Here are the top health conditions that are affecting millennials nowadays
These health conditions are affecting the millennials nowadays and here are the ways they can do to help themselves.
It is a fact that nowadays, people are more aware of their health, especially millennials who are concerned about having a healthy lifestyle. However, according to the findings from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) suggests that millennials are getting unhealthy as they age.
According to the same study, those who were 34 to 36 years old in 2017 were 11 percent less healthy than Gen Xers aged 34 to 36 in 2014. The health conditions that are mostly acquired by this generation are:
- Major depression
- Substance use disorder
- Alcohol use disorder
- Hypertension
- Hyperactivity
- Psychotic conditions
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- High cholesterol
- Tobacco use disorder
- Type 2 diabetes
Millennials are now affected by behavioral health rather than physical health. “While we may be seeing moderate diagnosis impact across all generations for previously stigmatized behavioral health conditions, millennials are seeing higher growth in prevalence than either Gen X or baby boomers,” Dr. Vincent Nelson, vice president of medical affairs for the BCBSA said.
According to Deborah Serani, PsyD, professor at Adelphi University and award-winning author of “Living with Depression,” the top 3 health conditions did not surprise her anymore and she believes that there are several factors affecting this.
Serani enumerated this:
Technological advances
Millennials may not notice that the technology that they are consuming right now results in not learning how to maintain eye contact. Because of this, reading facial expressions, or deepen awareness of the textures of emotions within themselves or others are no longer possible.
Media overload
“Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and fear regarding these events permeated into the world of millennials either by witnessing such stories themselves or through the contagious fear reactions from adults in their family circle,” Serani said. These are now widely available online and on airwaves.
Two-income households
According to Serani, not having moments like family dinner time and predictable work and weekend hours, because both parents are working, created a more solitary world for millennials. Because of this, they feel avoided and isolated.
Everyone wins mentality
Having the mentality that everyone wins and no one exceeds from the other “impedes the natural learning curve of dealing with failure and building resiliency”. Not undergoing this phase result in “difficulty tolerating stressful events, frustrating easily, and avoiding demands so as not to feel overwhelmed.”
Undefined work schedules
These days, several millennials have working schedules that are not set or flexible. Due to this, they can be working on weekends or beyond normal working hours which does not allow them to have “away time” to decompress or refuel. This can aggravate physical and emotional risk factors.