I know a woman who takes care of her mother with Alzheimer disease and her sick husband. She has no help and hence carries her load alone. She cannot see her friends. Even going to church is impossible. When she came for her annual gynecological examination, her brow was furrowed with waves of wrinkles. Each wave told a story of her agony and the ordeal she was going through - the stress of watching her loved ones' health slipping away.
Science is beginning to show that stress can depress the immune system , slow wound healing and increase susceptibility to wound infections. Recent experiments on mice show that cuddled mice are happier and live longer and stressed mice aged faster. However, when the stressed mice changed their environment and were stress free, they could overcome the negative effects of stress. This has also been proven in humans where mothers taking care of sick children were found to have accelerated aging.
Have you known anyone who has aged significantly because of stress? In your own life have you noticed any changes in your health when you're under a lot of stress? If you have any examples, please share them with us. We are hungry to hear your stories to turn us into believers. Please help motivate us to attend to our mind and body.
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