AMAZING Blog

Stress, Anxiety & Depression

What’s your stress?Mental? Physical? Emotional?Are you a worrier? Do you suffer from anxiety?
We could continue discussing, Acute Stress verses Chronic Stress, or Internal Stress verses External Stress... Bottom line: Stress impacts a person’s health and well-being.

Parasympathetic

The parasympathetic nervous system is activated by rest and safety. This is known as the relaxation response, which slows the heartbeat, increases the secretion of most of the glands and increases digestion and elimination, conserves energy, tissue regeneration and repair in response to safety, rest and nurturance.

Sympathetic

The sympathetic nervous system is activated during stressful events, providing a burst of energy, often termed the fight-or-flight response. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Blood is directed to the heart, brain and skeletal muscles, and away from digestive, urinary and other areas that are not immediately involved in fight-or-flight.
Long-term, unrelieved stress may increase cancer risk by keeping the sympathetic nervous system turned on, and the immune system suppressed by the body’s cortisol. Cells respond to stress by changing their size, shape and function.
Our body/minds are equipped to tell us when we have had enough sympathetic activation and it is time to let up.
Effects of Stress on the Body:
  • Headaches
  • Teeth grinding
  • Muscle tension
  • Musculoskeletal pain (including neck and back pain)
  • Chest pain
  • Fatigue
  • Stomach and intestinal problems (nausea, heartburn, indigestion, pain, cramping, constipation, diarrhea and increased gas)
  • Sleep problems
  • Insomnia
  • Hyper-somnia and nightmares
  • Forgetfulness
  • Lack of sex drive
  • Tremors or shaking
  • Trembling
  • Sweating
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness
  • Dryness in mouth or throat
  • Frequent colds or infections
  • Unexplained allergy attacks
  • Difficulty breathing or feeling like it’s hard to take a deep breath
  • High-pitched laughter or voice
  • Frequent urination
  • Weight changes without diet changes
Effects of Stress on Behavior:
  • Angry outbursts, mood swings
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs
  • Gambling
  • Appetite changes, overeating, under eating
  • Tobacco use
  • Social withdrawal, frequent crying spells
  • Overreacting to minor annoyances or occurrences,
  • Hypervigilance, obsessive-compulsive behavior
  • Frequent use of over-the-counter medications
  • Impulse buying
Cardiovascular Issues:
Risk for heart failure goes up.
  • Increased left ventricular dysfunction
  • Cardiac arrhythmias
  • Heart pounding
  • Heart rate and blood pressure increase
  • Increased clotting can potentially lead to pulmonary embolism and stroke
Effects of Stress on Mood:
  • Anxiety
  • Lack of focus
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Lack of motivation
  • Irritability
  • Edginess
  • Frustration
  • Anger
  • Feelings of sadness
  • Depression
  • Panic attacks
  • Feeling overly guilty or nervous
Pulmonary and Endocrine Changes:
  • Asthma flares
  • Insulin production can increase while sensitivity to insulin decreases, putting some at risk for developing diabetes
According to Harvard University scholars, anxiety can make physical diseases harder to treat and more severe. Massage Can Reduce Symptoms of Depression
The prevalence of severe anxiety was nearly four times worse in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms when compared to patients without them.
"a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression."

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Exercise
45 to 60 minutes a day of brisk activity (any physical activity that gets you moving and gets your heart rate up is great; the more your clients enjoy the activity, the more likely they are to continue doing it).
Stress reduction and management
30 to 60 minutes per day of formal stress management (massage, yoga, tai chi or meditation, for example).
Connectedness
Building and maintaining connectedness and community through whatever means makes sense to you. This can be family, church, volunteering or, more than likely, a combination of several things.
Diet
Eating a whole-food, plant-based diet (lots of veggies, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and fruits, while limiting processed and high-sugar foods).