- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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July 25, 2013
Hit pause when the fight or flight reaction kicks in
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Regardless of the the diplomas on the wall or the balance in the checkbook, everyone experiences that late night phone call, thorny email or knock on the door from a disgruntled colleague. The initial reaction to many of these experiences is to become defensive and to tune out what the other person is saying.
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As primitive humans millions of years ago, we developed the fight or flight response as a survival strategy. A threat would start a cascade of responses designed to sharpen our focus and quicken our step to get away from danger. It's hardwired in us.
The fight or flight reaction worked to our advantage back then, but it can be a real killer for us today. So when lightning strikes, it's important to resist the urge to attack or flee. Instead, your first action should be to do absolutely nothing. Be quiet. Be still.
Respectfully listen to the message, and then simply tuck it away in the back of your brain for at least a day. Get a good night's sleep. Clear the brain of distractions. Recognize that this too shall pass.
Then reach out to a trusted friend or advisor for perspective. When we're in the midst of a fog and can't see the shoreline, we need a compass. So too we need to look for guidance when situations arise that confound us.
Another lesson from our past: We're not hardwired to go it alone. We need others to survive and thrive.
Follow me on Twitter at @EdwardCreagan. Join the discussion at #Stress.
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