Panama Is Increasingly Stressful, Experts Say

August 16, 2010
By st.di.

According to psychiatrists at a recent mental health conference held in Panama City, people in Panama live in a state of stress brought on by the city’s urban pollution.

Doctor Juana Herrera, one of the presenting researchers, said that “Panama City is anything but friendly”  from a social and medical standpoint.  A lack of  proper urban planning, the loss of green areas, problems with the water supply, a collapsing transportation system, pedestrian unfriendliness, visual pollution and the lack of clear street indications are some of the reasons.

Herrera and her colleague Carlos Smith said that as a result, there is evidence that Panamanian cities, including areas within the countryside, are becoming less friendly and inhabitants more reliant on sedatives and muscle relaxants.

Therapists advocate exercise for stress reduction, but Herrera acknowledged that this is difficult in Panama City, one of the Latin American cities with fewer parks per square mile.

La Prensa reports.

6 Responses to Panama Is Increasingly Stressful, Experts Say

  1. Burt McKinley on August 17, 2010 at 7:18 am

    Panama City is one of the most profoundly depressing environments I have ever experienced in my life. The thought of it will haunt me forever.

  2. Jack Morten on September 2, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    Very unfortunate that things have degraded since the Canal Zone was turned over to the Panamanians in 1997. The Canal Zone was a pristine and safe place to live when I was living there as a kid between 1945 and 1954. I recall the good schools, transportation, good roads and other amenities. We lived in Albrook AFB and always plenty of things to do to keep us out of trouble. I hope that the Panamanians are able to find new pride and a government that can renew the degredation that has taken place. I found many friends there and hope to go back someday.

  3. rex jones on September 12, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    wtf!!!…. man you must have been depressed before hand
    “The thought of it will haunt me forever”. I love panama its a great place to live and the canal zone is still a great place to live. “degraded” come on you make it sound like the place is falling apart, when was the last time you saw the place? Panama is thriving and is only getting better..

  4. Burt McKinley on September 13, 2010 at 6:30 am

    Rex, after reading your comment I offer the following plausible scenarios to help explain the source of your misjudgment:

    a) You have just recently arrived to the isthmus and, like most recent transplants, your perception is clouded by illusions and false prophecies.

    b) You spend your time enmeshed in ex-pat social groups and have fallen victim to the collective blindness and indifference that typically affects such contingents.

    c) Your ability to observe and analyze the nature of your surroundings is naturally limited.

    d) You’ve invested in real estate in Panama City and, whether or not you recognize that it was a mistake, you have no choice but to assume the role of promoter, at least until you can figure out a way to pull out.

    e) You spend the majority of your time under the influence of mind-altering substances, thus your perception of reality is clouded and disconnected. (Pegon is cut with battery acid.)

    f) You love to be surrounded by prostitution, gambling, drugs, social inequality, corruption, money laundering, environmental deterioration, neo-colonization, and a general state of decay and feel like you’ve found paradise on earth.

  5. rex jones on September 13, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Burt…None of the above i have been living in panama for 5 years renting , before hand i lived in new jersey where i was surrounded by prostitution, gambling, drugs, social inequality, corruption, money laundering, environmental deterioration and a general state of decay…I then moved to El Salvador and then to Panama, Panama was a nice change.. panama you love it or you dont its not for everybody.

  6. Burt McKinley on September 15, 2010 at 6:11 am

    Well, just about anything looks good when you compare it to Jersey.

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