My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Men
Focusing on key health issues that men face, we give you the tools to figure out your risk factors, recognize early warning signs, and take the right steps to ensure a long, healthy life.
Men's Emotional Well-Being [Read/Print full article]
Overview
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Your emotional health and your sense of well-being are as important as your physical health. Paying attention to how you feel and taking action if you feel anxious or down can help protect your overall health.
Issues to pay special attention to include the following:
Anxiety. Everyone feels anxious at some time in his life – it is a normal reaction to some of life's challenges. Anxiety causes hormones that increase the rate of breathing, make the heart beat faster, and cause the muscles to tense up to flood the body. This is called the "fight or flight" response. Anxiety may also have physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, and sleep problems.
Stress. Stress is a normal reaction to a difficult or painful situation in daily life, such as financial problems, trouble at work, or family conflict. It can result in aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, and a lowered immune system, which lowers your body's ability to fight off illness.
Anger. All of us get angry at times. It's healthy to express your anger but not in a way that distances you from your friends and loved ones. Anger can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. Managing your anger is important for your overall physical and emotional health and for sustaining healthy relationships.
Depression. Depression is underdiagnosed in men. Depressed men are more likely to complain of physical symptoms such as headache, backache, and fatigue. Other common feelings include irritability, lack of interest or enjoyment in activities, and feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, or sadness.
Men are less likely to seek treatment for depression and are over 4 times more likely than women to commit suicide.
Substance abuse. Men, more than women, may have a difficult time admitting they feel down, unhappy, or hopeless, and they may turn to alcohol or drugs to alter mood or relieve anxiety, stress, anger, and depression. Men are 5 times more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than women. While drugs or alcohol can feel like a quick fix, they pose great risk to your physical and emotional health in the long term.
While you can't entirely avoid the events that may cause you to feel anxious, angry, stressed, or depressed, you can learn how to manage these feelings so that they do not impair your physical and emotional well-being. We can work together to help you to improve your mood and decrease feelings of sadness, anger, or stress.
Additional References:
Tips for Staying Emotionally Healthy
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Simple ways to improve your sense of well-being and to reduce anger, stress, anxiety, and depression include:
- Regular exercise
- Spending time with family and friends
- Eating a healthy well-balanced diet
- Pursuing healthy pleasures
- Limiting alcohol and other drugs
- Getting enough sleep
You can use stress management techniques like deep breathing to reduce your feelings of anxiety or anger. Relaxation exercises, yoga, or meditation can also help reduce your anxiety, anger, and stress. Some relaxation techniques help you become aware of tension in your body. You learn how to relax specific muscles. Guided imagery is another technique that teaches you how to use your imagination to create specific images that help to reduce anxiety and stress.
Learn simple meditation skills. Take 10 minutes a day to close your eyes, clear your mind, and focus on your breathing.
Talking to friends and family can help. They can be a source of support and encouragement. Avoid isolating yourself from others.
When to Seek Professional Help
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You may need to seek professional help when feelings of anger, anxiety, stress, or depression interfere with your day-to-day activities.
Anxiety
When overwhelming feelings of anxiety and worry do not go away, or they interfere with your ability to cope, we recommend that you be screened for an anxiety disorder. We may ask you questions about your anxieties and worries, how long you have been experiencing them, and what physical symptoms you might have. We may also ask about your medical history to make sure that your symptoms are not the result of a physical illness. The good news is that there is effective treatment to help you manage an anxiety disorder.
Depression
If you are having thoughts of harming or killing yourself, get help immediately by calling 911 or going to the nearest hospital. If you feel down or depressed on most days or have lost interest or pleasure in doing things, talk to us. Depression is very treatable. There are several treatment options, including lifestyle changes, medications, and therapy.
Stress
Let us know if you are under extreme or unusual stress, or if your stress is ongoing. Most stress can be handled with lifestyle modifications. If stress continues to be an issue in your life, we can work together to come up with a plan that can help you. If stress is interfering with your daily activities or harming your health, there are many ways to help. We may recommend that you talk to a mental health professional who can help you deal with the challenges that are causing your stress.
Anger
It's normal to feel angry some of the time. But if your anger interferes with your relationships or results in behavior that is violent or dangerous, you probably need help. There are Managing Anger classes. A psychologist or other licensed mental health professional can help you to learn skills to change your thinking and your behavior to deal with your anger in a healthier way.
Substance abuse
Addiction is a medical condition that can be treated. A person can abuse alcohol or drugs without actually being addicted. Some of the problems linked to substance abuse include:
- Not being able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities
- DUI arrests and car collisions
- Medical conditions such as liver or stomach problems, severe dental problems, cardiac problems, paranoia, or HIV
Answering the following questions can help you decide if you have a substance use problem:
- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking/using?
- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking/using?
- Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking/using?
- Have you ever felt the need to drink/use first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you may have a problem with alcohol or drugs. Let us know if you would like help. You can also call the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency department directly.
Related Health Tools:
Interactive Programs
- Online Health Coach Online Health Coach
- Manage depression with Overcoming™ Depression Manage depression with Overcoming™ Depression
- Manage pain with Care™ for Pain Manage pain with Care™ for Pain
- Reduce stress with Relax™ Reduce stress with Relax™
Podcasts
- Exercise Lite Exercise Lite
- Exercise Smart Exercise Smart
- Healthful Sleep Healthful Sleep
- Holiday Depression Holiday Depression
- Relieve Stress Relieve Stress
- Stress Management Stress Management
Videos
- Anger Management: Choose to Make the Journey Anger Management: Choose to Make the Journey
- Understanding Anxiety Understanding Anxiety
- Understanding Depression Understanding Depression
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.