Are you suffering from stress related illnesses? The Congressional Prevention Coalition estimated that 90% of disease is caused or complicated by stress. Please take a moment, and let that sink in.
Learn how you can begin to take responsibility for your own wellbeing. It’s possible to improve a sense of wellbeing, even when you’re living with illness.
Some of the most prevalent health conditions – autoimmune illnesses, heart disease, stroke, cancer, anxiety, depression—are related to stress. The Congressional Prevention Coalition cites research that shows that “cardiac patients who learn to manage stress reduce their risk of having another heart attack or heart problem by 74%, which suggests that stress management is more effective than even exercise in preventing heart disease.”
It’s simply in the best interest of your health to reduce stress.
What is Stress?
Stress is a normal physiological response to a situation that is perceived as threatening. The stress response is activated when the brain perceives that there’s a threat. The challenge is that the part of the brain that activates the stress response isn’t very discerning between real threats and perceived threats, so it can sound the alarm when there’s no real threat of danger. Think about the things that lead to you getting bent out of shape during a day. Many of them likely aren’t real threats, but the brain perceives them as threats and activates a stress response in an attempt to protect you.
If you’re experiencing a real threat to your safety, stress response can often help you to survive. You respond to the danger, and then your nervous system rebalances. But if you’re repeatedly reacting to perceived threats, you may develop imbalance in your nervous system and experience symptoms of chronic stress.
Symptoms of Chronic Stress
Symptoms of chronic stress may include racing thoughts, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, sleep difficulties, gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches, tightness in your chest, chest pain, inflammation, muscular pain, depression, anger, irritability, and other symptoms.
Chronic stress can increase symptoms of stress related illnesses, and it can worsen some health conditions. A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a link between autoimmune disease and stress. It showed that stress related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or adjustment disorder increases a person’s risk for developing autoimmune disease. That’s why I encourage all of my clients to practice meditation and mindfulness to reduce stress.
Take Charge of Your Wellbeing
You don’t have to be a victim of your stress related illnesses. There are things you can do to reduce stress, decrease a number of symptoms if you have a stress related illness, and reduce your risk for developing additional illnesses.
Studies have repeatedly shown that meditation is effective for reducing stress. It’s a practice that you can begin right now, and there are numerous ways to learn more about the practice. Start with my post “How to Meditate.” Or check out my Body Scan Meditation on YouTube.