For those of you who understand and support the idea of evolution, worry has probably been one of the key survival characteristics. Imagine what life must have been like as a hunter gatherer, living on the plains, surrounded by large animals that would prefer you not to eat them for lunch. In such circumstances, the fight or flight instinct is to the fore. More importantly, the early humans probably worried about where the next meal was coming from and all the different ways in which they might die. The ability to remember what has happened and use that as a basis for predicting the future is a key feature of genuine intelligence. The ability to plan for survival gives humans the edge over their environment. The other side of the coin is that the laid-back guys who found it difficult to get out of their caves in the morning had little to eat come the evening. Hunger sharpens the mind and encourages survival.
Translating this to the present, we have some new research out of the atmospherically named Black Dog Institute, one of Australia’s leading centers dealing with the spectrum of mental disorders. One of the persistent dilemmas for doctors is how to relate to patients who have had a heart attack. Obviously, any event affecting the heart comes as a severe shock to the individual. It shakes physical self-confidence. Not unnaturally, some people get depressed. Many worry about the risk of a second attack. Although there is a natural sympathy with heart attack survivors, most doctors want to encourage people to work their way back to a positive outlook. While avoiding the, “snap out of it” school of practical psychology, people have been encouraged not to worry. This latest study followed some five hundred patients, all of whom had a serious heart attack. Those who were diagnosed with general anxiety disorder (GAD) were monitored but given no specific therapy or counseling. These patients have had a better survival record than those who were naturally less worried. more…