Pessimism Is Dangerous For Your Heart

A RECENT ARTICLE in InteliHealth.com says anxiety is bad for your heart. Based on a new study, they conclude:

Those Type A go-getters aren't the only ones stressing their hearts. Nervous Nelsons seem to be, too. Researchers reported Monday that chronic anxiety can significantly increase the risk of a heart attack, at least in men. The findings add another trait to a growing list of psychological profiles linked to heart disease, including anger or hostility, Type A behavior, and depression.

They also write:

Everybody's anxious every now and then. At issue here is not the understandable sweaty palms before a big speech or nervousness at a party, but longstanding anxiety -- people who are socially withdrawn, fearful, chronic worriers. It's a glass-half-empty personality.

The glass half-empty personality...in other words, someone infected with pessimism. The difference in heart health was huge. The article says:

Those men deemed chronically anxious were 30 percent to 40 percent more likely to have had a heart attack than their more easygoing counterparts.

You are probably not chronically anxious. But if you know someone who is, share with them what you know about the dangers of anxiety and how they can begin to cure themselves of their own pessimism. The desire for self-preservation is often a strong enough motive to make someone open to a new way of thinking.

Another way to reach someone is to ask a good question.

Read more ideas on how to help someone cure themselves of their own pessimism.