Why is it we PANIC when we hear the words . . .| Cancer | AIDS | Tuberculosis | Leukemia |
. . . think IMMEDIATELY of treatment and medication.
And yet, when we hear the word . . . Stress . . . no problem!
We hear it so much that we really DON'T hear it.
Everyone has stress. No big deal. We'll slow down one of these days when we can.
Stress - The Greatest Medical Problem Of This Century...
And The Most Misunderstood!
Now is the time to really LISTEN and UNDERSTAND and EDUCATE yourself about Stress.
- STRESS is freeway traffic at a standstill,
- Getting up early to go to a job we hate that pays us a measly salary that never covers the bills.
- STRESS is possibly a marriage gone sour.
- Stress is worrying about the children or worrying about a million other things going on in your life.
These are stressful situations that may cause anger, depression, anxiety, frustration and we know these feelings are not good for our blood pressure or hearts or the way we respond to other individuals.
It is during these moments that harmful chemicals are being released throughout our bodies.
But, do you realize our bodies release these same harmful chemicals in our bodies when these things happen?
Loud music
loud noises
television sounds and pictures
video game noises
noises that are a constant from living in a big city, overcrowding.
Daily, almost hourly, emotions like frustration, irritation, resentment, hurt, anxiety, threats, even arguing with someone.
Do you realize, WITHOUT US KNOWING IT OR EVEN FEELING ANYTHING, our bodies are CHEMICALLY reacting in every single one of these instances and in many many more.
Yes, stress is killing us everyday!
In your brain are ten billion neurons (brain cells). Between each and every one of these are neurotransmitters. Chemical messengers that TRANSMIT thought from one cell to the next, allowing brain cells to "talk to each other."
Some transmitters transmit thought in a positive, happy or euphoric feeling; some transmit thought in a relaxed, calm and quiet mood; some transmit thought in a highly motivated, intense and focused "state of mind," and so on.
The types of transmitters change regularly between cells in your brain to meet the needs of your current circumstance.
During times of stress it must raise levels of another transmitter that helps you to remain calm and in control.
IT IS CRITICAL that all of the major neurotransmitters be present daily and in sufficient amounts in order for the brain to be chemically balanced. When there are insufficient amounts of one or more of these it upsets the ratio and symptoms are experienced.
Certain transmitters, when depleted, may cause you to be easily agitated or angered, experience mild to severe anxiety and have sleep problems. You may feel more psychological and physical pain. These can all be symptoms of neurotransmitter insufficiency.
STRESS: Stress depletes neurotransmitters! Any type of stress . . .
In handling daily stress the brain uses feel good transmitters called endorphins (opiods). When large amounts are needed to handle stress, the RATIO of many of the other transmitters, one to another, becomes upset creating a chemical imbalance.
We begin to FEEL stress more acutely -- a sense of urgency and anxiety creates more stress. Harmful chemicals are released in our bodies that do damage, causing more stress.
We call this vicious cycle the "stress cycle." Emotional fatigue can result, and be experienced and felt as depression.
The body responds to EMOTIONAL STRESS exactly as it responds to PHYSICAL DANGER.
Without our being aware of it, usually not feeling it at all, our bodies are continuously reacting to emotions such as frustration, irritation, resentment, hurt, grief and anxiety -- responding to these MENTAL and EMOTIONAL STRUGGLES with a primitive physiological "fight or flight" response designed to prepare our bodies to face immediate danger.
In modern day life we don't fight, we don't flee. Instead, the high-energy chemicals produced in many everyday situations boil inside of us, potentially taking years off our lives.
Almost All The Body Functions And
Organs React To Stress.
Your body responds to stress with a series of physiological changes that include increased secretion of adrenaline, elevation of blood pressure, acceleration of the heartbeat, and greater tension in the muscles.
Digestion slows or stops. Within 24 to 48 hours after a stress-anxiety-anger reaction, major physical symptoms can and do occur.
Stress Creates An Excellent
Breeding Ground For Illness!
Increased adrenaline production causes the body to step up its metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to quickly produce energy for the body to use.
The pituitary gland increases its production of andrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the release of the hormones cortisone and cortisol.
These have the effect of inhibiting the functioning of disease fighting white blood cells and suppressing the immune system response.
This complex of physical changes known as the "fight or flight" response is also the reason that stress can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Researchers estimate that stress contributes to as many as 80% of all major illnesses that include cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine and metabolic disease, skin disorders and infectious ailments of all kinds.
Studies by the American Medical Association have shown stress to be a factor in over 75% of all illnesses today.
Research linking stress to a variety of diseases and illnesses has been the subject of more than 20,000 scientific studies.
Amino Acids, Vitamins, and Minerals Therapy!
Neurotransmitter deficiencies can be expressed as both psychological (behavioral pattern) and physiological (physical craving) problems. Amino acid therapy provides the nutrition needed to overcome the physiological problems so that 12-step recovery programs, counseling and diets can work.
In stressful situations, here is what happens :
The alarm is signaled in your brain. Adrenaline races through your body, commanding a series of physical changes.
The heart immediately beats harder and faster so your blood pressure abruptly rises.
Automatically, blood is shunted away from the stomach and skin, where it is not needed, to the muscles, where the body feels it is needed.
High energy fats are rushed into the blood stream for energy.
Chemicals are released to make the blood clot more quickly in case of injury.
In these situations, the statements we want to remember are "Adrenaline is released" and "chemicals are released". In other words, eventually, our brain runs out of these chemicals or Neurotransmitters.
When this happens , the Stress Cycle is started. Its like dominos.
One Neurotransmitter depletion affects the other and that depletion affects the other, and so on.
