Stress by Lorna Cameron

What is Stress?

How it can affect us?

Ways of dealing with the affects

by Lorna Cameron



Stress can be defined as the body’s way of coping with the environment around us. ‘An adaptive response to any demand put upon a person’. ‘Sigmund Freud’ sums it up in one sentence “Stress is the price one has to pay for being civilised”. It depends very much on the individuals’ perception of what a stressful situation is, as to how that person’s body reacts. Many people would see bereavement, moving house, owing large debts and getting divorced as very stressful, however others may find they can adjust reasonably easily to these situations. Some people seem to be stressed out over situations like being stuck in a traffic jam, whereas others would view this as a minor disruption, and would take a deep breath and keep calm, knowing that they cannot change the situation by worrying. If it requires adjustments either in your life or that of your loved ones then there is usually a certain degree of stress involved. Although a certain amount of stress is actually good for us, our emotional response and the ability we have to ‘rise to the occasion and rebalance ourselves ‘ are in some people quite remarkable in their efforts to shake of the demands of the outside world. However, prolonged and severe stress can be very harmful physically and emotionally.

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS

Stress causes a combination of responses in the body, such as an increase in your heartbeat, breathing becomes faster, and you breathe using the upper part of your thorax (causing hyperventilation), your blood pressure may go up, palms of hands become sweaty, your muscles will tense up, increased need to empty your bladder or bowels, the hairs on your skin may stand up, and you may suddenly start shivering or shaking. These physiological responses would be a sign of a normal reaction to a stressful situation and provided that the stress is a short term (acute) type then our body’s “fight or flight” response comes into action, for instance – If a car is speeding towards you at an incredible rate it would be described as acute stress and your “fight or flight” response would be the reaction to save your life. On the other hand, if your are constantly faced with unemployment, bereavement, illness, money worries, bad relationship problems e.t.c., then it becomes much more harmful and stress takes a chronic form.

As mentioned before occasional stress is normal, and once you have dealt with the situation and the stress goes away then your body should heal and return to normal. Chronic stress however is much more damaging. As stresses accumulate over time, eventually the body becomes inefficient at handling even the smallest of stresses. Your heart, lungs and circulatory system are influenced by the increased heart rate. Blood flow may increase 300 to 400 %. The brain, heart, lungs, vessels and muscles become so chronically over or under activated that they become damaged. According to Dr. Pearsall’s book “The Hearts Code” – ‘It is this sort of stress which may worsen or trigger heart disease, strokes, susceptibility to infection, sleep disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory and learning dysfunction, digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes, muscular pain and skin disorders’. It also affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). “ Research has shown that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue change and organ dysfunction. With the new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, scientists are able to prove visibly that chronic stress can shrink an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. Researchers have found that the brains of war veterans, as well as the victims of childhood sexual abuse, have a marked reduction in the size of their hypothalamus”. The hypothalamus regulates the internal environment through the autonomic system. For example it controls heartbeat, body temperature and water balance, it also controls glandular secretions of the pituitary gland. Shrinkage of the thymus, spleen and lymphatics, which are all involved in the body’s immune system, can lead to immune deficiency. Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the effects of stress and other psychological factors on the immune system, and there is increasing evidence that stress increases the chances of someone becoming ill. Either directly by reducing the body’s ability to fight illness, or indirectly, by leading the stressed individual to adopt an unhealthy lifestyle, i.e. alcohol, drugs, smoking, and eating unhealthy foods.

Physically - with the initial onset of stress and we experience the dry mouth, heart racing, shaking and sweating, we are at this point in the ‘alarm reaction’, when the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is activated. If the chemicals released by this system are not utilised then that’s when they can cause harm to the body. The next stage is ‘resistance’ the body begins to cope with the increased sympathetic activity by releasing hormones and chemicals to counteract the effects of this activity. When ‘exhaustion’ occurs after the other responses, then the body’s resources become depleted and illness sets in. In the beginning this might show up as lethargy, taking longer to do a job, increased memory lapses and accidents, getting agitated and anxious about relatively minor situations, low self esteem and morale, headaches and sore muscles are to name but a few. When we experience the physical signs and they are starting to affect our lives then it is time to sit back and examine, reflect, relax and revalue our life, as these warnings should be taken seriously.

Psychologically – “Extensive multidisciplinary studies have presented unequivocal evidence that our psychological responses to stress and our perceptions of stress considerably effect our susceptibility to disease. In active relationship, the immune, Neuroendocrine, and nervous systems respond to the brain and psyche. “Virtually all illnesses, from the flu to cancer, are influenced for good or bad by our thoughts and feelings”, states R. Lloyd, (1990) “Healing Brain”. We have all witnessed individuals who seem to worry endlessly about situations that are outwith their control. Working mums have to deal with a lot of stress when it comes to juggling their career and childcare arrangements. Stay at home mums have just as stressful a time trying to meet the demands of their little ones, their husbands, housework e.t.c, and will find little or no time to relax and find time for themselves. A lot of people have very demanding jobs and will find it very difficult to relax and unwind, as they are constantly worrying or thinking of their work even when they are not there.

It is true to say that we cannot control every stressful situation that comes our way, however we can deal with things to the best of our ability, and if that is not enough then we have to find a constructive way of dealing with the effects that stress has upon us, there are numerous ways of doing this –

METHODS OF REDUCING STRESS IN BOTH CLIENT AND THERAPIST


When we consider all the different forms of stress control or reduction, and put them into action, then we have a concrete platform on which we can learn to alleviate ailments and discourage disease and illness.

Firstly by getting enough sleep (six to eight hours each day). This means that our bodies have a chance to renew cells and restore our nervous system.

Breathing deeply is one of the most effective ways to relax, as stress is particularly associated with shallow breathing. This in turn leads to more tension and anxiety. And unless this kind of breathing is replaced by deep, diaphragmatic breathing, using the abdominal muscles, then it is almost impossible to relax physically or mentally. A good way of doing this is by sitting or lying down, making sure you are completely comfortable, placing the flat palm of your hand on your stomach, underneath your ribcage, and inhaling as much as you can, counting up to eight, then exhale slowly counting to eight again. Concentrating completely on your breathing calms the emotions and energises the mind. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn reduces stress and creates a sense of calmness and control.

Meditation is a very good way of relieving stress. This involves using the breathing technique as mentioned before. Then using visualisation to encourage peaceful thoughts and emotions to emerge. For instance imagining that you are relaxing on a sun drenched beach, and concentrating on each and every muscle group, firstly by tensing the muscles then relaxing them, and working your way up your body step by step, completely concentrating on your breathing and being conscious of each and every muscle as you tense and release. Imagining that as you breathe in you are inhaling positive energy, and as you breathe out you are exhaling negative energy. Meditation is quite an individual method, and everyone will have their own pictures that conjure up peaceful images. Whichever method used it is important to be as comfortable as possible and to be in a very quiet and warm environment.

Exercise – Apart from the obvious benefit (keeping trim and in shape) exercise gives improved heart, lung and circulation function, more flexible joints and stronger muscles and bones. The appearance of skin and hair will improve and sleep will be of a better quality. Stress levels will be reduced and tempers will become sweeter. Walking in the country where the air is clean and fresh, taking in all the wonderful sights that nature has to offer, trees, flowers, squirrels, birds. Focusing on the positive aspects of our environment can bring very refreshing thoughts. Swimming is one of the greatest forms of exercise and a superb stress buster, imagine with every stroke you take that you are releasing all your negative energy into the pool. Cycling is also very good for releasing anger or frustration as is banging away on drums.

Diet is equally important, making sure you have at least eight glasses of water a day. Plenty fruit and vegetables (at least Five portions a day). And by eating a balanced diet including carbohydrates, you can increase levels of serotonin, the chemical known for its calming and soothing properties, other serotonin inducing foods include- whole grains, fruit juices, popcorn, leafy green vegetables, carrots and potatoes. Good wholesome food really is the fuel that runs the engine.

Yoga is a very affective way of dealing with tension. There are many different types of yoga, the main emphasise is on stretching and breathing. Going to a class has the added benefit of meeting new people and working within a group.

Having a strong support network of family and friends that you can talk to. Releasing tension by talking it out, we’ve all heard the saying “ A problem shared is a problem halved”.

Many people believe that prayer has a very powerful effect, and that to have some sort of spiritual belief has a profound effect – According to Dr. Larry Dossey “ Prayer based healings are one of the best kept secrets in medical science, research into the value of prayer on the effects of stress and illness are astounding”.

And lastly treating others as you would expect to be treated yourself, with love respect and honesty. Dealing with problems as they arise. A positive mental attitude about life, as there is always something positive to be found in a bad situation if we take the time to look and think about what is going on around us. There are always people worst of than ourselves!

“Peace is about…. Releasing, embracing, meditating, being peaceful, mindful, joyful, creating rituals, giving thanks, slowing down, centring, knowing that all is well, transcending the petty, climbing the ladder to success, feeling safe and having patience” ‘Susan Jeffers’(p.108) “The Little Book Of Peace” Hodder & Stoughton.


Healing Touch: “Human Beings are rather like elastic bands in that they can only stretch so far before they snap” say’s massage therapist ‘Bernie Rowan’. A good massage assists the mind/body mechanisms to produce endorphins – the body’s very own stress relievers. It is very important to make clients feel as relaxed as possible before and after treatment. Human touch is soothing in itself, and combined with stress relieving oils, a kind and caring approach, a tranquil and warm treatment room, we have a very good chance of creating a feeling of well-being and relaxation within our clients and ourselves. As therapists we have to be aware of how our attitudes and responses can reflect on the treatment. Therefore focusing on positive feelings, breathing exercises, sympathetic listening, tone of voice, open body language and relaxing music, are all essential to ensure feelings of – Peace, relaxation, client comfort, positivity. Which in turn should promote feelings of self-confidence in your client and yourself, as a satisfied client makes the therapy worthwhile. Also being confident that the treatment works will reduce inhibitions of future treatments for the client. The first step to relieving pain in muscles is by letting go and relaxing these muscles. The goal should be to limit the amount of stress and keep it under control. This requires a definite personal commitment, but the rewards should prove well worthwhile!

by Lorna Cameron



BIBLIOGRAPHY:



Dossey, L . 1995 “Healing Happens” Utne Reader, no. 71 (Sept/Oct).

Pearsall, P. 1998. “The Hearts Code” New York. Random House.

Jeffers. S. 2001. “The Little Book Of Peace” Hodder & Stoughton (Glasgow).

Mader, S. 2003 “Human Biology” McGraw – Hill

Purcheon, N. 1995. “Bodycraft” Blitz Editions (Hong Kong).

Simmons, R. 1997. “stress” Element Books ( U.S.A).



REFERENCES:

http://family doctor.org. (How to Cope With Life’s challenges).

“The Dance Between Joy And Pain” Dr Mansukh Patel & Rita Goswami.(July 2002)

Natural Health Magazine (November 2003).