Chill Out! How to Stay Younger Longer
Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP
Are you afraid of pretty much everything coming down the road, having physical discomfort (whether true or anticipated), or just living nervously due to fear of the unknown? If this is you, you may have one more thing to worry about: Getting older sooner!
The devil is in the details, or at least, in the telomere. This most important of guardians, the telomere is a protective coating at the end of each chromosome, which protects the chromosome from unusual damage.
Chromosomes contain necessary information for replication (even though we stay who we are, our cells need to replicate, hopefully in the manner originally intended) and without the protective coverings of the telomeres, the information could be lost due to extreme degradation of the chromosomes. The length of the telomeres (the protective covering on the end of the chromosomes) helps to determine the degree of protection of the actual chromosome, in other words, how much of the original material will be protected. The original material was meant to be, we want it protected.
OK, the point of the story has arrived. Phobias, worry, anxiety, any term related to these conditions, create circumstances in which the telomeres become shortened. They become worn down by this “stress” created from within its housing entity (you). The shorter the telomere, basically, the quicker you will age!!!
Politics is stressful. This is only 7 years of calendar aging!
Cancer, cognitive disease, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease can cause this to happen too, but the mental aspect is much more treatable. With motivation it may be treatable with only minimal outside help. Early identification and treatment are necessary.
For those suffering from forms of anxiety, fear, or nervousness, I strongly suggest the book, or audio series “Psychocybernetics” originally written in 1960 by an incredibly observant and thoughtful plastic surgeon, Maxwell Maltz. There is a rewritten version, done in 2001 by Dan Kennedy, which is also good, but I suggest getting the original book if you can find it. You can find it either on Amazon, or in some Barnes and Noble stores. This book, or audio, could literally change your life, for the better. Hopefully after reading this book, or listening to the audio version, you will see the value in “Chilling Out” rather than “Burning Out”.
