Studies show anger can kill either caregiver or elder

BY CAROL ABAYA

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

THE SANDWICH GENERATION

Positive elder caregiving means a balance in life and with chores has been achieved. Everyone understands why chores have to be balanced in a busy life. But balance goes way beyond the physical tasks of caregiving. Emotional balance may be even more important and certainly is critical to a caregiver’s health. Recent studies also show that anger can kill both the caregiver AND the elder, who may have hidden emotions for decades.

Written by a husband and wife team, the book “How to Turn Anger Into Love,” is a must read for stressed out caregivers. Mahmood Siddique, DO, is a professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey & Robert Rood Johnson Medical School. His wife, Reshimi, Ph.D., specializes in public health and health management.

Excerpts here put the anger element in life in general into a very interesting perspective and provide concrete ways to better understand yourself and manage your own anger, whether hidden or expressed.

“If it is true that human beings are literally bundles of energy, whereby every thought and emotion has a physical impact, then the energy of resentment can easily take bodily expression in the form of cancer or other disease.”

Drs. Siddique say that many killer disease “may have nothing to do with diet and exercise. Treatment and prevention, therefore, need to consider spiritual and emotional healing as part of a comprehensive medical program.”

In relation to heart disease, they say, “anger releases chemicals known as catecholamines, which research shows can damage the heart muscle.”

In another study, “both men and women who suppressed their anger were at increased risk of developing heart disease compared to those who did not suppress their anger. The chance of getting a heart attack was almost three times greater for those with high anger compared to those who had low anger."

In relation to cancer, studies have suggested that “anger suppression may lead to increased levels of corticolsteriods, which have shown to lead to a growth of cancerous cells.”

There will be more on the effects of anger next week.

The Sandwich Generation is reader interactive. Questions are welcome. Contact Carol Abaya via her website www.sandwichgeneration.com or via e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .