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Anxiety and Stress Management

with Jane Harrison-Hohner, RN, RNP

The Anxiety and Stress Management blog has now been retired. You can still find Dr. Farrell at the WebMD Anxiety & Panic Disorders Exchange. And you can visit the Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center for more information about these conditions.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Stress of Being Anna Nicole

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The sudden death of celebrity Anna Nicole Smith in Florida was another unforeseen event in this woman's life. Now, she is dead after what appeared to be a short illness with flu-like symptoms, according to news reports. But what of the other things happening in her life and how may they have affected her?

Medical experts are weighing in on all the causes that need to be ruled out and one has definitively indicated that stress couldn't have killed her. I am not a medical expert, but I would take exception that such a strong statement ruling out stress as a contributing factor in her death.

Consider for a moment that this was a woman who had a history of multiple medical procedures, had taken many prescription and non-prescription medications and had lost a lot of weight over eight months or so. Together, all of these factors may have weakened her ability to tolerate an inordinate amount of stress.

The stressors in her life were many. She had lost her husband, was involved in protracted legal battles over her rights as a surviving spouse, was named in a high-profile court case for a diet product, had recently had a baby by Caesarean, her son had died suddenly (in her hospital room where she had just had the baby) and paternity for her child was being contested. How can anyone say that that amount of stress didn't contribute to possible pre-existing conditions?

Stress weakens the immune system, raises blood pressure, contributes to cardiac problems and may even cause other problems. We don't know everything about stress' effects.

I was saddened when I heard of her death because I felt she was a woman caught in the eye of a storm of publicity where she had little control. Now, her little daughter is left in yet more battles over who will care for her and who will try to make up for the loss of her mother. Anyone remember the "Poor Little Rich Girl" case in the 20s-30s? Look it up.

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Posted by: Pat_Farrell_PhD at 6:58 PM

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