Patient Stress Info
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PATIENTS ARE STRESSED
BESIDES PRESCRIBING PILLS, WE HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS
SOLUTION 1: INTERACTION
After taking the history, you might use some ‘B.A.T.H.E.’ or ‘F.I.F.E.’ to assess the severity of their
problems and the effect on their life.
You could describe ‘stress’ not as a THING (debt, job, kids), these are ‘stressors’; and not as a FEELING
(that’s Anxiety). It can be visualized as:
A SITUATION in which it SEEMS TO US that life’s problems are greater than we can handle - for
more than a short period of time. The perception of threat and helplessness creates fear and
anxiety, then ‘burnout’. CLICK TO SEE:
"Doc, I need something for my nerves"
A common request! 70% of patients say they’re 'stressed', at work, at home, or by money worries. And
‘Stress’ is a factor in many types of patient encounter:
1. Symptoms of anxiety
2. Somatic symptoms, usually multiple and vague, are often due to anxiety or depression
3. Chronic diseases are worsened by stress directly, (cortisol, cytokines) and indirectly by non-
adherence
4. Smoking, Eating, Drinking and Drug use are the easiest and preferred ways to cope with
unpleasant moods
As you continue to see the patient and find out what their needs for coping more effectively are, you could use
handouts from ‘The Physician’s Stress and Lifestyle Resource ‘
in print or on CD - has fifty copiable 1 or 2 page handouts on stress, plus motivational
enhancement material on change applied to smoking, alcohol abuse and weight loss.
Click HERE for
a sampling of the content
The 12 key approach is also available on a 5 CD video which could be played in the office,
and in a workshop series. Contact us for details
SOLUTION #2: ‘BIBLIOTHERAPY
Does Reading about or listening to information about anxiety and depression work? There’s good evidence that it helps.
But the challenge is that few patients will read a regular book, and even fewer take the advice and make it a habit. But
some will, and do very well, so it’s worth trying. One of the features of these materials is the inclusion of information on
CHANGE which addresses the problem of us giving lots of advice which is not used! For many patients:
Using one or two simple ideas can quickly make a big difference.
The ‘StressWinner’ information aims to be simple, practical, and in detail which matches people’s readiness and
willingness to make the effort.
The main ideas are divided into 12 ‘Keys’. Picture them like ‘anti-stress weapons’ which can be used if a person wants to
become mostly equal to the challenges they face, to win their ‘battle’, to be a ‘StressWinner’.
The 12 Keys come with a mnemonic to help remember them and keep them ready for use.
The ‘Ready, We’re Ready’ mnemonic can help us to remember them. It’s available in increasing levels of detail:
The stress-card
A ‘pocket’ booklet: 18 pages
Books of 45, 108 and 150 pages
There are two basic options:
1.
Your clinic could purchase materials to lend or sell to patients. For information on bulk discounts click HERE to
contact us. For orders of 200 or more we are happy to emboss the cover with your organization’s logo. Please
ask us about the option to bind in the book(s) a message from you to your target group.
2.
You could suggest a visit to the resource section of www.stresswinner.com
‘Stress 101’
A 256 page book
with 101 2-page articles
‘LifeWinner’
A 400 page book
about stress and its connection
to Health and Happiness
‘The StressWwinner Workbook’
A 448 page book
with 101 2-page articles
•
25 main sections
•
Questionnaires & interactive
sections
•
Resource CD included