National Geographic: Stress - Portrait of a Killer

So, how is stress like ice cream? Well, a little now and then is ok, a triple serving may only make you temporarily sick, but "all you can eat" might kill you!I've followed Robert Sapolsky's work for 10+ years and he definitely is the #1 expert on the effects of stress on the brain.Prolonged, sustained, excessive stress and your similar response to it, not only causes deterioration of your brain, but it also compromises your immune system; your ability to fight off diseases.Thousands of years ago, we mostly lived until we either starved, were accidentally poisoned or we were eaten by another animal. Now, we have the distinct ability to slowly kill ourselves over a period of about 80 years with chemical laced foods, too much alcohol and prolonged reaction to stressful events. All are avoidable, if we make the choice to do so.Unfortunately, most of the people who really need the information in this documentary will never see it and the vast majority who do see it will ignore it. Only those determined to live a quality life for as long as possible will pay attention to this video.At the present time, 1 in 4 of us will die in a state of dementia or with Alzheimer's. If you want to increase your odds against that happening, then buy this video, pay attention to it, re-watch it several times and invest in a scientifically proven brain fitness program. Not just crossword puzzles and Sudoku, nor any of the popular Name Brand games that mislead you to believe that they will improve your brain or memory. Invest in yourself with a research-based program that has been scientifically designed for the human brain, extensively tested on humans, published and peer-reviewed. The cost for such a program is minimal compared to being an invalid who not only can't find their car keys, but doesn't remember what they are for! For an introduction to the proper type of program that you should use, I suggest you watch, "The Brain Fitness Program" DVD featuring Peter Coyote.If this video has piqued your interest in repairing your brain, maintaining your brain and improving you brain, then you will probably also enjoy reading the following -"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" by Robert M. Sapolsky, Ph.D."Spark" by John Ratey" M.D."Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain" by Sharon Begley"Brain Rules" by Dr. John Medina"Can't Remember What I Forgot" by Sue Halpern"The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge, M.D.Most of the above are easily read without a medical or scientific background. The few parts that do get a little "deep" are short and should not keep you from finishing the book and understanding the message of the author. Some of the above are also available in Audio format.So, again, I suggest that you buy this and put the information to use. You can add life to your years and years to your life!

Good overview on stress that uses a healthy dose of evolutionary psychology, the discipline that connects human behavior to that of our evolutionary ancestors. This is not the movie for those who believe that humans are unique and evolutionarily disconnected from our closest ancestors, the monkeys and apes. It also emphasizes, indirectly, the affect of androgens (male hormones such as testosterone)on male behavior. Recent human studies have shown that high testosterone males are not only at-risk for aggression, but they also seem to make the poorest mates. Why? They tend to be at risk for infidelity, since their "drive" for sexual variety and immediacy can supersede their interest in being monogamous. Can this be seen in some monkeys and primates? Chimps and bonobos aren't nice to each other, nor are baboons. We can certainly add humans to this list. This movie also looks at the pathophysiology of stress in an easy-to-understand way that make for intriguing viewing. As college instructor who teaches health sciences, I recommend it for introductory A & P courses, Psychology majors, and Nursing programs.

I am an Addictions Counselor with over 30 years of experience. I have been using this video, with my adult patients, for several year.Understanding stress , and stress reduction, is essential in developing and maintaining a drug-free lifestyle. This video is both educational and entertaining to audiences, regardless of their educational level. I would recommend this video for all adults and adolescents.

Excellent study on the nature of stress featuring comparative analysis on how stress impacts baboons in the wild; how the subordinate "beta males" have higher levels of stress and stress-related health problems than the dominate "alpha males" who spend their days harassing and bullying the "betas". Interestingly, such a dynamic runs parallel in humans given their place in occupational hierarchies. The nature of stress is an important topic that should be understood by educators, employers and by health care providers. The cost that stress-related health problems upon the already broken American health care system should be enough reason for this problem to be better understood and treated.

Well thought out and produced documentary, as expected from the National Geographic Society; excellent filming and visuals, the audio did seem to fade in and out at times, but was discernible throughout. A chilling look at the symptoms and results of long term stress on the primate physiology, which of course includes us. Who among us can not relate to the stress levels shown, and the damage being silently done to the cardiovascular system of the subjects, and by extension to us! This is a wake up call for our Western societies that stress is a major player in the high cost of health care, and is a real killer as the title suggests.

This is an AMAZING DVD backed with scientific data of how stress damages us physically and emotionally. We live in a stressful society where stress is killing us on an hourly basis.One scientist stated that our society admires people who multitask and accomplish so much. But that is actually very stressful. She stated that we should admire people who have balanced and serene lives. I agree with her. What value does all this "over achievement" add to our lives, when it is killing us.This is an excellent DVD, because it makes the viewer re-evaluate one's life and ask the all important question, "What should we value in life to bring about the happiness we are all searching for?"I highly recommend this DVD.

At last, some practical evidence of a possible source of stress in our lives and how it affects our bodies.

We would all make better decisions--big or small--if we knew how much stress affects us, and what we can do about it. Very informative video. Replace just one of your weekly TV shows with this video. Well worth it!

Good info. Concise but revealing.

I saw this documentary recently on the National Geographic Channel and immediately ordered myself a copy on Amazon.This is a fascinating documentary. It starts with a Stanford researcher's insights into stress hormones in baboons. His research shows that baboons can get their daily nutritional requirements in about three hours so they have the rest of the day to amuse themselves. As it turns out, the alpha baboons amuse themselves by terrorizing all the baboons beneath them in the hierarchy. The lower baboons do the same to those beneath them and so on. When the stress hormones of these baboons are measured, it turns out that the alphas have virtually no stress hormones in their blood while those lowest on the pecking order are totally stressed out.But the really interesting finding comes from relating this baboon research to human bureaucracies. The baboon research is compared to a study of the British civil service which shows extraordinary parallels to the baboon research. As it turns out, the upper levels of the civil service have far less signs of stress than the lower levels of the civil service, since the lower levels have far less control over their fate and are constantly getting dumped on by those above them.After establishing this fascinating comparison, the documentary goes on to describe some of the physiological effects of stress, which include such nasty things as unravelling chromosomes.This is a fascinating documentary. It should be required viewing for anyone in labour relations, human resources, unions and by anyone who works in a bureaucratic organization.This is extremely interesting material which could have a major impact on your health. Highly recommended.

good but should have more information.