STRESS!
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Stress — What is the Impact? And what can I do about it? We are all having a hard time with stress right now. We watch the news, the economy is down, our neighbors are losing their homes to foreclosure, and even as renters we could be evicted because the landlord defaulted on the mortgage. Our children feel our stress, the stress of the world, and on top of that they have to deal with the stress of going back to school. For some, it could even be a new school.
Did any of us learn real tools for dealing with stress or “life on life's terms” and the inevitable ever-present change? Barely anyone I know can sail through it. So how does it really affect our bodies?
The term “stress” was used in engineering until the 1930s when Hans Selye applied the term to “living organism's strain” which is experienced in the “struggle to adapt and cope with changing environments.” I doubt he anticipated the recent changes we deal with in the second millennium.
Wouldn’t he be surprised!
Stress can trigger the body’s response to perceived threat or danger, the fight-or-flight response we learned about in high school biology. During the chemical reaction caused by fear, certain hormones like adrenalin (epinephrine) and cortisol are released, speeding the heart rate, slowing digestion, shunting blood flow to major muscle groups, and changing various other autonomic nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. Though originally named for the human ability to respond to danger, it’s now activated in situations where neither fight nor flight is appropriate, like watching the news, or driving. When the perceived threat is gone, systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response; but in our times of chronic stress, this often doesn’t happen in long enough intervals, causing damage to the body.
When faced with chronic stress and an over-activated autonomic nervous system, people begin to notice physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches, increased susceptibility to colds, and chronic diarrhea or constipation. Increased chronic stress, however, may cause more serious health problems to develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to: Diabetes Hair loss High blood pressure Heart disease Hyperthyroidism Obesity Obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder Depression Tooth and gum disease Ulcers Cancer (possibly) Isn't that an interesting list? Some research has estimated that as many as 90% of doctors’ visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related!
Think of it this way, too much stress and you forget not to be stressed out.Research has found that our stress response is being based on childhood experience. So, it is important to help our children find ways to cope with stress. Acknowledge that they have stress; although they might not worry about their jobs or how to keep food on the table, they do worry about school and their friendships. Their bodies have a hard time getting off the adrenalin high from their last video game or IM/texting marathon while keeping abreast of seven other different things.
You can combat stress in the family. Remember these simple ways, and introduce them to your children.*Movement: it helps the body to get the hormones out and go back to the relaxation response.*Meditation*Yoga*Breathing*Martial arts (let out the anger, frustration, stress, learn relaxation)*Writing in a journal*Listening to music (calming, not Heavy-Metal, Rap, or Rock)*Hypnotherapy
And last, but not least:
*9. Acupuncture
May you have stress-free moments in your month! If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me: info@AbsoluteComplementaryMedicine.com |
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