Health

Recognizing the Signs of Stress So You Can Take Control of Your Life

People react differently to stress, yet everyone feels its effects. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you probably already know that you will crack under pressure sooner or later.

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What precisely is stress, and how does it affect you?

Excess causes a cascade of mental, physiological, and emotional reactions collectively called “stress.” It doesn’t matter if the overabundance is in the form of work, partying, food, or a baby’s cries. By definition, you are pushing your body beyond its limits, and it will let you know about it sooner or later, usually in a dramatic fashion and with little to no notice. Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a stress hormone released in response to almost every stressful situation.

Adrenaline is a hormone produced naturally by the body and plays a vital role in many processes, but, as with any substance, too much of it can be harmful. Very modest increases in adrenaline have profound consequences on the host, i.e., YOU, because adrenaline is a hormone (a substance secreted in one region of the body that affects other, distant portions of the body). Hormones are potent, so even a slight elevation can have far-reaching consequences. Adrenaline has several physiological effects, including acceleration of heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and suppression of digestion.

The “fight or flight” response is the best analogy for understanding how adrenaline works. Everyone knows the feeling of our hearts racing, our stomachs knotting, our hands going numb, and our senses becoming hyper-aware in the face of unexpected fear or imminent danger. This is your body’s way of getting ready to “fight” or “fight” from the current stressful scenario. In nature, this state is always followed by a time of intense physical action (such as fleeing or fighting) that “burns up” the adrenaline and allows the body to relax again. When this kind of movement is lacking, stress becomes harmful.

When stress lasts for a long time, especially if it isn’t followed by some physical activity to “relieve the pressure,” several adverse outcomes can occur. First, all stress is cumulative, meaning that it builds up until the system can no longer withstand it, and a “release” is necessary to bring it back to equilibrium. Therefore, chronic, long-term increases in blood pressure, heart rate, etc., are harmful and require an increasing number of repairs as adrenaline levels rise. Because of this, the body’s supply of gasoline, oil, and other “goodies” is depleted (just as if you drove your car at 6,000 revolutions per minute instead of 2,500, you’d use more gas and oil and have it wear out faster).

As a result, your body is in a precarious position. It must quickly replenish what you have depleted. However, if stress remains unresolved, digestion slows to a crawl, and nutritional absorption suffers. Your body doesn’t care about that; it needs those nutrients RIGHT NOW. Therefore it will take them from wherever they may be found. This means that to preserve energy and nutrients, the body will slow down or shut down processes that aren’t necessary for survival. If this is insufficient, seeking out more nutrients elsewhere will be required. In extreme circumstances, this can lead to the breakdown of muscle, bone, connective tissue, and other organs to salvage their nutrition.

Long-term, this is not good and will lead to disastrous consequences. Ironically, a state of equilibrium and “ease” can quickly deteriorate into a “dis-ease” or sickness. All chronic diseases can be traced back to this one cause. It’s now easy to grasp the logic behind what initially seemed ridiculous.

Taking Stress Seriously

There are only two essential elements in stress recognition. The first step in relieving stress is realizing you have it, and the second is figuring out what is causing it.

It’s usually not too hard to figure out if you have stress. High blood pressure, heart disease, skin issues, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc., are all chronic diseases that place undue strain on the body. According to Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry, ALL chronic illness indicates stress on one or more physiological systems and a sign of a specific nutritional shortage. Remember that stress comes in various disguises, not all of which are immediately apparent.

It’s difficult to pinpoint your anxiety’s precise cause(s). Maybe particular things, times of day, or people set off your stress alarms more often than others. It could be something you do physically, eat, or in your environment like commuting, a noisy house, or the phone sound (or a baby wailing). Heart palpitations, a racing pulse, chronic muscle/other pains from being too “tense,” and any other variety of symptoms are just that; symptoms of a more significant, more fundamental problem that will resolve themselves with little to no intervention on your part if the underlying cause is addressed.

A visit to a trained alternative medicine practitioner specializing in stress-related fields like acupuncture, reflexology, massage, reiki, kinesiology, etc., will likely benefit most people. Tai chi and yoga are great examples of relaxation techniques that can help you not only wind down but also zero in on specific sources of stress in your body. Stress can be traced back to particular causes, and a battery of diagnostic tests can help doctors zero in on those causes and pinpoint the best course of action for restoring your health. Remember that this isn’t just about reducing your symptoms; the underlying issue must be addressed and resolved entirely (unless you keep subjecting yourself to the same stressful conditions, in which case the symptoms will quickly return).

When you know what’s causing you stress, you can do something about it. Your doctor will give you recommendations based on the ideas presented in The Principles of Stress Relief. (below)