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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's what Dodger fans had hoped for all season: rooting for their team in the World Series. It's exciting, of course, but now that we're here, fans are finding it to be excruciatingly stressful. "It's like a roller coaster," said Dodger fan Evan Murrin. "I feel like one second, we're going to win the game, and the next second, we're playing defense. Here's how to cope with the ups and downs, explained by a doctor. "It's a natural thing to be anxious, because you don't know the outcome," said Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Anthony Cardillo with Adventist Health Glendale. He said elevated heart rate and blood pressure can cause cardiac events, especially for those with pre-existing conditions. Psychological stress can lead to sleep deprivation, unhealthy eating habits, or increased alcohol consumption. "It's really important to have a healthy attachment to our team and healthy anxiety," said Cardillo. "Not unhealthy anxiety that leads to aggression and destruction." As we all watch this thrilling World Series, Cardillo said now is a good time to learn something about yourself and learn ways to get better. "This stress response that we have sometimes follows people into other aspects of their life, and that's what you have to be mindful about," he said. Cardillo's advice is to take a deep breath and remind yourself: It's just a game. Then, you can enjoy the true benefits of what it means to be a Dodger fan. "It gives you some kind of connection, some sort of human connection, to something bigger than ourselves," said lifelong Dodger fan Chava Alejo, who adds that he's passing on that passion to his children, through good times and bad times! "To experience all those downs and ups? It's beautiful," he said.
