If rats can giggle…

There’s a lot to be anxious about lately. That is, if you believed in and voted for Hillary Clinton.

But anxiety and stress have a gnarly side-effect. It results in our bodies producing hormones [and chemical reactions to those] at unhealthy rates, in unhealthy quantities, for extended, and unhealthy, periods of time. And all that starts to cloud our judgment, our smarts, our executive functioning and our ability to heal, listen and truly hear one another. There is an overwhelming amount of research that shows this chaotic physiological activity causes mental, chronic and terminal illnesses, heart attacks, and conditions that cause them, weight gain (and loss), and much more.

But wait…

In a recent article in Stat News, a group of scientists showed that rats can squeal with happiness (the scientists call it giggling) when they’re in the right mood. And no, there wasn’t any candles lit, or Miles Davis playing in their cages.

But those rats that were anxious (and what lab rat ISN’T?) showed less of a neuronal positive reaction to tickling than their ‘happy’ counterparts.

Rats: getting the last giggle.

And laughing, as you may know, turns on a cascade of fabulous hormones and neurotransmitters that are like medicine for our stressed out, anxious souls.

And, so what?

Well, first, a shout out to the senior scientist who said “Let’s go tickle some rats”. Please call me. I want to work with you.

Secondly, as a recently diagnosed patient with non-invasive breast cancer, I’ve felt the surge of anxiety, stress and general state of fear that is only moderated by an incredibly funny husband and general Good-Mood-Setter. Yes, Trump’s winning was a bit of a blow, but my diagnosis stung a little more.

And there in lies (finally) the point of this post.

“Seek to understand, before being understood.” — Steven Covey

Kudos to Covey for a poignant thought, but when I ruminate on this during particularly tough conversations of any kind, I imagine Ghandi behind it.

So, as it relates to those who have anxiety or stress due to a medical condition they’ve felt powerless to control, I offer these thoughts to the medical caregivers.

You are present in those patients’ lives not to exacerbate their stress, but to moderate it — and set The Mood for tickling and happiness to result.*

• Check to see if what you, as a medical professional, deem “the most conservative” approach to a treatment protocol, is actually what the person deems the “most conservative”. For example, radiation for 6 weeks, every day, with skin burnings and sagging skin, with the potential side effect of future cancer diagnosis, hormonal therapies that alter your physiology forever in a way that is less than pleasant, ‘minor’ outpatient surgeries that call for anesthesia and cutting into your body; these do not constitute “conservative” treatments for everyone. If some people choose these because they are best for them, then great. Support them equally in that choice as you would others.
• If a person asks you what you would do, seek first to understand their worries, familial experiences, background, and life goals before telling them the answer. Answer that question with a deeper understanding, or empathy, of their needs, life goals, psychology and family history — not yours.

[I’ve always bristled at the “what would you do” question as a product manager, and I bristle at it here. Would, Could or Should… three words that rarely reflect an accurate behavioral response when faced with a decision.]

• Remember that not everyone understands statistics, and how easily numbers can be deceiving, manipulated and shared. Find a way to communicate studies and recurrence rates, potential and risk in the person’s language, and present the stat in a positive and negative light. Show the person how 13% can be good, and bad. If you don’t know how to do this, consult Feynman and practice his principals for making sure you can do this — for your patient’s stress level and health.

*My doctor team is one of the best in the Bay. I’m one of the lucky ones.

Doctors have a significant influence on a person’s physiology even when they aren’t actually laying a finger on them.

As millions of people’s anxiety and stress levels rise after the election, those who are currently sick can least afford this increased physiological stress. Medical and health care givers of all sorts can do worlds of good for these people by simply seeking to understand, before being understood.