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Dan Hack
Stress and Chronic Illness: The Meditation Solution
Chronic illness is a serious issue facing society today, and the benefits of
managing stress in order to promote ellness among the sufferers of such diseases is too
often o!erlooked "The effects of stress on the human body can be de!astating" This can
be seen in heart disease and diabetes, to of the most common diseases on earth,
#$esperance and %rasure&Simth' Morris, Moore, Morris(" Indi!iduals suffering from a
chronic illnesses must learn producti!e ays to mange their stress in order to benefit
their bodies and slo the progression of their illness" %ailure to deal ith stress results in
negati!e outcomes for patients ith chronic illnesses and often leads to increased
mortality" Medical professionals rarely focus on stress in treating chronic illness, and
hen they do, their treatment options, such as anti&an)iety and anti&depressant
medications are sub&par" *ne creati!e solution to this dilemma is to implement
meditation programs as a part of the medical treatment of the chronically ill" Stress in
chronic illness can be dramatically reduced through meditation, and health outcomes can
be impro!ed for millions of +mericans" Stress is a serious factor in chronic illness and
should be addressed ith meditation"
*ne disease hich is negati!ely effected by stress is Type , diabetes" Type ,
diabetes a is disorder in hich the the body does not properly metaboli-e sugars,
leading to se!ere complications" This is a serious matter, and much time, money and
effort go into the research, diagnosis and medication of this disease" .ut hat is less
focused upon is the impact that stress can ha!e on the disease process" In /Stress and
Chronic Illness: The Case of Diabetes,0 Tony Morris states that stress has a direct
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negati!e effect on blood sugar le!els and managing stress plays an important role in the
treatment of diabetes #Morris, et" al"(" This stress mainly takes to forms: /daily stress0
and /life stress0 #Morris, et" al"(" /Daily stress0 refers to the e!eryday issues that create
an emotional response form an indi!idual#Morris, et" al"(" %or instance, a bad day at
ork or a fight ith a close friend are e)amples of daily stress #Morris, et" al"(" This
daily stress can often be compounded by hat is knon as /life stress0#Morris, et" al"("
/$ife stress0 refers to ma1or e!ents that lea!e a lasting impact upon a person2s psyche,
such as a 1ob loss or the death of a lo!ed one #Morris, et" al"(" %or diabetes sufferers,
these stresses combine ith the stress of managing their diabetes, hich includes testing
their blood, folloing a diet and simply learning to adapt to a ne disease #Morris, et"
al"(" These three sources of stress create hat is knon as a /bidirectional relationship0
beteen diabetes and stress, in hich one orsens the other in a ne!er ending cycle
#Morris, et" al"(" %or instance, a bad day at the office, ill cause a dip in blood sugar,
hich ill need to be managed, thus creating more stress" This ne stress may boil o!er
into a conflict at home and yet another orsening of the diabetes" It becomes !ery
important to manage this /bidirectional relationship0 because the complications of
orsening diabetes can be !ery se!ere" These complications include +l-heimer2s disease,
osteoporosis, hearing loss, kidney disease, heart disease and foot problems #Mayo("
Clearly, people ith diabetes ha!e a set of circumstances hich can create a !ery
stressful en!ironment, and the dangers of li!ing under stress and are both real and
se!ere" In light of this, more must be done to enable the management and transcendence
of stress and the /bidirectional relationship0 that is formed beteen diabetes and stress"
If stress can be re!ersed into a positi!e emotion, this /bidirectional relationship0 ill
remain, but instead of creating a donard spiral, it ill create an upard spiral"
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+nother disease hich stress orsens is coronary heart disease" Coronary heart
disease is the build up of pla4ue in the arteries, hich restricts blood flo to the heart" If
this condition orsens to the point here blood flo to the heart becomes se!erely
restricted, a heart attack ill occur#5hat(" Stress is ma1or factor in the progression of
this illness as ell" The article / Depression and Coronary Heart Disease0 by %"
$esperance and 6" %rasure&Smith sheds some light on the impact of stress for the
sufferers of coronary heart disease" This article deals ith depression and depressi!e
symptoms hich the authors describe as /a state of chronic, se!ere psychological
stress0#$esperance and %rasure&Smith(" The article states that out of all patients
hospitali-ed for coronary heart disease, at least one in si) ill meet the formal definition
for depression hile many others display /ele!ated depressi!e symptoms0#$esperance
and %rasure&Smith(" To make these statistics e!en more dramatic, the rates for depression
and depressi!e symptoms are three times higher for those hospitali-ed for coronary heart
disease than the rate for the general population #$esperance and %rasure&Smith("7ust as
ith diabetes, chronic stress has dramatic negati!e effects on the progression of
coronary heart disease" +ccording to the authors, depression /at least doubles0 the risk of
dying from heart related illness #$esperance and %rasure&Smith(" In another study cited
by the authors, it as found that /psychosocial stress and depression0 are more
important than obesity in contributing to heart attacks #$esperance and %rasure&Smith("
5orldide, the only factor greater than stress in contributing to a heart attack is smoking
#$esperance and %rasure&Smith(" In fact, the presence of these factors can predict /the
incidence of coronary heart disease among pre!iously healthy sub1ects0 #$esperance and
%rasure&Smith(" This means that ha!ing the chronic, se!ere stress associated ith
depression can actual create coronary heart disease in formerly healthy persons"
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6o that the relationship beteen stress and chronic illness has been e)amined,
it is time to look at a creati!e solution: meditation" Meditation is an ancient
contemplati!e practice, dating back o!er ,,9:: years, ith roots in .uddhism"
Meditation has many benefits for practitioners, especially those ith chronic illness,
including an o!erall decrease in illness and the use of medical ser!ices, impro!ed sleep,
physiological health benefits, general stress reduction and an impro!ement of ellbeing"
%irst, I ill e)amine the benefits of mediation in decreasing stress and easing the
symptoms of chronic illness by looking at the rates of medical ser!ices usage beteen
to insurance groups" These to insurance plans are run by the MIC Insurance ;roup
of Ioa" The first group is the ;roup .usiness plan, hich includes a ide !ariety of
ages and professions, such as bankers, teachers, city employees, and tech orkers" The
seconds group, the SCI plan has only one re4uirement for membership: members must
practice meditation tice a day, e!eryday" <ach of these groups as e)amined by Dr"
Da!id *rme&7ohnson of Maharishi International =ni!ersity in %airfield Ioa, using
actuarial data pro!ided to him by the MIC corporation" The chart belo, detailing rates
of usage for inpatient medical ser!ices o!er fi!e years, shos the massi!ely loer rates
of medical ser!ice utili-ation year after year for the regularly meditating group" The
groups ere !ery similar in obstetrical ser!ices use mainly due the use of to maternity
and childbirth ser!ices, hich are not indicators of poor health"
#*rme&7ohnson(
These to groups ere chosen because they so closely mirror each other in e!ery aspect
of patient population e)cept for the fact that the SCI group meditates daily" This pro!es
that regular meditation protects and maintains good health"
The positi!e effects of meditation on stress and chronic illness can also be seen
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through the impact of meditation on sleep 4uality across multiple illnesses" In a study of
prostate and breast cancer patients conducted at the Tom .aker Cancer Center in
Calgary, Canada, about one half of patients reported ha!ing trouble falling asleep at
night" These cancer patients underent an eight eek instruction program in mediation
techni4ues" +t the end of this eight eeks, one half of the patients ho reported suffering
from insomnia ere entirely cured" In addition, the a!erage amount of sleep reported by
all patients enrolled in the study increased by three and one half hours per eek
#Carlson, et" al"(" This is a stunning result, considering the fact that the reason these
patients are not sleeping is likely due to their current battle ith a life threatening illness"
<!en more impressi!e is the fact that insomnia is one of the most troublesome disorders
to treat effecti!ely, especially ithout the use of potentially addicti!e and harmful
prescription medications" In another study e)amining fibromyalgia patients, sleep,
fatigue and the feeling of being tired upon aakening all impro!ed by si)ty percent o!er
a similar eight eek instruction period #>aplan ,?@(" Sleep is a ma1or area of both
physical and mental health, and it is a testament to meditation2s efficacy in treating stress
that these superb results ere able to be achie!ed in 1ust eight short eeks" Clearly
meditation is effecti!e in treating stress in the chronically ill" In the course of treating
comple) and se!ere diseases, such as fibromyalgia and breast cancer, doctors too often
focus only the hard data of physical tests, harsh treatment regimens and prescription
medications" Stress is is simply an afterthought in the treatment of many of these
diseases, and if addressed at all, it is usually addressed through prescriptions for anti
an)iety medications, many of hich carry high financial and physical costs in the form
of side effects and possible dependance" These issues can be a!oided, and health
outcomes can be impro!ed through the use of the non& in!asi!e, highly effecti!e, and
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lo cost practice of meditation"
+nother e)ample of the effecti!eness of meditation in treating stress in chronic
illness can be seen by e)amining the physiological aspects of the human body hen
under stress" In the study done at the Tom .aker Cancer Center in Calgary, Canada,
researchers measured indicators of stress in patients2 cardio&pulmonary, gastrointestinal,
central&neurological and muscular systems, both before and after an eight eek
mediation inter!ention" In each of these biological areas, indicators of stress shoed
/significant reduction0" <!en more impressi!e, a 3::B increase as seen in the
production of I$&8 cytokine, a molecule produced by the human body knon to ha!e
anti&inflammatory effects #Carlson, et" al"(" This is clear e!idence of the positi!e
biological benefits of meditation" The effects of stress on the physiological systems
mentioned abo!e can be de!astating, as seen earlier in the cases of diabetes and coronary
heart disease, and no one can see that mediation can re!erse the damage to the bodily
systems caused by stress, and in fact e!en impro!e upon it" + 3::B increase in
inflammation fighting cell production in cancer patients is a massi!e success, and in light
of this huge benefit of meditation for the chronically ill, meditation must be implemented
idely for those suffering from cancer and other chronic illnesses" Doctors can no longer
ignore the benefits of mediation in fa!or of in!asi!e, dangerous, costly and too often
ineffecti!e forms of treatment" The chronically ill desperately need the benefits that
meditation can pro!ide, and medical professionals must implement meditation into their
treatment plans as a serious tool for treating chronic illness"
Meditation2s most import benefit for sufferers of chronic illness is its ability to
enable patients to effecti!ely deal ith stress and emotional disturbances" This is
massi!ely important because as researchers from .oise State =ni!ersity state, /stressful
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life e)periences0 may decrease the rates of sur!i!al for both multiple sclerosis and
cancer patients #Critchard, et" al" ,33(" In addition to the chances of sur!i!al o!er the
long term, patients ith a chronic illness also suffer more in the short term due to stress"
6early eight out of ten people ith multiple sclerosis informed researchers that stress
intensified their symptoms #Critchard, et" al" ,33(" Despite these facts, stress
management remains relegated to a minor afterthought in the treatment plan for many
patients ith chronic illness" 5ith the implementation of a meditation based stress
reduction program hoe!er, patients can be enabled to impro!e their on health and
li!es, increasing their chances to li!e life fully and happily" In another done at .oise
State =ni!ersity e)amining the effecti!eness of meditation in impro!ing stress le!els in
patients ith cancer and multiple sclerosis, researchers found that after si) eeks of
instruction, stress le!els among patients had decreased by roughly one third #Critchard,
et" al" ,39(" In yet another study, focused on fibromyalgia suffers, e!ery participant
reported a decrease in their le!els of stress, an)iety and depression, ith about a ,:B
reduction o!erall"#>aplan, et" al" ,@?(" In one case study, a oman diagnosed ith stage
II breast cancer, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, entered a meditation based
stress reduction program after her cancer ent into remission" Despite this remission, the
oman, referred to as /Mrs" D0 in the literature felt that /her life as on hold0, and as
plagued by an)iety that her cancer ould return" She reported a feelings of
/hopelessness and claustrophobia0 #Shapiro and 5alsh(" Despite this intense stress and
emotional pain, at the end of the eight eek meditation inter!ention program, Mrs" D
reported that her feeling of hopelessness, claustrophobia and an)iety had been
transformed into a sense of /relief and comfort0 #Shapiro and 5alsh(" She also reported
feeling more trusting, supported and grateful for life as it as" In fact the changes ere
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so profound that e!en her husband and children noticed these changes" <!en more
astounding, at a si) month check in after the program as completed, these benefits
remained #Shapiro and 5alsh(" This first hand account shos ho meditation is able to
help patients learn to deal ith their stress in a positi!e manner, and e!en to transform
their negati!e emotions and thoughts into a more beneficial frame of mind" Due to the
negati!e effects of stress on health, this is a ma1or benefit for the chronically ill" In yet
another e)ample of meditation2s efficacy in treating stress in patients ho are chronically
ill, one can look at a study done of men ith HIEF+IDS sponsored by the =nited States
Centers for Disease Control" This study found that meditation as more beneficial to
men suffering from HIEF+IDS than traditional stress management, community ser!ice
and psychotherapy in dealing ith depression, hostility, an)iety and paranoia, in addition
to impro!ing general ell being #%linders, et" al" @? (" This e)ample further pro!es
meditation2s e)ceptional benefits in helping patients learn to deal ith the stressful
mental and emotional components of suffering from a chronic illness, and indeed pro!es
its efficacy o!er more traditional forms of stress management, such as psychotherapy"
Meditation is clearly effecti!e in managing the stress, an)iety and depression that affects
so many of the chronically ill" The e!idence presented abo!e underscores the
effecti!eness of meditation as a treatment modality for those suffering from a chronic
illness" These people are in great need of help, and meditation has been pro!en time and
time again, across a ide !ariety of illness to be e)tremely helpful in multiple areas of
mental, physical and emotional stress" In order to impro!e the health, 4uality of life and
sur!i!al rates fro those suffering from a chronic illness, meditation should be
implemented as a part of the treatment plan for the chronically ill"
6o, critics and skeptics of meditation may feel that these findings can2t possibly
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be true, that they must ha!e been made up by 4uack doctors paid to peddle far out
religious beliefs for masters of some strange cult" This is far from true" +ll of these
studies ha!e been conducted by professionals ith strong accreditation at top
uni!ersities, hospital and academic institutions, and carried out ith rigorous research
techni4ues" 6ot to mention the fact that all of these findings ere deemed respectable
enough to be printed by academic 1ournals" %or instance the study e)amining the benefits
of meditation in treating fibromyalgia as conducted a speciali-ed medical center ith a
specific focus on treating fibromyalgia at a ma1or regional hospital, 5ellesly Hospital of
Massachusetts" This study as conducted in con1unction ith e)perts from Tufts
=ni!ersity Medical School, and also .oston =ni!ersity Medical School, to of the most
respected and renoned uni!ersities in +merica" The study as conducted by licensed
medical doctors and one registered nurse, all indi!iduals ith the re4uisite credentials"
The study in!ol!ing the benefits of mediation for cancer patients follos e)actly the
same guidelines, it as conducted at a cancer specific treatment center at a strong
regional hospital by highly 4ualified and credentialed professionals" In this case, it as
conducted by the Tom .aker Cancer Center in con1unction ith the departments of
*ncology, .iology and Chysiology from the =ni!ersity of Calgary in Canada" The
specialists in!ol!ed in this study included to doctors of philosophy, one doctor of
psychiatry and one social orker" The study e)amining the effects of meditation on men
suffering from HIEF+IDS as sponsored by the ="S" Centers for Disease Control, the
utmost authority on public health and illness in all of +merica, and perhaps the orld" In
addition, first hand testimony from a se!erely ill patient has been presented, shoing the
benefits of meditation in the patient2s on ords" These medical professionals are no
4uacks, and their research and methods ha!e been appro!ed and carried out at highly
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speciali-ed and 4ualified medical facilities and top tier research institutions" The
credentials, methods and accuracy of these studies can not be ignored" These
professionals and their relati!e places of ork, hether it be a cancer center, arthritis and
firbomyalgia center or one of the most premier medical uni!ersities in +merica, are on
the front lines of treating chronic illness each day" 6o one has more e)perience, aptitude
or knoledge in knoing hat is effecti!e in treating disease than those ho de!ote
their li!es to doing 1ust that" These researchers, their methods and their conclusions can
not be 4uestioned"
The deadly effects of stress on the human body and in relation to chronic illness
ha!e been co!ered e)tensi!ely in this paper, as has the lack of attention payed to this
aspect of the chronic disease process by the medical field" This is a ma1or problem that
must be corrected" Current treatment models for stress in chronic illness, such as anti&
an)iety and anti&depressant medication, are too often ineffecti!e, and carry ith them
hea!y financial costs, physical side effects and dangerous drug interactions" These
treatments are a failure to patients ho rely on doctors to pro!ide them ith best care
possible" .y neglecting to treat stress, or treating it ineffecti!ely, doctors are failing their
patients" Mediation has been pro!en to reduce stress and impro!e the health outcomes
and 4uality of life for the chronically ill" Meditation is effecti!e in impro!ing
physiological functioning and the production of anti&inflammatory cells in the human
body" It is pro!en to impro!e both ease of falling asleep, and the duration of sleep in the
chronically ill" It is pro!en to reduce the amount of medical ser!ices needed by
adherents, and most importantly, it is pro!en to reduce stress, an)iety, and depression
among people ho are facing immense challenges due to their illnesses" These benefits
are comprehensi!e, long lasting, effecti!e" .ecause of these benefits, it is imperati!e that
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meditation become a ma1or part of the treatment paradigm for chronic illness" The li!es
of patients depend on it"
5ord Count: 38?:
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Hack 1,
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