Living in Fear and Paying a High Cost in Heart Risk

[Andrew Green]

Which is more of a threat to your health: Al Qaeda or the Department of Homeland Security

An intriguing new study suggests the answer is not so clear-cut. Although it’s impossible to calculate the pain that terrorist attacks inflict on victims and society, when statisticians look at cold numbers, they have variously estimated the chances of the average person dying in America at the hands of international terrorists to be comparable to the risk of dying from eating peanuts, being struck by an asteroid or drowning in a toilet.

But worrying about terrorism could be taking a toll on the hearts of millions of Americans. The evidence, published last week in the Archives of General Psychiatry, comes from researchers who began tracking the health of a representative sample of more than 2,700 Americans before September 2001. After the attacks of Sept. 11, the scientists monitored people’s fears of terrorism over the next several years and found that the most fearful people were three to five times more likely than the rest to receive diagnoses of new cardiovascular ailments.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/science/15tier.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

 

[terryl965]

The stress one put on themself, is unbelievable.

 

[Andrew Green]

Even happens in the martial arts world. I imagine everyone that's been around for a while has encountered a few guys who's training was almost entirely based around fear of bad guys. My belief has always been that if your primary goal in training is self-defence, then you've missed the boat.

 

[terryl965]

Even happens in the martial arts world. I imagine everyone that's been around for a while has encountered a few guys who's training was almost entirely based around fear of bad guys. My belief has always been that if your primary goal in training is self-defence, then you've missed the boat.

I know a couple of years ago I was training aguy because he believe all his co-worker where going to jump him after work one day.

 

[Andrew Green]

I know a couple of years ago I was training aguy because he believe all his co-worker where going to jump him after work one day.

Unfortunate thing is that if he'd looked around, there is a good chance he would have found a instructor that would feed those fears for him and take his money, possibly sharing similar fears as well.

Not healthy training at all.

 

[terryl965]

Unfortunate thing is that if he'd looked around, there is a good chance he would have found a instructor that would feed those fears for him and take his money, possibly sharing similar fears as well.

Not healthy training at all.

No he only stayed with me for three months because I keep telling him that he was just mistaken but he would not buy that.

 

[Andrew Green]

No he only stayed with me for three months because I keep telling him that he was just mistaken but he would not buy that.

Kinda what I meant

If he had looked for another instructor he might have found someone to share in his fears, and amplify them. Hopefully he didn't do that after leaving your school.