Risk-taking is Risky!

Risk-taking is an interesting topic and appears to be a great avenue on which to discuss a whole series of topics about mortality and morbidity. The risks we take as part of our daily rituals are clearly a very important part of the picture about our longevity, our health span, and our disease span. Our purpose here is simply to raise awareness about some of the more common risks that predispose to psycho-emotional and physical challenges and illnesses.

So, risk-taking is risky J, is sometimes fun, sometimes exciting, and sometimes painful. Clearly, it is not possible to avoid all risk in this busy life that we lead and many would argue that it is not desirable to work toward avoiding all risky thoughts and behaviors.

Busyness, in and of itself, when taken to excess, can be a risk factor for high blood pressure, interpersonal conflict, mood disorders and compromise of our critically important immune system that insulates us from a whole series of medical conditions. Being too busy robs us of time, attention, and mental energy. Excessive busyness can lead to postponing and cutting short other important, priority issues. And, busyness as a risky behavior quite often leads to irresponsible behaviors on the part of otherwise high functioning people; a case in point is the failure of business people to responsibly follow up with their customers. Something as seemingly minor as failure to follow through with a promised phone call to a customer can be a major business error on the part of sometimes high-ranking business employees. Promising to be at the customers house to perform some important work and then not showing up and also not following up with a phone call is a serious issue, that is often prompted by excessive busyness.

Most of us would do well to remind ourselves that there is an interpersonal dimension to risk-taking. A common example would be driving under the influence of alcohol or other mood-altering drugs that may result in a motor vehicle accident, a death or a police citation and incarceration. A more complex example might involve decades of practicing unhealthy lifestyle behaviors like inactivity and consuming unhealthy foods that may well lead to physical incapacity from a stroke, heart attack, cancer or early onset of dementia. This then would negatively affect an entire family by creating a caretaker role on the part of other family members. We know from definitive research that being a caretaker can be very stressful and can even predispose to illness on the part of the caretaker.

Is risky behavior a component of certain personality types? Well, there are a group of people who seem to thrive on excitation. These folks may run stoplights, be skydivers, drive very fast on their motorcycle, or entertain ideas that they are immune from the ill effects of inadequate sleep, eating too many cupcakes, or vaping. They may be ultra-distance runners, some of whom experience serious negative health effects from the sport. These folks thrive on adrenaline and may have associated high blood pressure. There may be more subtle effects from the type of risks noted here; the person may allow themselves to be distracted from very important, primary tasks like their employment, being an attentive husband who has the time and energy for his wife, and attending to their own self-care issues. These folks may have what we call obsessive-compulsive personality traits. Interestingly, a subgroup of these folks can be quite high functioning people who only see the negative impact of their attraction to excitement, after a tragedy or after many years of the pseudo-untoward behavior.

Part of the dynamic of perpetuating these risky behaviors has to do with the sort of affiliations that the person has. Often, they have friends who participate jointly with them in similar activities. Secondly, in many of these situations, it is only after many years that the adrenaline addict can reflect in a realistic way about the problematic effects of their behavior.

Most of us would agree that addiction to unhealthy food, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and etc. are problematic behaviors. There is a component in the addictions of seeking to alter our mood states. It is said that the worst thing that can happen to a gambler is for them to win because it reinforces in a powerful way their addictive behavior.

Food is a source of risky behavior for many people, perhaps most people. It is risky to consume foods that contain high cholesterol, cadmium, or heterocyclic amines. Especially chronic consumption of these types of foods can lead to inflammatory illness, compromised immunity and cardiovascular disease among other illnesses. Foods can contain a variety of different toxins and many of these toxins are implicated in the cancer epidemic. It is very important for each of us to educate ourselves about the specifics regarding the source of toxins in what we eat and drink. Interestingly it is also very important to be aware of the risks in what foods and drinks we do not consume; simply being dehydrated is a major risk factor that can end us up in the emergency room. Not consuming enough dietary fiber can have serious negative health implications. Not consuming enough healthy plant nutrients can have additional negative health implications. Consuming too much processed fast food is another serious risk factor for physical illness. Consuming unwashed produce is also risky.

A cancer patient who continues to consume sugary foods, red meat, other processed meats, chicken and fish is on a risky course. Consuming diets that include high fat animal-based foods are risky.

EMF Radiation (EMF) are invisible areas of energy, often referred to as radiation, that are associated with the use of electrical power and various forms of natural and man-made lighting. Commonly known sources of EMF radiation include cellphones. television. microwave ovens, computers and Wi-Fi devices. Some studies have found a link between EMF exposure and a higher risk of childhood leukemia, but other studies have not. According to some scientists, EMFs can affect your body's nervous system function and cause damage to cells. Cancer and unusual growths may be two symptoms of very high EMF exposure. Other symptoms may include: sleep disturbances, including insomnia.

Ionizing Radiation is made up of energetic subatomic particles, ions or atoms moving at high speeds (usually greater than 1% of the speed of light), and electromagnetic waves on the high-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Why is ionizing radiation dangerous? When atoms in living cells become ionized, one of three things usually happen – the cell dies, the cell repairs itself, or the cell mutates incorrectly and can become cancerous. Not all cells are affected by ionizing radiation in the same way. People are exposed to natural sources of ionizing radiation, such as in soil, water, and vegetation, as well as in human-made sources, such as x-rays and medical devices.

Other lifestyle factors:

·       Being sedentary and sitting too much is a very potent risk factor for numerous diseases; and can also contribute to Alzheimer’s symptoms. And, running races without proper physical conditioning is risky.

·       Even low levels of chronic, moderate stress is a risk factor for chronic disease.

·       Smoking and vaping are risk factors for chronic disease.

·       Inadequate sound sleep (7-9 hours) is a risk factor for illness.

·       Conflictful relationships are risky, and can contribute to shortened telomeres; telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes that can indicate illness and longevity.

Is living in an area with polluted air risky? Yes!

Is living in an area with a polluted water supply risky? Yes!

Is living in an area with a food desert risky? Yes! A food desert is a geographic area that has inadequate access to healthy foods.

Is living in an area with aggressive, sometimes lethal gang activity risky? Yes!

Is living in an area that has frequent buying and selling of illicit drugs risky? Yes!

Miscellaneous medical issues:

·       Having an abnormal lab tests for blood lipids, stress hormones like cortisol, hemoglobin A-1 C and other abnormal tests call for medical intervention; ignoring such indicators is very risky.

·       Ignoring high blood pressure is very risky and can lead to stroke

·       Medications have side effects and some of them are very risky

·       It is medically risky to continue unhealthy lifestyle practices.

·       Consumption of mood altering, over-the-counter and natural remedies can pose risk. This includes sleep aids, cough and cold remedies and allergy remedies. This includes pain relievers and diet pills. They can all be mood altering.

·       Believing that you can eat toxic foods and be sedentary for decades without developing ill health is a very risky believe system.

·       Being hospitalized poses risk of infections, some of them very serious.

·       Overconsumption of things and having money as an idol poses unique risks.

·       Ignoring habituation or addiction to alcohol is very risky business

·       Having untreated chronic pain of any sort is risky and can lead to depression and stress.

·       Untreated sleep disorders can lead to weight gain and many other difficulties; they are risky.

·       Negativistic thinking is a common condition that can lead to mood disorders, troublesome relationships and a lack of well-being.

William A. Zahler, MSW, DipACLM

March 2020