National Geographic Stress Portrait of a Killer

National Geographic Stress: Portrait of a Killer
2008

"The serially overworked already know that stress is a near-constant fixture in modern-day living. But to what degree is stress affecting our bodies -- and is there any way to healthfully combat it? With a focus on the work of Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky, this National Geographic program looks at the latest science to see what researchers are learning about this insidiously silent killer."

I wanted to tie this in with "My flesh and blood" because there is a segment in it about parents of special needs kids. This documentary is about how people and primates deal with stress and the affects it has on our body. Chronically stressed people are at a higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and a whole slew of other medical problems. It also touches base with how being stressed out during a pregnancy can affect a person from infancy to adulthood. The part that deals with parents of special needs kids is fascinating because it also shows how simple acts, like helping someone else, can reduce stress and cause the body to repair itself. When that group of mothers talk about the stress in their day to day lives, I think it helps other people to understand a little more about how taking care of another human being 24/7 can be incredibly difficult. Stress is a huge part of most peoples lives.