Increase in health issues can be linked to world’s problems: Burnaby doctor

If you’re feeling the weight of the world at the moment, you’re not the only one.

The Canadian economy and job market are unstable, voters could be headed to the polls for a snap federal election, the cost-of-living crisis just won’t go away, and in addition to wars overseas, Canada remains locked in a trade war the U.S. started.

All of this seems to be taking a toll on people’s mental and physical health.

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Dr. Davidicus Wong, a family physician based in Burnaby, tells 1130 NewsRadio that he is seeing patients who say they are not sleeping. He’s also seeing an increase in patients struggling with increased heart rates and blood pressure.

“I’m a family doctor, so I live in a world of stress,” a comment echoed by Wong’s patients. “We know … that can contribute to heart disease, it’s going to affect our sleep, if we don’t sleep well, we’re not going to be functionally well.”

Wong says there are some serious dangers related to not getting enough sleep.

“It’s multi-factorial, but of course anxiety and stress. The part of our brain that keeps us awake is going to be problem-solving, so if we’re worried about someone who’s going to attack us, we’re probably not going to sleep too well,” he said.

He adds the trade war is also taking its toll and he’s seeing it on the frontlines, despite the U.S. president having only been inaugurated less than two months ago.

“I think everyone is worried about how it’s going to affect [them], how we’re living our everyday life or independence or freedom — the cost of just getting food onto the table,” he added.

Wong says the upside is that whatever is happening, we’re not going through it alone.

“It can bring us closer together. It can raise oxytocin in our brains — the neurotransmitter that helps us think about togetherness and what we can do for the people around us,” he explained. “We can care for the people that are the most vulnerable. We can start working together to find solutions in our communities.”

“We’ve been through tough things before. We came through a pandemic together.”

He says whatever you do, don’t drink or eat your feelings right now — something he noticed during the height of the pandemic.

“I saw a lot of people gain a lot of weight during the pandemic. So, we don’t want to gain 20 pounds with this trade war. The daily management of stress is really important,” he explained.

Wong doesn’t suggest that people disconnect from what’s going on, but he recommends finding the right dose for you.

“Decide if you’re going to check the news feeds once a day, rather than every hour,” he explained.

He encourages people to focus on what they can control and find those pockets of peace; seek out mental health support and take a break from it all; and take a deep breath while unplugging and spending time outdoors is just one way of calming down.