The hurried woman syndrome : a seven-step program to conquer fatigue, control weight, and restore passion to your relationship

Also called predepression, hurried woman syndrome affects 30 million women annually in the United States. HWS is most commonly found in mothers who live with the chronic stress of trying to fulfill many roles for many people and is characterized by a set of chronic physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms that can include fatigue, weight gain, moodiness, sleep problems, and low libido. Torn between the demands of managing children's school and activities, keeping up a home, work (paid or volunteer), social obligations, and more, hurried women feel as if they are on an endless emotional roller-coaster ride. Unfortunately, most HWS sufferers are unaware that they have a clinically identified and treatable problem. With proper guidance, most sufferers can quickly reverse the symptoms of HWS and regain their energy and love of life. Without it, they are in serious danger of developing full-blown clinical depression. Based on Dr. Brent W. Bost's experiences treating his patients, The Hurried Woman Syndrome offers the first integrated program for overcoming the symptoms that make up the syndrome. An indispensable survival guide for busy women who feel stressed, tired, and dissatisfied, it features: A mood assessment test to help determine if they have HWS, or more serious depression A complete, seven-step program for managing stress and overcoming HWS symptoms Expert guidance on how to manage weight, set priorities, get adequate exercise, create firm limits, talk with doctors about antidepressants, rekindle the romance in their relationships, and more Terms of Use......Page 3 Want to learn more?......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Foreword by Dr. Annette Smick of Mayo Health System......Page 7 Introduction......Page 9 Part One: Understanding Hurried Woman Syndrome......Page 15 1. Life as a Hurried Woman......Page 17 Profile of the Hurried Woman......Page 19 Classic Symptoms......Page 20 2. Stress and How It Affects Your Brain and Your Life......Page 27 Stress and the Body-Brain Connection......Page 28 The Basic Facts about Depression......Page 31 "It's So Common" . . . but Is It Normal?......Page 41 Challenges to the Idea of Hurried Woman Syndrome......Page 42 Children and Families of Hurried Women......Page 46 Motherhood, Aging, and the Hurried Woman Syndrome......Page 48 The Stress of Today's Lifestyle......Page 50 3. Are You a Hurried Woman?......Page 53 Medical Causes of Depression Symptoms......Page 56 Going to the Doctor......Page 62 Why Major Depression Is a Serious Health Problem......Page 63 Hurried Woman Syndrome: One Step Short of Major Depression......Page 64 Common Misconceptions about Hurried Woman Syndrome......Page 65 Partial Solutions......Page 68 4. Using Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills......Page 71 The Stress Equation......Page 73 In Summary......Page 78 Neurotransmitters Revisited......Page 81 The Relative Balance of Neurotransmitters......Page 86 More on Antidepressant Therapy......Page 93 Part Two: Your Seven-Step Plan for Better Life Balance......Page 97 6. Step 1: Create Balance in Your Body......Page 99 Vitamins......Page 100 Exercise......Page 105 Limiting Sugar, Alcohol, and Caffeine......Page 106 Hormones and Menopause......Page 110 Perimenopause......Page 125 Natural Hormones, Herbals, Supplements, and Other OTC Products......Page 128 Getting Serious about Chronic Health Problems......Page 134 7. Step 2: Find the Right Caloric Balance......Page 135 Statistics......Page 136 Nutrition: A Science?......Page 140 Medical Causes of Weight Gain......Page 141 Genetics and Weight Regulation......Page 143 Choosing a Diet: What Really Works and Why......Page 147 8. Step 3: Exercise, No Matter What!......Page 151 Energy......Page 152 The Calorie Equation......Page 153 There Is No One "Prescription" for Exercise......Page 156 Exercise Reprograms Your Metabolism......Page 157 A Major Plus of Exercise: You Can Eat More......Page 158 Regular Exercise Makes You Feel Better about Yourself and Improves Energy Levels......Page 159 1. Keep a Food Diary......Page 161 2. Get a Good Calorie Counting Book and Study It......Page 162 3. Determine Your Maintenance Calorie Level and Desired Weight Goal Calorie Level......Page 163 4. Start Your Exercise Program Now......Page 166 5. Get Your Mind and Heart Focused on the Goal......Page 167 7. Keep Track of Your Progress......Page 168 9. Drink Lots of Water......Page 170 Other Considerations......Page 171 Snacks......Page 174 Clean up Your Carbs......Page 176 Frequently Asked Questions......Page 187 10. Step 4: Rekindle the Fire......Page 199 "Normal" Sex Drive......Page 200 Physical Aspects of Sex Drive in Women......Page 202 Situational Factors......Page 207 Men And Women Approach Sex Differently......Page 211 No Substitutions Allowed......Page 217 Low Sex Drive: Suggestions for Women......Page 222 Low Sex Drive: Suggestions for Men......Page 239 Frequently Asked Questions......Page 247 11. Step 5: Identify Your Priorities and Set Reasonable Limits......Page 259 Establishing Your Number One Priority: You......Page 261 Fill in the Rest of Your New Priority List......Page 262 Children......Page 266 Your Activities......Page 277 Saving Time for Yourself......Page 279 Is There Life after Children?......Page 280 Consider Your Spiritual Side......Page 281 12. Step 6: Get the Best of Stress......Page 287 Situations You Can't Control......Page 288 Sources of Stress That Can Be Eliminated Completely......Page 289 Sources of Stress That Can Be Modified but Not Eliminated......Page 291 General Considerations about Stress......Page 292 Throw Out the Clutter......Page 294 Shopping......Page 295 Laundry......Page 296 Housework......Page 297 Television......Page 298 Entertainment......Page 299 Meals......Page 300 Junk Mail......Page 302 Beepers and Cellular Phones......Page 303 Finances......Page 305 Investments......Page 324 Work......Page 327 Keep Control of Everyone's Schedules......Page 331 Set Limits on Children's Activities......Page 332 Assign Chores and Responsibilities......Page 333 Have a Place for Everything......Page 334 Enforce Discipline in Your Home......Page 339 Continually Monitor the Process......Page 340 Summing It All up......Page 341 Appendix A......Page 345 Appendix B......Page 347 Index......Page 350 Fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, low sex drive ... if these issues sound familiar, you are not alone. Nearly 30 million American women struggle with these symptoms every day, sometimes for years. Many of them juggle motherhood and work, paid or volunteer; some are married, some are not. But whatever their differences, they share a constant state of being torn between meeting their own needs and the needs of others-with the distinct sense that there isn't really enough time for both. They are all under stress. And they are all hurried. But now help is on the way. In this much-needed book, leading obstetrician/gynecologist Brent Bost, M.D., empowers you to overcome the Hurried Woman Syndrome-a very real condition that is often a precursor to major depression and other stress-related illnesses. Drawing from nearly two decades of insight into women's complex physical and emotional lives, Dr. Bost has created a highly effective, medically sound seven-step program that will enable you to: Identify what causes stress and worry in your life-including the less obvious but often most damaging stressors. Lower your stress levels by taking advantage of four key resources: people, money, experience, and time. Regain your lost energy and happiness. Learn the principles for achieving and maintaining a healthier body. Rekindle passion in your relationship Offers an integrated program for overcoming the symptoms that make up the hurried woman syndrome. This is a guide for busy women who feel stressed and tired, featuring: a mood assessment test to help determine if they have HWS, or more serious depression; a seven-step program for managing stress and overcoming HWS symptoms; and more. Focusing on a condition called predepression, the author addresses the chronic stress produced by trying to live within too many roles at once, presenting strategies for bringing life and expectations under control while combatting the physical and psychological effects of the condition