Stress is the body's reaction to unplanned events in life. Some people take everything to heart so much that they start to get very sick.
What is stress
The concept of "stress" was introduced into the lexicon relatively recently - in 1936. Initially, the concept of "stress" denoted the reaction of the body to any change in the environment. In other words, stress was considered an adaptive moment for any changes in order to maintain the normal functioning of body systems.
The concept of "stress" can cover a whole range of events, and their polarity in this definition is absolutely not important. A stressful event can be safely considered and great sorrow and great joy. Stress has accompanied mankind since its inception. Its sources vary depending on the level of civilization: from fear of predators to worries about exams or an interview with an employer.
Strong emotions caused by stress affect the vital activity of the body, exacerbating inflammation, exacerbating chronic diseases and disrupting the normal functioning of organs.
Doctors consider stress to be the cause of a number of serious and dangerous diseases:
- heart diseases;
- obesity;
- diabetes;
- problems of the gastrointestinal tract;
- asthma;
Physiological reactions occur in response to stress. These are the moments when the brain is not able to fully control the situation.
The devastating effect of stress on the body has been proven time and time again. The mutual influence of somatics and the psyche is so great that no one will dispute the fact that stress is the cause of somatic diseases.
The mechanism of stress is as follows: stress causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline. The latter increases the heart rate. In the absence of a threat from the outside, a person's condition softens, as the level of adrenaline in the blood decreases. Frequent stress cause a constant stay of adrenaline in the blood, which is dangerous for the body.
Cortisol performs several functions in the body, from regulating sugar levels to influencing metabolic processes. Cortisol can delay pain, weaken libido, and take part in the development of some serious diseases.
Stress can cause serious somatic diseases.
Profound Effects of Stress
Some effects of stress are not immediately noticeable, but their manifestations are still associated with constant stress:
- Premature aging. Stress-induced changes in the body accelerate aging. A person not only looks older, but also becomes susceptible to disease.
- Early death. People who are in stressful situations die early enough. At the same time, at least a quarter of the population can be attributed to the risk group. The higher the stress exposure, the greater the risk of early death.
Stress has a profound effect on the body. Protecting yourself from stressful situations is almost impossible. However, you can learn techniques to reduce the effects of stress on the body.
Stress is the body's response to negative emotions, increased loads, monotonous fuss. During the period of such tension in the human body, the hormone adrenaline is produced, which contributes to the activation of mental activity. However, such a “splash” of emotions during serious or numerous stresses is replaced by weakness, a feeling of apathy, an inability to think clearly and consistently and, as a result, the development of various painful conditions.
How to recognize
It is important to know the symptoms of stress in order to provide timely assistance to your body or support loved ones:
- a persistent feeling of depression, irritability, which often has no definite reason;
- restless sleep;
- physical weakness, lack of desire to do anything, depression, headache, apathy, fatigue;
- memory impairment, difficulty in learning, decreased concentration of attention, complicating work, inhibition of the thought process;
- weak interest in others and the social sphere of life, the disappearance of interest in relatives and friends;
- inability to relax;
- tearfulness, bouts of sobbing, persistent feelings of melancholy, self-pity, pessimism;
- weak appetite or excessive passion for the absorption of food;
- the appearance of nervous tics or the occurrence of obsessive habits, for example, lip biting, the habit of biting nails, etc .;
- fussiness, lack of assembly, distrust of others.
- Mental. Caused by strong negative or positive emotions.
- Physical. They are formed under the influence of various adverse physical influences, such as extreme cold, atmospheric pressure drops, unbearable heat, etc.
- Chemical. Caused by exposure to toxic substances.
- Biological. They are formed due to the influence of viral diseases, injuries and excessive muscle loads.
- Under stress, biochemical reactions are accelerated, and the energy potential increases, that is, the body mobilizes forces and prepares to respond to a difficult situation with double strength.
- The adrenal glands increase the release of adrenaline, which is a fast-acting stimulant. The “emotional brain center” of the hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary and adrenal cortex, which in turn respond with an increased release of hormones.
- In standard doses, hormones ensure the normal functioning of the body, however, with their increased production, various undesirable reactions occur on the part of the body, which often leads to disorders in the functioning of internal systems and organs and to the development of diseases.
- Angina - You refrain from harsh words. Feel incapable
express yourself. - Phlebeurysm - Being in a situation you hate. Disapproval. Feeling overwhelmed and overwhelmed by work.
- Gastritis - Protracted uncertainty. Feeling of doom.
- Runny nose - Request for help. Internal crying.
- Obesity: thighs (upper part) - Lumps of stubbornness and anger at parents.
- Obesity: hands - Anger due to rejected love.
- Scabies - Infected mind. Letting others get on your nerves.
- Diseases of the knees Stubbornness and pride. Inability to be a malleable person. Fear. Inflexibility. Unwillingness to give in.
Types of stress
Depending on the type of stimulus, there are types of stress:
stress diseases
Given the increased "stress" of modern times, caused by numerous factors, a whole branch of medicine has been created that studies different kinds stress as the main or auxiliary factor in the development various diseases. This branch is called psychosomatic medicine.
According to psychosomatic medicine, the negative impact of stress on the human body is multifaceted and is not limited to damage to one organ or system. He is often a "provocateur" of the development of various diseases.
First of all, stressful situations negatively affect the state and work of the cardiovascular system, as a result of which such diseases develop: hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris. The gastrointestinal tract also suffers, this manifests itself in the form of diseases such as gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
With increased production of the stress hormone, the production of insulin in the body decreases (the so-called “steroid” diabetes sets in), the growth and development of the child’s body is retarded, immunity decreases, and degeneration of spinal cord and brain cells occurs.
Having understood the mechanism of action of stress, one can roughly estimate the harm that it causes to the human body:
Increased doses of hormones can disrupt the water-salt balance of the blood, activate the digestion of food, increase blood pressure, increase the number of leukocytes in the blood, provoke the development of allergic reactions, overload immune system. During a period of stress, the pulse quickens, blood sugar increases, a person breathes often and intermittently.
Due to the lack of physical activity, biologically active substances produced in high dosages during stress circulate in the blood for a long time, keeping in tension nervous system and the body as a whole. For example, a high concentration of glucocorticoid hormones in the muscles causes the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids which can eventually lead to muscle wasting.
Psychosomatics - nervous diseases
Our body is a unique world in which body and psyche form a single whole. And psychosomatics is the language they speak. And if it fails somewhere in the region of emotions and experiences, you can feel it, say, in the region of the heart. Or earn some kind of illness on a nervous basis.
Having sat down to work on this difficult topic, I immediately fell ill: I woke up with a runny nose, sore throat and an emerging temperature. Most likely, there was a banal cold. But everything has happened in my life. For example, at a school graduation, I was paired with a temperature of 39: almost immediately this pleasant event was followed by entry exams which I really didn't want to give up.
Helped us:
Daria Suchilina
Psychologist, body-oriented psychotherapist
Victoria Chal-Boru
Psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Researcher CPPO ASOU, lecturer
And now a whole flotilla of similar cases is floating through the waves of my memory when I talk with our expert, psychologist Victoria Chal-Boru. But first, we're doing an experiment on me. Vika presses her hand on my knee - and it moves a little to the side. He removes his hand - I return the limb to its original position. Vika asks if I had any feeling at the same time. “Yes, no, definitely not!” “And with what joy did you move your foot back?” - “It was just uncomfortable to sit like that” - “Here, it’s uncomfortable - you, in fact, felt some irritation, discontent. The brain digested this signal and realized that it would be necessary to return everything to its place.
Then we consider the situation when I can’t move my leg back: physically (Vika presses with her hand too hard) or, for example, I pass in front of her, because she threatened: “Well, sit like that!” Here my dissatisfaction again gives a signal for action, but here's an ambush - it's impossible. I find myself in a vicious circle.
"And what's going on with the leg?" Vika asks. And I understand that my limb is already getting used to being in this state and, in principle, I can continue to sit like this. “So, in fact, it happens, getting used to and pretending not to notice is worth nothing. But then, for some reason, suddenly, varicose veins form on this leg, relatively speaking. Or, for example, some joint falls out. But what could I do? It turns out, for example, to just immediately give Vika an eye (or remove her hand from her knee / leave the room / say directly that I am indignant) - and then I would definitely do without varicose veins.
In two simple words, psychosomatics are situations when the body takes on repressed emotional experiences: they have accumulated, hidden, and they need to somehow get out. And you eventually express them - through the somatic (that is, bodily) channel. How, why, why? - this is very worth digging into, even if everything is serene with you now.
Healthy psychosomatic reactions
Situations like the temperature that accompanies important events, are the so-called psychosomatic reactions. According to Daria Suchilina, they do not go beyond the normal and healthy functioning of the body (thank you - lucky). For example, remember how you fell in love, or rather, how your heart beat then. And nothing - alive and well. From the same series such things as dizziness after an experienced accident, loss of appetite from sadness.
Often we ourselves know about these features of our own: if sore throat - it means that he did not express something important at the right time; head - overstressed, grinding over and over again the same problem. It is Daria and I who give you conditional examples. Everything, as is often the case, is individual. And here the main thing is to listen to your body, establish contact with it and learn to negotiate.
Psychosomatic disorders
Another thing is psychosomatic disorders. Our expert Daria Suchilina divides them into 3 large groups:
1. Conversion symptoms
Conversion is transformation. Here is the transformation of the repressed mental conflict into somatic symptoms (calm, now you will understand everything). These symptoms, as a rule, are “speaking” - hysterical blindness or deafness, the same paralysis (when your hands are taken away or you cannot walk).
It happens like this. A person finds himself in a traumatic situation that is unbearable for him, and for the purpose of self-preservation, the body turns off. For example, he thinks: “My eyes would not see this!” - and in fact ceases to see. But if you suddenly put such a citizen in the face of real danger (if you don’t look under your feet, you can die!), Vision turns on again.
What else is there to add? Similar cases are dealt with by minor psychiatry (the one that deals with mental disorders on the border of the norm and pathology).
2. Functional syndromes
These are a variety of (and often vague) complaints about a disruption in the functioning of one of the body's systems, as an option - difficulty breathing, a lump in the throat, strange sensations in the heart area. As a rule, no organics are found in the patient - in other words, the tests show that everything is in order, there are no violations. But it still hurts and chokes!
Often such symptoms are visited by citizens with depressive manifestations, increased anxiety, sleep disturbances and panic attacks (you will die on the spot from this lump in your throat, right now!). So light antidepressants and sedatives prescribed by a psychiatrist or neurologist can be used for treatment.
There is also the term “psycho-vegetative syndromes” - in fact, this is the same thing, however, here they often talk about some kind of general poor health, malaise. Victim #1 - human adolescence. “During this period, the hormonal system is being restructured, new emotions appear, a lot of things are annoying, love is not allowed to sleep peacefully, children's fairy tales lose their magical power, and dad is not omnipotent. In the end, a change in values and life ideals is only a sufficiently deep reason for a general malaise to begin in the body - psycho-vegetative dystonia, ”Daria says with sincere sympathy for the youth.
And, as if by chance, he adds: “According to the same scheme, similar the disorder can begin in any person who has a hard time: hard work, family problems, angry boss, low self-esteem, unstable political situation and further down the list - everything around is bad, and all the gears in the body are also upset.
3. Psychosomatic diseases = psychosomatosis
These are, in fact, the most real bodily diseases, with morphological changes and pathological disorders in the organs (in general, the analyzes are not in order), only caused by the psyche. Various ailments are periodically added to this list, but six claim to be classics of the genre: bronchial asthma, ulcerative colitis, essential hypertension, neurodermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, duodenal ulcer.
The main provocateur here is mental stress. But here's what's interesting: citizens tormented by the same psychosomatosis are distinguished by common psychological traits , which determine the predisposition to this particular disease. For example, a hypertensive patient comes to the doctor, and the doctor is a very good professional. Then the doctor will certainly ask the patient if he has any difficulties with restraining and expressing anger.
With the unfortunate, who sits and itches from neurodermatitis, a competent dermatologist will talk a little about how he develops relationships with people. It would not be superfluous to ask the ulcer if he does not feel deprived, if he does not envy anyone. And then - to treat all these wonderful people together with a psychotherapist.
Diseases and psychosomatics
Some experts draw beautiful parallels between diseases and their likely psychological causes. The universality of such bindings raises serious doubts. But guessing on these cards is a terribly exciting experience. Here, for example, is what Louise Hay, the author of books on popular psychology, tells us.
How psychosomatics works
You can, of course, sit down and grieve a little about how difficult it is for a modern person to live: all sorts of stresses, injuries and negative emotions only dream of how to pounce on you. But here's an interesting fact for you - we are able to suppress positive feelings - and then just as deftly push them onto a poor body. “For example, the psyche puts a general ban on the manifestation of very strong emotions - joy, euphoria, satisfaction,” says Victoria. - People often refuse pleasure - no, no, you can’t get it, you can’t be happy, it’s better to suffer. Here is suffering - I allow myself to do this.
Understanding where all these prohibitions come from, the nature of possible internal conflicts and traumas experienced is a thankless task within the framework of this article. Everyone in the closet has their own life, family, children's experience. Let's take a better look at how psychosomatics works and what you can do about it.
The good news is that, according to Victoria, those who know how to "psychosomatize" know their body very well and are great at managing it. Once - and it hurts here, that's it - I won't go to any school!
Another pleasant thing is that sometimes this method works to your advantage. Imagine such a situation. The man Vasily (neurologists, by the way, say that if earlier they were mainly driven by psychosomatic complaints by women, now the stronger sex is not aside), and so, Vasily is damn tired, he has such an overstrain at work that he wants to run out of the office at night and disappear from the country. But for some reason, Vasya cannot just go up to the boss and say: “Dionisy Petrovich, dear, give me a day off for a couple of days.” Instead, our hero falls ill - and now he lies quietly at home and does nothing while his body gets the rest it needs.
It's not bad. The bad begins where Vasily does not have the opportunity to cope with his stress in another way (for example, take and afford a vacation) and continues to treat himself in the same inattentive way. Then the body can be seriously damaged - Vasily will slowly turn into an invalid. “If the stress is constant (that is, the emotional or intellectual sphere of the psyche is depleted) or very pronounced (there is a psychological trauma), a neurosis appears. With him, a functional disorder can come on hand: all organs and systems are in order, but they do not work well. It's like a failure of the computer's operating system - software, - compares Daria Suchilina. -
If such a difficult life situation lasts for years and all this time the failure persists, the functional problem turns into an organic one - when the heart really wears out, the intestinal mucosa burns with ulcers, and the lungs, apart from jokes, stop breathing. This is already a breakdown of computer parts, that is, hardware: let's say the motherboard burned out.
What to do with a nervous illness
Of course, if you open an ulcer, you will go with it not to a psychologist, but to a specialized doctor. And with migraine too: of course, it is often suspected of a psychosomatic nature, but the causes of headaches are very different. And sometimes a runny nose is just a runny nose. In general, it is important to rule out organic disease. As we have already mentioned, good therapists and specialized specialists, having got a patient with psychosomatosis or a functional disorder, will work in conjunction with a neurologist or psychotherapist (and possibly a psychiatrist).
Yes, clients are sometimes offended and show distrust: “How is it, I am suffering here, but your examinations show nothing! What else is psychosomatics? Are you implying that I'm not all right in the head? - here again there is hope for the professionalism and competent approach of doctors. And some people are surprised. “The trick is that a person often lacks awareness of this somatic way of expressing emotions,” explains Victoria Chal-Boru. Suddenly, “out of the blue” a symptom arises - for example, a monstrous headache, in which you just want to lie down and die. And you don't realize you're doing this to yourself.
To pay attention and realize this process is already a big deal. Then you can work with it (for example, with a psychologist). You may have to look for another way to express emotions. Here is what else Victoria says: “When you feel something, the brain picks up this signal and chooses a strategy for action from a certain department. The latter already has a set of ready-made plans, but they do not always work. In general, it would be good for a mature organism to come up with a new strategy each time - this is the so-called system of creative adaptation. But the same psychosomatic manifestations in response to feelings (to get sick!) - this is just an uncreative adaptation.
Daria Suchilina draws attention to something else: “If you look at the issue more esoterically and symbolically, then a bodily symptom is sometimes the only way available to the body to reach out to its inattentive owner, who otherwise does not see his problems.” The body screams: "Hey, look at me, you're having your third heart attack, isn't it time to change something in your life?!"
stress diseases
Stress is the body's reaction to unplanned events in life. Some people take everything to heart so much that they start to get very sick.
What is stress
The concept of "stress" was introduced into the lexicon relatively recently - in 1936. Initially, the concept of "stress" denoted the reaction of the body to any change in the environment. In other words, stress was considered an adaptive moment for any changes in order to maintain the normal functioning of body systems.
The concept of "stress" can cover a whole range of events, and their polarity in this definition is absolutely not important. A stressful event can be safely considered both a great sorrow and a great joy. Stress has accompanied mankind since its inception. Its sources vary depending on the level of civilization: from fear of predators to worries about exams or an interview with an employer.
Strong emotions caused by stress affect the vital activity of the body, exacerbating inflammation, exacerbating chronic diseases and disrupting the normal functioning of organs.
Doctors consider stress to be the cause of a number of serious and dangerous diseases:
Physiological reactions occur in response to stress. These are the moments when the brain is not able to fully control the situation.
The impact of stress on human health
The devastating effect of stress on the body has been proven time and time again. The mutual influence of somatics and the psyche is so great that no one will dispute the fact that stress is the cause of somatic diseases.
The mechanism of stress is as follows: stress causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline. The latter increases the heart rate. In the absence of a threat from the outside, a person's condition softens, as the level of adrenaline in the blood decreases. Frequent stress causes a constant presence of adrenaline in the blood, which is dangerous for the body.
Cortisol performs several functions in the body, from regulating sugar levels to influencing metabolic processes. Cortisol can delay pain, weaken libido, and take part in the development of some serious diseases.
Diseases caused by stress
Stress can cause serious somatic diseases.
- Premature aging. Stress-induced changes in the body accelerate aging. A person not only looks older, but also becomes susceptible to disease.
- Early death. People who are in stressful situations die early enough. At the same time, at least a quarter of the population can be attributed to the risk group. The higher the stress exposure, the greater the risk of early death.
Stress has a profound effect on the body. Protecting yourself from stressful situations is almost impossible. However, you can learn techniques to reduce the effects of stress on the body.
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Stress causes disease
Stress negatively affects both mental health human as well as physical. They disorganize human activity, his behavior. It can lead to various psycho-emotional disorders (anxiety, depression, neurosis, emotional instability, low mood, or, conversely, overexcitation, anger, memory impairment, insomnia, increased fatigue, etc.). Stress is the main risk factor for the manifestation and exacerbation of numerous diseases, the most common of which are:
The effect of stress on the human body
Hormones produced during stress and necessary for the normal functioning of the body in physiological quantities, in large quantities can cause many adverse reactions, which, in turn, can lead to a number of diseases and even death. The aggravation of their negative effect lies in the fact that a modern person rarely uses muscle energy during stress. In this regard, biologically active substances continue to circulate in the blood for a long time in high concentrations, not allowing the nervous system and internal organs to calm down. In muscles, high concentrations of glucocorticoids cause the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids, which can lead to muscle dystrophy with prolonged exposure. In the skin, these hormones inhibit the growth and division of fibroblasts, as a result of which the skin can become thinner, become easily damaged, and wounds will heal poorly. In bone tissue, due to stress, calcium absorption is suppressed. Ultimately, with prolonged action of these hormones, bone mass decreases, and a very common disease, osteoporosis, can occur. And this list of negative consequences can be continued indefinitely. Authoritative scientists even believe that stress is the main factor in the occurrence of cancer and other oncological diseases.
Such reactions can be caused not only by strong, acute, but also by small, but long-term stressful effects. In this regard, chronic stress, in particular, the presence of prolonged psychological stress, depression can also lead to the diseases mentioned above. There is even a new direction in medicine called psychosomatic medicine. It considers various forms of stress as the main or concomitant pathogenetic factor in most diseases.
Thus, stress and the onset of illness are very closely related, and it sometimes happens that one can predict illness by the strength of the stress endured by a person. It has been noticed that after suffering a strong emotional shock, patients not only have an exacerbation of diseases directly related to emotional impact, but also increased the body's susceptibility to infections, the body became more prone to sciatica and accidents.
Stress leads to illness
Stress is able to accumulate and go to such a stage, be so strong that a person becomes unable to cope with it, as a result of which he falls ill. As a rule, the relationship between stress and the ability to cope with it is more complex. Analyzing the causes due to which stress can lead to illnesses, the importance of an individual reaction to it is noted. This is due to the fact that the body's activity, which is aimed at overcoming a stressful situation, can reduce resistance to disease, especially if the person chooses the wrong ways to overcome stress that do not correspond to the problems facing him. Thus, if external factors require a lot of energy, then we may not have enough energy to overcome the disease. When the rhythm of life becomes too hectic, we do not have the strength to cope life situations that appear before us, and the result is disease.
Thus, we can conclude that you need to learn how to relieve stress before a particular disease is caused by it. To do this, you need to find out the causes of stress and try to understand how you can relieve stress, what actions to take against stress.
From stress to a cold: why even SARS starts from the nerves and how the virus helps the body
All diseases are from the nerves, goes the old saying. Psychologists clarify - the cause of everything is stress. Even a common cold can be caused by anxiety, fear, lack of attention. A tired and unloved person fell ill with the flu - and received the missing portion of rest and care. The child is afraid to go to school - and now fever and sore throat are in a hurry to help. Psychosomatic medicine sees a direct connection between the state of mind and body. How negative emotions provoke the occurrence of seasonal viral diseases and whether it is possible to scare off a cold with a good mood - in our material.
Anxiety and fear damage the immune system
In late January - early February, there is a traditional rise in the incidence of SARS. In order not to become a target for viruses, it's time to think about prevention. From the point of view of psychosomatics, the best option is to clean up the soul and get rid of the accumulated suppressed emotions. The first step is to address anxiety.
Fear and background anxiety reduce immunity because our adrenal glands produce stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Both hormones are needed by the body to cope with stress more easily. They pose a health hazard in chronic stress - when they are released in large quantities, - explains medical psychologist Anna Topyuk. - If anxiety is situational, it is adequate stress. The order “fight” or “run” appeared - the hormone was produced, the person did something to get rid of the threat that had arisen, and the level of cortisol dropped. But if a person simply suppressed stress, the hormone was produced and remained above the norm. The immune system fails.
A person who is constantly anxious receives a powerful blow to the body. Moreover, if you do not like to drink water, this will aggravate the situation. “Hormones are excreted from the body by water. If you do not drink it, the effect of hormones will be long-term, ”the specialist notes.
On a subconscious level, we ourselves allow ourselves to get sick in order to get away from any situation for a while. The body says: "Stop!"
But you need to remember: stress is different stress. If in a chronic form it becomes a fertile ground for diseases, then a short-term shake-up, on the contrary, mobilizes and turns on the body's defenses. “There is no life without stress, because in order to feel alive and complete, a healthy person needs to feel the presence of problems that need to be addressed as they arise,” says the psychologist. - If the level of stress has risen to the threshold when a person can no longer adapt and the tension is too high, then useful stress is transformed into dangerous. And this danger provokes not only the psyche, but also the somatics (body) to react.”
Despondency attracts the virus
Autumn despondency due to cold and frost aversion - these experiences disturb the soul and become a trigger for chronic stress. As a result, the mood becomes even worse, because now the blues are accompanied by a cough, a sore throat and other classic signs of SARS.
You need to try to change the stereotypes that provoke anxiety, the psychologist suggests. “If there is a belief that summer is pleasant and winter is not, learn to accept the unpleasant season as it is - with all the cold and the need to dress,” recommends Anna Topyuk.
In addition, the firm belief that you will get sick can result in a real cold. This attitude makes you constantly wait for possible health problems and worry about it. As a result, stress hits the immune system, and a weakened body is not able to resist the virus.
We let ourselves get sick
Falling down with the flu, the body says it's reached its limits.
A person loads himself with worries, works seven days a week, tries to do as much as possible, and as a result gets sick. As a rule, on a subconscious level, we ourselves allow ourselves to get sick in order to temporarily get away from an insoluble situation, the specialist states. - The body says: “Stop! Look, winter has just come, you have a reason to stop. Everything happens subconsciously - a person may even wonder why he suddenly fell ill. He will believe that he caught a cold because of the open window, the cold, and does not realize that, it turns out, he took care of himself so much, showed tenderness to himself and thus gave himself the opportunity to rest.
If you have to work at an unloved job or there are problems in the team, this only adds to the blues. They begin to overcome the tendency to despondency and lack of taste for life. “It's no wonder adults get sick at jobs that aren't satisfying. After all, every day is stressful. And in winter and autumn, there is a legitimate opportunity to get ARVI and let the body relax. A person allows this to himself, this is the so-called secondary benefit from the disease, ”explains Anna Topyuk.
The psychologist warns: if you do not know how to express and manifest your needs, to defend your position, this will increase the likelihood of a cold. If an employee is afraid to ask the boss for a vacation, and there is no strength to work from dawn to dusk, the body will find its way out. A sneezing and coughing employee with a high temperature will no longer have questions about an unplanned absence from strict management.
Among emotional reasons Respiratory infections are also called by psychologists the loss of joy in life, self-dislike, low self-esteem, fear of the future. A cold will also be attracted to those who want to know everything about everyone, control everyone and teach life.
Don't give SARS a chance
To fight back SARS will help the manifestation of emotions. Feeling joy and love, feeling comfortable at work and at home, adding rest and relaxation to your life (for example, swimming pool and massage), you will help the body keep immunity at a high level and resist viruses. Allow yourself to rest, realize that it is impossible to do everything and highest level. Do not seek to solve other people's problems when no one asks for it, and take days off more often. “A person who accepts life as it is, treats himself and others with unconditional love, without guilt or accusation, may not be afraid of viruses, - Anna Topyuk is sure. - I myself have not been sick with colds for several years. It happens that one day I sneeze, but the next there is nothing. Even if I take this virus, it doesn’t stay with me because it doesn’t resonate with me.”
People suffering from ARVI should think about what kind of conflicts they carry in themselves. “You need to turn to yourself and a certain level of self-understanding in order to identify the causes of increased anxiety. Ask yourself: Am I satisfied with my life right now? It is very important to understand whether there is inner well-being or not. Outwardly, after all, everything may seem in order - a smile, kindness, an active lifestyle, but cats scratch at the heart at this time, ”the specialist describes a common situation.
A firm belief that you will get sick can end in a real illness. This attitude makes you constantly wait for possible health problems. The accumulated stress hits the immune system, as a result, a weakened body cannot resist the virus.
Two different person may react differently to the same problem. Some people retreat before a difficult and unpleasant situation, while others constantly push themselves forward. Some, faced with resentment, try to quickly forget about it, but others cannot calm down for a long time and yearn for revenge.
Anna Topyuk recommends changing your lifestyle with the help of psychological work over self and introspection. It is useful to notice your true emotions and needs, learn to recognize and solve your own internal conflicts in time, so as not to trip up immunity. Putting things in order in the soul is an effective prevention not only against influenza and SARS, but also a good protection against other diseases.
How to bring order to the soul
Ask yourself what solution to the problem you are avoiding. It often happens that the problem is not noticed and not solved, as this may affect some area of life, a person may be latently afraid of what other people will say and think. Think about the secondary benefit: it may be more convenient for you to get sick than to directly declare something and defend your rights.
Ask yourself what you are afraid to admit to yourself. Alcoholics experience similar feelings: they know that they drink a lot, but they cannot admit to themselves that they are addicted to alcohol. In the case of stress that provokes colds and other diseases, about the same. Sometimes the mere awareness and recognition of the problem can alleviate the condition. When you admit that you have a specific problem, then the disease has served its purpose and is no longer needed.
Ask yourself if everything in life is going the way I would like. Is my life going the way I dreamed.
Ask yourself the question: have I endured in silence for too long and am I so satisfied with my life.
Angina as a gift to a student
If the child is emotionally more comfortable at home than at school or kindergarten, he is more prone to blues. Thus, he expresses his unwillingness to be in an environment that is not the most pleasant for him. “Children use the opportunity to get sick as a gift to avoid being in a hostile environment. For a child, this becomes a way out, he gets sick and stays at home more often, - the specialist explains. - Thus, children also receive a secondary benefit - the attention of their parents. By the way, often psychological reasons parents simply do not see the disease and look more at the medical aspect. Although the child is actually stressed, his body has weakened. At the same time, note that not everyone catches a cold - those who have a favorable, comfortable environment both at home and at school or kindergarten are less susceptible to viruses.
Stress often appears in our head in the form of anxiety or fear. However, such anxiety or perhaps even panic extends beyond our brains. Under the influence of stress, the human body begins to produce stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine.
This production of hormones is the beginning of the body's response to stress. Like a snowball rolling down a mountain, it builds up strength and speed until you are ready to repel an attack.
Adrenaline, for example, raises the heart rate, causing the heart to beat faster and ultimately raising blood pressure. Cortisol can interfere with the function of the lining of blood vessels, causing arteries to clog, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In addition, the brain communicates with the intestines, sending signals to it that you are suffering from stress. Of course, the intestine responds to such signals by changing the processes taking place in it so that all the organs of the human body can work in unison and cope with the inevitable stressor (similar processes occur even in cases where the stressor is not in reality).
Such a response of the body to stress can be very useful if, for example, you need to escape from a predator or memorize educational material to successfully pass an important exam. It must be remembered that if you feel stressed all the time or most of it, things can go wrong.
While the response to intermittent stressful conditions is a normal and even healthy response, this is not the case for a permanent state of stress. On the contrary, a person may begin to suffer from chronic diseases or acute infections.
What happens under the influence of chronic stress?
In the video above, Sharon Bergquist, a professor of medicine at Emory University, demonstrates what happens in the body when a person is under chronic stress. Let's say you lost your job or are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to childhood abuse.
The body too often releases excessive amounts of stress hormones. His response to stress becomes unbalanced; such a reaction does not help to cope with a difficult situation. As a result, the immune system suffers and rapid epigenetic changes begin.
Stress causes non-specific systemic inflammation, which is likely to result in a sudden increase in blood pressure, an asthma attack, or a prolonged cold. It may seem to you that the cut on the leg is not even going to heal, and the skin is in just a terrible state.
You may also have trouble sleeping, and on an emotional level, you feel like you're approaching burnout. It is at this moment that you notice that you have typed excess weight and you have digestive problems. Even in intimate life there were some difficulties.
Stress directly affects all body systems, but according to neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky in documentary Stress: Portrait of a Killer, the following conditions caused or exacerbated by stress are the most common:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Anxiety
- sexual dysfunction
- Infertility and irregular cycle
- Frequent colds
- Insomnia and fatigue
- Problems with concentration
- Memory loss
- Appetite changes
- Digestive problems and dysbacteriosis
How stress affects bowel function
Chronic stress (and other negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, and sadness) can cause symptoms and severe bowel disease. Here's what Harvard researchers have to say about it:
“Psychology is inseparable from the physical factors that cause pain and other symptoms of bowel disease. Psychosocial factors also influence gut physiology as well as symptoms. In other words, stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect the motility and contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, cause inflammation, or make a person more susceptible to infections.
In addition, research shows that some people with functional gastrointestinal disorders perceive pain more acutely because their brains misregulate pain signals from the gastrointestinal tract. Stress can make existing pain even more unbearable."
The stress response causes a number of unpleasant processes in the intestines, including:
- Decreased absorption of nutrients
- Decreased oxygenation in the intestines
- Blood flow to the digestive system is reduced up to 4 times, which leads to a deterioration in metabolism
- The production of enzymes in the intestines is reduced by 20,000 times!
There is a continuous exchange of signals between the intestines and the brain
One of the reasons mental stress can harm the gut is because the gut and brain communicate with each other, and the process never stops.
In addition to the brain, which is located inside the skull, the intestinal wall contains the enteric nervous system (ENS), which can function both independently and together with the brain.
This communication between "two brains" occurs in two directions. This is how the foods we eat affect our mood, and this is why feelings of anxiety can, for example, cause stomach pain.
Jane Foster PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at McMaster University, described on Medicine Net several ways in which microorganisms in the gut interact with the brain and the possible role of stress.
“… [C]intestinal bacteria can affect the functioning of the immune system, which in turn can affect brain function. Gut bacteria are also involved in digestion, and the substances they produce when food is broken down can affect the brain.
Under certain conditions, such as stress or infection, potentially disease-causing gut bacteria or bad organisms can enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. As a result, these bacteria, microorganisms, and the chemicals they form begin to communicate with the brain through the cells in the walls of the blood vessels.
Bacteria can also communicate directly with cells in certain areas of the brain, including those near areas involved in stress and mood responses…"
If you are stressed, your brain and heart suffer
Prolonged stress can also damage brain cells, making it impossible for you to remember information. The size of the brain cells of rats that were placed under stress conditions are significantly reduced. This is especially true for the cells of the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory.
Stress disrupts the neuroendocrine and immune systems and appears to be the cause of a degenerative process in the brain that can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Due to stress, weight can also increase. This is usually associated with an increase in fat deposits in the abdomen, which are considered the most dangerous due to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
During times of high stress, the body releases hormones such as norepinephrine, which can even cause bacterial biofilms to disperse from arterial walls. Due to this dispersion, plaques from the walls of blood vessels can suddenly separate, which can cause a heart attack.
In addition, when stress becomes chronic, the immune system becomes more desensitized to cortisol, and since inflammation is partly regulated by cortisol, the decreased sensitivity increases the inflammatory response, causing inflammation to spiral out of control. Chronic inflammation is hallmark heart disease and many chronic diseases.
Everyone should learn to control their stress, because it is very important for good health. Some, for example, try not to associate with negative or overly stressed people. Also, if you get very upset while watching the evening's news, it's probably a good idea to stop watching it, and that way you'll prevent empathic stress.
Ultimately, only you can decide what is the best way to relieve stress for you. Ways to manage stress must be acceptable and, more importantly, they must work. If you need kickboxing to get rid of frustration, do it. If meditation suits you better, that's fine too.
Crying is sometimes helpful, as tears, in response to certain emotions, such as sadness or extreme happiness, contain high concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a stress-related chemical.
According to one theory, when a person who feels sad cries, through tears, his body gets rid of some excess chemical substances that cause stress. Thus, tears help to calm down and relax.
You can watch my interview with James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy. In this interview, he will talk about meditation and other stress relief techniques (as well as motivation, which is important because chronic stress can also kill her).
One way he suggests is that the first session of meditation should be done while still in bed, when the mind is in a calm state (although some people find it easier to meditate in other places, such as in the shower).
In addition, you become more vulnerable to the negative effects of stress if you feel out of control, feel hopeless, things are only getting worse, and other people's help is not enough. If you don't have friends or family you trust, consider joining a local support group or even try an online forum.
You can also seek professional help and use the technique emotional freedom(EFT). This technique can help you deal with emotional trauma that is negatively affecting your health. Chronic stress is similar to emotional scarring in that it can also damage your cells if left untreated.
In addition, it is extremely important to ensure that you get good sleep, because lack of sleep significantly impairs the body's ability to cope with stress. Good sleep, regular exercise, and a healthy diet are fundamental to helping your body recover from a stressful event.
No wonder there is a saying: "All diseases are from nerves!" So, it is long-term stress that can trigger the mechanism of various autoimmune diseases: diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, which leads to chronic inflammation of the joints, affecting the heart muscle, multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus, etc. An important factor in the development of these diseases is the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat. Chronic stress leads to insufficient blood supply to the skin and gastrointestinal tract, slows down all metabolic processes in the body, food is digested slowly, problems with the gastrointestinal tract occur, and then diseases such as gastritis, ulcers, colitis, etc. appear. It happens that after eating, we do not notice this. Or after a hearty meal, we feel that the appetite remains. And it happens that the appetite disappears completely, but this is already a strong stress, not at all like the usual unrest.
Stress also affects the condition of the skin, as there is a lack of oxygen and nutrients that the blood carries. This manifests itself in the form of allergies, acne, nervous itching, premature aging of the skin (malnutrition due to narrowing of capillaries, loss of skin elasticity), hair loss (the body loses zinc under stress - important element for healthy, beautiful hair).
Causes of stress
Relationship problems also contribute to stress, ie. when you are not very happy in your relationship, the stress will only increase. Therefore, you first need to resolve the issues that are causing your difficulties.
If you are faced with an unpleasant circumstance, take a deep breath and count to 10 before you say or do anything. Take a deliberate pause, i.e. start an instant tranquilizer, producing a calming effect. This will allow you to buy time to assess the situation and not take impulsive actions so that you do not regret anything later.
If you feel that you cannot cope with stress on your own, see a doctor to help you cope with your problem. After all, in any case, prolonged stress interferes with your life, you are not able to work or meet the requirements of normal daily activities.
The cause of diseases such as neurosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension can be overwork. If you do not fully rest, then daily fatigue will only accumulate, and this is not a joke! Overwork leads to functional disorders of the body. Therefore, proper rest is simply necessary. However, a good rest is not a rest all day on the couch, because after lying all day, you can still not feel rested. You have to be able to take the pressure off. Fatigue can be relieved by moderate exercise. Our body is 40% muscle tissue, which simply needs movement. If you are also a worker in sedentary professions, then this is especially true.
Helping ourselves get out of stress
1. Don't notice stress.
Ignore it - this is the most effective way to deal with stress, according to experts. Systematic physical activity will help you switch from stress to physical activity. Negative emotions will disappear if, for example, you devote 40-60 minutes to a moderate workout, then you will definitely see the world with different eyes. And if you practice regularly exercise, your body will become stronger and more prepared, the reaction to stressful situations will decrease significantly.
2. Yoga and breathing exercises, relaxation, meditation.
Of course, not many people can perfectly learn yoga, but for yourself you can learn a few asanas. Find a master who will help you master the basic principles of this ancient teaching. Experts say that yoga will help develop a positive approach to life. You will see tangible results after a few months of classes. Researchers claim that 90 minutes of yoga, 2 times a week, will relieve you of absent-mindedness and depression in 2 months. Yoga has a positive effect on physical state, balances and harmonizes emotional condition gives peace and tranquility. Here is an example of a few stress relief exercises:
In the morning, lying in bed, bring your arms back, then bend left leg, and with the elbow of the right hand, touch the left knee, exhale. Repeat the same with the right leg and left arm several times.
Lock your hands in front of you, take a slow breath, raise your arms up and lean back slightly, look up, hold your breath, counting to 5, slowly exhale, leaning forward (at the first sign of irritability, fatigue, do this exercise).
3. Jogging or walking.
The health benefits of running have been noticed a long time ago. Running activates blood flow and normalizes the activity of the central nervous system, strengthens the immune system. You can run at least in the morning, even in the evening for 20-40 minutes. Morning running eliminates the imbalance of elevated hormones in the blood, and evening running will help you relax and relieve stress. No less useful and walks. Studies have shown that 45 minutes of walking a day will strengthen your immunity and the body will be protected from various viruses and bacteria.
4. Gymnastics of positive thinking.
If you constantly think about failures, blaming yourself, you will turn your life into a stream of endless stress. Think positive! For example, I will look stunning in a month if I start exercising every day from today, etc. Strive to be beautiful. Inner positive attitude will change your appearance and improve your mood! Try the Positive Thinking Technique.
5. Pets
A dog, a cat, a rabbit, a bird, etc. are fluffy psychotherapists. Sometimes the mood is bad, but if you stroke the fur of a four-legged friend, the mood improves. They love you, no matter what, relieve loneliness and depression, return to a state of peace of mind. Scientists have proven that animals help in the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Dogs are the most effective healers: they calm, save from pressure surges, headaches, relieve pain syndromes in case of neuralgia.
6. Aromatherapy.
A pleasant bath with 2-3 drops of lavender oil will help calm the nervous system. Or you can put 2-3 drops of lavender oil on a cloth and inhale this fragrance from time to time during the day.
7. Anti-stress nutrition.
Depression, nervous exhaustion can appear when free radicals accumulate excessively in the body. It has been proven that such a trace element as selenium (prevents cancer, heart disease, has an anti-inflammatory effect, is important for the normal function of the thyroid gland, etc.) is a powerful antioxidant, breaks down and removes toxins from the body. Residents of large cities are especially prone to the accumulation of a huge amount of harmful toxins from food, air, and this prevents the normal functioning of the body.
To prevent depression, excessive nervousness and other diseases, you should eat foods rich in selenium: asparagus, zucchini, squash, celery and mushrooms.
Nuts, olives and seafood are useful for improving mood, as they contain a sufficient amount of Omega-3. The inhabitants of the Mediterranean are less prone to stress, as their daily diet is rich in these valuable foods for health. Scientists believe that the use of Omega-3 is effective for depressed mood, depression, etc. Don't forget the dark chocolate. Cocoa beans contain serotonin the best medicine from depression. Pasta from durum wheat, brown rice, whole grain bread contribute to the production of serotonin. Legumes, dairy products, liver are rich in B vitamins. Vegetables, fruits, greens contain antioxidants so necessary for the body during stress.
In stressful situations, drink coffee as little as possible, since B vitamins and other useful substances vital for the body are irreconcilable enemies with coffee. And also use less strong tea, alcohol, cola. These drinks will only aggravate your condition.
8. We treat both body and soul.
Our health problems are in the vital body. How can you damage your vital body? Evil thoughts, pride, envy, inability to forgive, etc. Read the commandments. "Humbly ask God for help, pray with faith and hope for the Mercy of God - and God will give you a means of healing, whether it be the skillful hands of a surgeon, a medicine, or what we call a miracle and what is actually the ability of our soul to contain holy fullness of the grace of God." Unbelievers will be helped by turning to Eastern philosophy and medicine, which consider the energy of the body, the work of channels, chakras, etc. But the meaning remains the same: a damaged soul and spirit entail damage to the flesh. We come to this world for the sake of spiritual growth and perfection of the soul.
There are many more ways and recommendations to get rid of stress. Restoring health takes time and effort. Get rid of bad habits, take care of good rest, lead healthy lifestyle life, avoid stress and conflict situations, look at the world with optimism, strengthen your body and do not let stress or illness win!
Good luck and good health!
Prepared by: Sergey Koval
Overworking, lack of sleep, prolonged nervous strain - all this can lead to general malfunctions of the body. But often many do not even connect yesterday's active discussion at a working meeting with the pains in the abdomen that have arisen today. What diseases can develop from stress and how to deal with them - in the material AiF.ru.
Primitive habits
First you need to understand how stress affects the human body. According to WHO, about 40% of people go to the doctor with problems that are caused, in fact, by mental processes. The fact is that the nervous system controls the functions of all organs and systems, makes them work in a single rhythm. And under stress, this well-coordinated mechanism is disrupted. At this time, the central nervous system works together with the brain to prevent the alleged attack - the nerve centers are activated, the rapid production of adrenaline and other stress hormones opens. Why are noted:
- increase in pressure
- an increase in the strength and frequency of heart contractions,
- muscle tone (tension) is manifested,
- accelerates and increases blood flow to the brain, muscles and heart,
- a spasm occurs in the digestive system.
Asthma, panic, dizziness
Today, doctors have studied in as much detail as possible the influence of the nervous system on human health and were even able to identify a list of diseases that cause its activity. So, “diseases from nerves” today are called:
- bronchial asthma,
- irritable bowel syndrome,
- increase in blood pressure,
- headache,
- dizziness,
- panic attacks.
This list is explained quite simply. Under stress, blood vessels spasm, blood flows more actively, breathing quickens. And if there is any predisposition, such as susceptibility to allergens (for bronchial asthma) or malfunctions in the digestive system, everything can fail. And all of the above systems are most susceptible to stressful situations and are vulnerable enough that any quarrel or conflict can disrupt their work.
Creativity as medicine
Preventing the development of "nervous" diseases is not as difficult as it seems. First of all, of course, you need to monitor your emotional well-being. Try not to bring situations to conflict, and if this is not possible, then develop tactics to resolve them. If you can't handle it on your own, you should contact a professional.
Keep in mind that hobbies will have a good therapeutic effect. It is worth choosing those options that will unload the nervous system - swimming, creativity, needlework, yoga.
