Sometimes children withdraw from activities they previously enjoyed, refuse to interact with others, revert to childlike behaviors, and experience headaches, nausea, bedwetting and frequent nightmares when they are under stress, she said.

“Be aware of stress in yourself and family members,” Comiske said. “Take steps to prevent stress when you can and seek help if you need to.”

“The situation with General Motors and Chrysler has a lot of people in this area stressed,” said Dr. Lingareddy Devireddy, chief of cardiology at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren. He explained that those who are chronically stressed have elevated adrenaline and cortisol levels in their blood that could lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. “Stress can also lead to excessive eating, weight gain and failure to exercise, which can lead to heart disease,” he said. 

Physical signs of stress can be grinding teeth, picking at fingernails, difficulty sleeping and fast heartbeat, he said. Mental signs include constant worry, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, poor memory, anxiety and anger.

People in stressful situations caused by the loss of a job or the death of a loved one sometimes stop exercising and start smoking or drinking after quitting for a number of years, Devireddy said.

“You have to take care of yourself,” he said. This means exercising and eating right  — limiting fat consumption, he said — to maintain an ideal body weight. To beat stress, exercise really does help, he said. To that end, Devireddy has been an avid swimmer for 34 years.

He recommends deep breathing, muscle relaxing techniques, yoga, meditation and listening to music. Also, look to your social network, family and faith for support, he said. “Find what works for you. The recession will end — maintain (your) health.”  

One of the ways to prevent stress in financially challenging times is to make a budget, said Amy Parten of GreenPath Debt Solutions, a nonprofit consumer debt counseling service based in Farmington Hills. To get started, simply keep track of what you spend money on. “Find out how much it costs to be you,” Parten said.

Then subtract your total expenses, including weekly, monthly, annual and periodic expenses, from your net, not gross, income, and make the necessary adjustments to live within your means, she said. Also, maintain an emergency savings account as well as a savings account, use credit wisely and get your credit report for free from www.annualcreditreport.com.

And if you get into a financial jam, contact creditors immediately. “State in writing what you are able to pay each month, and that you will resume making normal payments as soon as possible,” Parten said.