Stress! How to Treat It. (Part 2)

Part 1: Stress! How to Treat It. Why It Matters Even If You're Coping.

by Heidi Stevenson

17 May 2010

As discussed in Part 1, stress is rampant in today's world. Its effects are devastated immune and hormone systems, which lead to a host of health issues—not to mention the mental problems it causes. BBC has just published an article about stress's link to the current financial squeeze. The good news is that the damage can be controlled and even reversed. Here we discuss steps you can take to prevent adrenal burnout, and if you've reached the stage of damage, what natural things you can do to return to health.

There are several things we can do to reverse the damage brought on by stress. Our bodies have magnificent recuperative powers. A little tender care and a few healthy treatments can do wonders.

Managing Your Stress

What you generally hear about managing stress is that you must change yourself. To that, I have a great British response: Bollucks! The usual advice goes something like, "Laugh at least 15 minutes a day." That's fine if it's natural to you, and if it is, you likely have no stress problems. If it isn't, then forcing yourself to act contrary to your nature would be suppressing yourself—and nothing could be more stressful than trying to be what you aren't.

So, what should you do to manage your stress? That's going to be different for each person. Find something that relaxes you, takes you outside yourself—and do it. Make sure you spend a reasonable amount of time at it. It may be yoga, meditation, tapping therapy, napping, watching something funny, watching birds, taking a walk in nature, listening to music, dancing. It doesn't matter. The point is that it needs to be different from your usual stressful life and sheltered from interruptions.

Get together with friends. If you're one of those people who've pushed friends away, then invite them back into your life.

One stress-making concern that never makes the lists is guilt. It eats away at you. Look deeply into yourself and, if you find anything that troubles you, make amends. The sense of peace that comes as a result can do wonders to ease and relax your mind—and once behind you, the stress from it is gone forever.

For some people, hobbies can be a blessing in a stress-filled life. You'll have to be the judge of that. But, if you do take on a hobby, be sure that it's truly relaxing, not another element of stress.

If you live in a noisy environment, find a way to bring some peace into it. Even consider moving, if the noise can't be overcome. Remember, your health and your life are riding on it.

These are all simply suggestions. There is no formula for easing stress. You must find your own way. Do be sure to look at yourself carefully and assess what truly makes sense for you—and don't compare yourself to anyone else. What's one person's stressful livelihood can be another's relaxing hobby.

If you still can't find a way to alleviate your stress, then you may need to look into a natural treatment. Homeopathy can often provide the tune-up you need to let you relax and manage life better. Some people find ease through massage or Reiki. Aroma therapy and reflexology can be helpful. If, though, you're hoping to find a real shift in your way of being, then homeopathy may be the key. It won't change who you are. Instead, it will help you find yourself. It's often the treatment that results in a patient saying, "I feel better within myself."

Keep in mind, though, that no therapy will help for long if you simply return to doing things the way you've always done them. Reapplying the cause of a problem is sure to bring it back.

Treatments

Drugs

You'll find that some doctors will dish out drugs like candy. If you suggest that you're depressed, expect to find a prescription for an SSRI or SNRI drug. You may see a prescription for Valium (diazepam), Xanax (similar to diazepam), or other similar drug now usually considered passé by doctors. The advice from here is not to take them. They won't solve your problems. At best, they may block your emotions—and that's just another form of suppression, and suppression is a major form of stress.

Stimulants

All stimulants should be avoided by people whose adrenals are under stress. They may make you feel better temporarily, but ultimately, they exacerbate the problem. This includes all stimulants, whether prescribed or natural. Do not drink coffee. Use black tea conservatively.

On this subject, I don't think we can ignore the issue of stimulant drugs in children defined as having ADHD. It's fairly obvious that they are being set up for adrenal fatigue.

Herbs

Several herbs can help with symptoms of stress. These include:

• Ashwaganda can ease stress.
• Eleuthero (Panax species, Siberian), when injected, has been documented as able to improve stamina and mental function. It helps treat infections, radiation damage, and psychological stress. It's also been found to help the body adapt to a variety of stresses, including heat, cold, trauma, toxins, and lack of sleep. These studies were not done under high standards and the method of application, injection, is not how you'd take it. Nonetheless, it may be helpful in treating symptoms of stress.
• Kava is used as a calming agent for mild anxiety, insomnia, and tense muscles. It's effectiveness is similar to that of benzodiazepines.
• Passionflower (Passiflora) is known to be a sedative and hypnotic. Traditionally, it's been used for neuralgia, seizures, hysteria, insomnia, and spasmodic asthma.
• Valerian soothes. It helps improve the quality of sleep, though is not generally noted as an aid for insomnia.

These herbs should be used only occasionally to ease symptoms. They should never, though, be relied on as treatment for stress. They do not resolve the problem, but only aid in treating symptoms. Keep in mind that the negative symptoms you feel from stress, such as insomnia and agitation, are warning signs that your body is giving you. They're letting you know that there's a problem that you must attend to, or your health will deteriorate. So, while occasional use of these herbs may be helpful, reliance will only worsen the problem.

Nutrition

One of the primary problems caused by stress and overactive adrenals is loss of good nutrients. Your digestive system is unable to assimilate food properly. Some nutrients are used up by a stressed body, and the adrenal glands gobble up Vitamin C. Therefore, a primary line of defense against stress damage and the feed-back cycle that develops from nutrient-deprived cells is, naturally, replacement of nutrients. Key ones are:

• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is very important in adrenal function.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), like B5, is very important in adrenal function.
• Vitamin C is gobbled by the adrenal glands. Studies have shown that supplementation of at least 1000 mg a day significantly eases stress. It is likely that some stress symptoms endured by people today are the direct result of lack of C. Dr. Mayer Eisenstein recommends a daily dose of 2000 mg per day. Other antioxidants are also likely to be beneficial, including Vitamin E and beta carotene.
• Magnesium is critical for energy production.
• Calcium is necessary to ease stress.
• Several trace minerals are lost as a result of adrenal stress. These include copper, sulphur, manganese, selenium, zinc, chromium, iodine, cobalt, molybdenum and silicon. (This is not a complete list.) The best way to replace them is through a varied diet high in organic vegetables and fruits, sprouts, sea vegetables and supplements made from sea veggies.

Other supplements are often recommended, but I do not believe that there is good justification for taking them in most cases. DHEA is often recommended as a therapeutic agent. Taken temporarily, it may be helpful, but I think it's much like the herbs listed above. They may be beneficial in temporarily easing symptoms, but they should not be treated as supplements. DHEA is a steroid produced by the adrenals. As such, it is a powerful substance and should be treated with caution. Ultimately, it may be shown to be beneficial, but it is not a nutrient, as in the items in the above list. It may also complicate prostate cancer. Therefore, I recommend that it be used only with caution.

Phosphatidylsterine for Repair

The hypothalamus can be harmed as the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol. Its cortisol receptors are damaged by the onslaught of excessive levels of the hormone. Thus, its ability to detect cortisol and adjust the feedback level is damaged.

Phosphatidylsterine (PS) helps repair this feedback mechanism, including its ability to sense low levels of cortisol when adrenal fatigue sets in.

PS is a fatty acid often sold as a brain enhancer. It may have that effect, but my suspicion is that it does so in association with adrenal damage. (No, I cannot prove that, but its effect in the hypothalamus-adrenal relationship leads to that conclusion.)

PS is believed to be associated with prevention of short-term memory loss and Alzheimer's, indicating that those conditions may be related to stress.

What I'm Taking for Adrenal Fatigue

Since this subject came up because of my own problems with adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, it's only reasonable to wonder how I'm planning to deal with it. The answer is threefold. One is in relation to supplementation. The second is in relation to whether I'll be taking something for repair, and the third is how I'll be dealing with stress itself.

Regarding supplementation, I'll be taking a good quality Vitamin B complex that includes both B5 and B6, 2000 mg of Vitamin C a day, Vitamin E (400 mg of natural E) and a good diet. Unless it seems otherwise necessary, I'll rely on a good diet to supply magnesium, calcium, and all trace elements.

My situation regarding the hypothalamus is unique. Without going into detail, I know that it's damaged, so will take phosphatidylserine for a time. How long remains to be seen.

The most difficult issue for me is how to change my lifestyle. I happen to be a homeopath, though my own constitutional remedy has never been discovered. Therefore, unless I can find a homeopath who can discover it—a fairly unlikely task at this point—it's necessary to rely only on my own ingenuity. Physical limitations (from an iatrogenic illness) prevent me from taking up yoga, and meditation doesn't suit me. The fact is that I love what I do with Gaia Health and as a homeopath. So, I'm focusing on my approach to them.

Here I am, writing the final words of a two-part series of articles, along with serious research in putting them together. There is, though, something very different in my approach. Although there's a lot of work to be done in getting settled in this place, I decided that working on this must take priority. Everything else can simply wait, including all the work that needs to be done to settle into my new place. Plus, I made one other decision—no deadline. These articles will go live when they're done, and they'll be done when I've finished them.

It sounds simple, but is a drastic change for me. And y'know what? I feel calmer. Sounds a bit silly, I suppose, but a huge degree of stress is gone. So, I'll be focusing on little things involved with how I approach my work to take the pressure off, and also on taking time off—maybe even whole days? That's a bit heady. We'll just have to see.

Oh yes, one more thing: I'm giving up coffee.

There's one bit of serious advice I have to give now: Don't wait until you collapse, as I've done. Take care of yourself. Health is your quality of life.

What do you think? Click here to comment!