Stress - what you need to know

Stress - What you need to know By Joanne Oliver

I see many stress-related health conditions in my clinic and over the years have adapted and researched my various therapies so that I can offer a range of support options for my clients.

What I have found is that;

a) People do not realise that their current health problems are in direct response to stress levels. In our modern lives 'simple stress' is now cited as the cause of many of the big diseases including heart disease, depression, and cancer.

b) Most people feel some immediate improvement just by having a basic knowledge of how the body deals with stress. Many times we work against our bodies own in-built coping and recovery system just through not being aware of this!

c) Stress is individual. Everyone has their weak area, often inherited, that tends to 'show up first'. Each story is unique and valid. How two people cope with the same form of stress such as redundancy or grief could be very different but equally valid.

d) Just as we all suffer individually, the help needed can be very varied. There is now so much help out there, which can be tailored to your own circumstances that there is no need for so many to suffer.

e) Even if you feel 'you' can soldier on and there are worst cases than yours I would urge you to seek help. It is always far easier to prevent and reverse small imbalances than wait until we have a big problem.

F) Stress is not just for high powered business people. I treat housewives, mothers, grandparents, and teenagers, from all walks of life who are suffering from stress.

The most common symptoms I treat relating to stress include;

Sleep disorders (insomnia) this includes problems falling asleep at night and also those who have disturbed sleep patterns. Sleep is a very important area and this is usually my priority. Below you will see why this should always be addressed if you are suffering with stress. As a Herbalist I can and do use my herbal teas and individual formulas to help quickly restore a good sleep pattern. Through Iridology I often find that those who have inherited one of the nervous system constitutions will often need more support around feeding and relaxing the nervous system to aid sleep.

What we eat and drink can contribute to both the quantity and quality of our sleep, which is why food has to be part of any stress-reducing programme.

Fatigue and low energy is the next common condition from which many people suffer when under stress. This one needs very careful evaluation, is the body in recovery? Are the adrenals tired? Is this related to sleep? Is this due to a toxic colon? Or is lifestyle and diet the main culprit? For this I find that the Morrell Reflex Touch therapy I use can provide me with all the answers, and because I can find all this information through a sensitive exploration of the reflex points on and around the feet; as a bonus this is non-invasive and relaxing in itself! The action I take will always be based on what the individual cause is.

Digestive disorders are another common symptom of stress, which I come across. This ranges from burning pains in the stomach, constipation, IBS and very spasmodic bowels. My work as a Naturopath means that I will often use a combination of therapies in tandem based around the individual. This could include gentle herbal combinations to soothe the entire GI tract, using visualisation and other relaxation techniques, advice around colon care, and healing through the reflex points in the feet.

There are of course many symptoms of stress that manifest as physical health problems those above are just a few common ones I treat.

I have found that once people understand, even in very simple terms, what goes on in the body when they are under stress – they find it much easier to prevent stress becoming a big problem in their lives.

We all suffer with stress at some point in our lives and our bodies have a built in coping mechanism. Originally stress was more of a preserving life issue, which is where our ‘flight or fight’ response comes from. In simple terms when the emotions and mind flag up a stressful situation the body releases reserves of energy (from the adrenals) that allow us to deal with the situation physically and emotionally. The amount of energy released is in direct relation to how the mind and emotions rate the situation.

For instance one very well known research found that the stress response for a driver in a typical traffic jam, generated enough energy for him to easily run four miles!!!

So we can see that this increased energy response can be a very positive experience and indeed we can become ‘addicted’ to the highs of stress!

The body waits for the situation to resolve when it knows we will relax and maybe even sleep and then it repairs and restores the body. Much like taking out a credit card, the body ‘borrows’ energy from the future and then ‘pays it back’ through rest, relaxation and sleep. These are crucial, as only when the body is in these states, can the vital recovery and restoring take place. Now you can see why sleep is so important when you are under stress and also when you are recovering from stress.

This also explains when people going through stressful situations seem to be able to ‘keep going’, and then once the stress reduces or is resolved often that person will then have a range of physical health problems.

Many people having been through a stressful situation feel there must be something wrong with them because they feel tired. Now we can see that this is not only normal but also very important and to be encouraged with early nights and relaxation techniques.

However one of two things usually happens;

1.When we feel ‘tired’ we turn to stimulants in the form of caffeine, sugar, nicotine or other energy stimulating products or situations to ‘boost’ our energy. Often this shows up as a craving for coffee or chocolate, which gives us a temporary ‘high’ and energy boost.
In my work I detail a programme to gradually reduce these substances while providing additional support as often just ‘stopping’ them can cause very real physical conditions that are stressful in themselves. If in doubt always seek professional advice

2. The stress continues on a daily basis.

This is the point at which stress becomes a threat to our overall health and wellbeing. I call this the ‘stress spiral’ with a never ending cycle of stimulation and no recovery.
Now we all react to stress in our individual ways, our unique bodies have their own strengths and weaknesses but all of us can improve how we deal with our stress.

Are you suffering with stress?
Below is a common set of questions you can ask yourself to see if you might be suffering with stress. Depending which questions you give a yes for will give a trained therapist invaluable information as to what areas of stress you need to work on first;

1. Do you find yourself irritable?
2. Do you feel tired all the time?
3. Do you feel worse in the morning?
4. Do you find it hard to concentrate and often get confused?
5. Do you worry about events of the day?
6. Do you use coffee, tea, fizzy drinks or cigarettes as a pick-me-up?
7. Do you have problems sleeping?
8. Do you often experience mental tiredness?
9. Do you have aching limbs or recurrent headaches?
10. Do your mood swings go up and down for no apparent reason?
11. Do you feel fearful?
12. Do you frequently repeat yourself in conversation?
13. Do you take on too much?
14. Do you have headaches or shaky feelings that improve with caffeine or sweets?
15. Do you find it difficult to make decisions?
16. Does it take you longer to learn things than it used to?

Remember it is quite normal to have the odd stressful days. But if any of the above describe you for much of the time - then I would suggest seeking help.

There is help

Every small town now has many therapists offering a wide range of treatments to help with coping with stress. As I mentioned before stress is varied and individual and so, also the answer can be varied. But help is available and some of it is easy to find and do.

Below is a summary of how I work, always around the indiviuals needs.

Information armed with information about stress, about how your body is coping, what you have inherited, what we have learned from your case history, what you are doing right now regarding lifestyle, emotions etc. Only with information can we determine what the next step should be. This article is an example of information.

Go at your pace I work with you and your individual case. Once you are informed with information we then need to discover what you are able to do now. Where do you need most support right now?

For some deeply relaxing healing treatments can bring almost immediate relief and that is all they can cope with right now. But slowly as these treatments continue and build you will find the inner strength to work through what needs to be done. This is the beauty of gentle relaxing treatments such as Morrell Reflex Touch.

Others find a herbal tincture that supports them daily while they are in the worst of a situation is a huge benefit. Herbs are very useful for many conditions associated with stress including feeding and nourishing the adrenals.

Some are keen to make the changes needed to their lifestyle, which can be very empowering especially coping with stress. I cover many areas including introducing the many benefits of living foods, cleansing the liver, colon and kindneys and hundreds of other hints and tips from my work as a naturopath.

For others emotional and spiritual support are what seems to get them through to the next stage and helps make sense of what is a very mad world at times.

If you think you may be suffering from stress, and would like to find out more about how Jo can help you

Please call 01280 844965 or email jo.chillzone@btinternet.com

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Stress - what you need to know