Stress
Stress is something we have all heard about and we all experience. Studies have shown a relationship between temperament, personality, and the ability to deal with stressors. Some individuals seem to be happy, no matter what happens in their lives, while others are anxious and fearful even when they are safe and secure. To a certain degree we are all born with one of these temperaments and there is biological evidence to go along with this temperament. Some individuals are more sensitive to stress than others. Two people experiencing the same medical procedure will have two different reactions.
The parasympathetic system regulates the calming and relaxing effect of the body and the sympathetic nervous system monitors the fight or flight response and is always on alert. Imbalances between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems can increase the body’s susceptibility to symptoms or disease. The autonomic nervous system processes and records your emotions and the hormones and neurochemicals they create. I you have a backlog of unprocessed emotions; they will begin to surface around the time of menopause. Your susceptibility to illness may increase if the fear-driven fight –or- flight response is triggered again and again. Diabetes, hypertension, or possibly an autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis may flare up.
What goes on in your mind activates either the parasympathetic or sympathetic nervous system. Every thought and every perception you have changes the homeostasis of the body. The language spoken by the autonomic nervous system is translated to the rest of your body by hormones.
Cortisol initially sparks the immune system. However if cortisol production is prolonged due to prolonged stress, cortisol’s effect on the immune system becomes detrimental. Long-term exposure to cortisol causes the skin to become thin, bones too become weaker, muscles and connective tissue to break down, the body to develop abnormal insulin metabolism, tissues to retain fluids, arms and legs to bruise more easily, and moods to lean toward depression.
When people persist in the perception that events and demands on their lives are stressful and uncontrollable, they adopt the mind-set that continually whips the adrenals into producing more and more cortisol. Over time the adrenals become exhausted and lose their ability to keep up with the demand for this hormone. Coupled with poor nutrition, impaired digestion, and poor assimilation of nutrients, the immune system is susceptible not only to infectious diseases, but also to autoimmune disorders and cancer.
Despite what we learn about healthy diets, healthy exercise practices and good medical care, the most important contributor to good health is our own thought processes. The people who heal the fastest and remain healthiest the longest are those who feel their lives are fulfilling and joyful. There is no supplement, no health care provider, and no exotic herb that can show the love and compassion for ourselves that is needed to heal. In order to heal we must be willing to love all of ourselves; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
