скачать книгу бесплатно
It has been possible to grade the potential of events or changes in our life. In the following chart, scores have been allotted to each event so that the degree of susceptibility to the effects of stress can be estimated. This can be valuable in alerting us to pay extra attention to dealing with those elements of health maintenance which are within our control. Some such methods are explained in Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo).
The stress scale is based on the work of T.H. Holmes and R.H. Rahe (Journal of Psychosomatic Research (1967), No. 11) and is meant as a guide to the assessment of measurable stress resulting from having to adjust to change. There are many other causes of stress, but it is true to say that a high score on this chart (300 or more) over a short period of time (six months or so) is a strong indicator (affecting 80 per cent of us) that a major illness may follow. If the score is relatively high (anything from 150 to 299) about 50 per cent of us may become ill soon afterwards, and if under 150 points are scored, fewer than 30 per cent become ill. The higher the score the greater the need for stress-proofing.
It is known that these scores and the position on the scale of some of the incidents vary in different cultures. Different belief systems place the stress of marriage higher in Europe, for example, than in Japan. It can also be seen from the list that stress factors are not always confined to unpleasant events. A holiday, for instance, is seen as a cause of stress. Change itself, pleasant or unpleasant, has a potential for stress. But, even in high-scoring people 20 per cent do not become ill soon afterwards because it is our response, our attitudes, beliefs and underlying health status, that are the real determining factors in whether or not we are badly affected by stress. The list can be used as a guide, but it should be coupled with thoughts on the most appropriate responses, and these responses should then be cultivated.
Anticipated problems
There is another element in life which can often produce even more stress than events and changes which actually take place. This is the highly charged area of anticipated problems or events. Whilst losing a job is indeed a high-scoring stress factor, the anticipation of such a loss presents potentially greater stresses by virtue of the time-scale involved. Once a job has been lost, the reality of the situation determines that the person concerned does something about it. Looking for a new job, making practical arrangements regarding finance etc. are all stressful, but they are positive responses to the event. If, however, there are rumours of possible redundancies, and the anxiety and uncertainty continues for months or years, then the stress induced may be far greater. It is, nevertheless, worth remembering that, in such a case, there are practical steps which can be taken to minimize the effects of the stress once it is realized what is happening.
So, apart from actual changes in life being potentially stressful, the anticipation of such changes also creates stress. It is true, too, unfortunately, that much stress relates to an inability to resolve events which are in the past. Guilt, self-pity, brooding over events gone by – real or imagined – present another major potential for stress generation. Not only does such dwelling on the past produce stressful changes in the body, but it greatly diminishes our ability to function well in the present.
As well as anticipated or remembered unpleasant events, stress can build up from the environment in which we find ourselves. We may have to work amongst a lot of noise, or in very hot or cold conditions. All these things, including the effects of change, are termed ‘stressors’, and of course their potential for harm will depend upon our attitudes, emotions and personality characteristics. The strain, conflict and pressure resulting from such stressors may produce anxiety states which can be short-lived or long-term. Since it is not possible, in the main, to protect oneself against the major changes in life, it should be thought of as desirable and necessary that attitudes should be cultivated which will minimize the effects of the inevitable vicissitudes of life.
External stressors, whilst easy to identify, are less easy to measure and control. These might include difficult working conditions, boring repetitive occupations, and commuting on an unreliable transport system, or having to drive in heavy traffic for hours every day. Our bodies respond to all such stressors in a predictable pattern of internal changes. Stress is, however, cumulative, and a relatively minor event, when added to a large existing stress load, will often prove to be more than the body’s adaptation process can cope with. To a large extent the breaking point can be avoided by taking care of that aspect of the stress jigsaw puzzle most easily alterable, i.e. your personal habits and lifestyle. A change in attitude can dramatically alter the potential for damage created by externally generated stress, but such a change is far more difficult to achieve than, for example, a healthier pattern of rest and exercise, or a change in the food you eat.
Challenge and Control: The Element of Choice
All the changes and challenges in your life require that you adapt to or deal with them, often on a level where you are acting instinctively. Such challenges of life might involve any of the seemingly mundane stressors referred to above, or such things as:
Time pressures (deadlines, appointments, responsibilities, tasks, tests, meetings)
Other people’s behaviour (abusive, unkind, unreliable, contradictory, demanding, spiteful)
Situations (job or home pressures, expectations of others)
Self-imposed stresses (excessively high standards of performance in job, and even leisure activity; unduly self-critical)
Life events beyond your control (as listed on pages 24 and 25) or the prospect of these
The question of whether or not damaging stress will result from any of these or other challenges and demands hinges upon the type of response which is forthcoming. Are the challenges seen as something to be overcome, to be dealt with, to grow through, offering a spur towards an improved future, triggers for potential growth, opportunity for change for the better? Or are they viewed as insurmountable, never-ending, overwhelming, crushing, beyond any personal control, negative with no redeeming features at all? To a large extent the degree of stress-induced damage which occurs is dependent upon which answer is forthcoming to these questions.
It is the ‘hardy’ response which is health-promoting with quite the opposite effect deriving from the opposite choice. Hardiness carries with it a sense of being in control, the view that the sort of events and situations described above offer a challenge and not a threat, and finally a sense of involvement and commitment rather than of detachment and isolation. And, in all of these hardiness elements, whether or not you feel it likely at this stage, you have a large degree of choice.
Choice? Yes indeed, for we can learn to choose how we will respond to life’s inconsistencies, demands and challenges, and this represents a major element in stress-proofing yourself. Even your believing the possibility of that statement being correct involves choice.
From childhood onwards, stress provides a spur and an incentive to development. The will to please others and to satisfy inner drives are responses to needs, desires and targets or goals, set by authority, society, family, self, and so on. This aspect of stress is vital to human survival and development. It is when there are inappropriate responses to such drives that stress becomes potentially harmful.
Whether considering early childhood development, schooling, family life, courtship, marriage, higher education, work or retirement, life presents a kaleidoscope of stressful events, challenges, obstacles, pitfalls and sometimes tragedies. The ground on which these events fall is the personality and make-up of the person, and since the avoidance of all stressful events and stages in life is not possible, it is the ground, the personality and belief system, that presents the main opportunity for modification, and consequent lessening of the impact of the many stressors that beset us.
‘Type A’ and ‘Type B’ Personalities
Cardiologists, Friedman and Rosenmann, have described the ‘Type A’ personality who is predisposed to heart disease. The Type A individual moves, walks, talks and eats quickly. He finds it difficult to relax, sets himself deadlines, often undertakes more than one task at a time; he fidgets and is ambitious. The ‘Type B’ person, much less prone to heart disease, is in direct contrast. This type moves, talks and eats slowly, is able to relax, is unambitious and avoids pressure and deadlines. None of this is too surprising, but what is exciting is that, when motivated (often by an early coronary) the Type A can turn into a Type B by altering their behaviour and copying Type B behaviour until it becomes habitual. There is a consequent drop in the likelihood of coronary disease following such a modification. Type A will have then adopted more desirable and appropriate responses to the needs of life, and will have enhanced his chances of long-term survival.
Living in the present lessens the tendency to dwell on past events or to worry about anticipated future events, and a further aspect of this is that the nearer our concept of reality is to actual life the less stress will be created. Reality may not always be the same for all people, but in many daily situations the stress felt by people is the direct result of their ‘fantasy’ of how things should be, being at odds with reality. My ‘fantasy’, for example, is that when people make appointments they ought to keep them, and what is more, they ought to be on time. In reality, however, this is often not the case. The annoyance and stress which is generated every time an appointment is missed or someone is late, could be avoided if I could bring my fantasy closer to real life, i.e. anticipate that people will, by the nature of things, be late for or will actually forget to keep their appointments from time to time.
‘If Only …’
In terms of attitudes to life and events, such thoughts or utterances as ‘if only …’ or ‘it should have been like …’, or ‘wouldn’t it have been nice if …’ indicate a failure to accept reality, or an unwillingness to accept what has actually happened. This type of ‘fantasy’ may appear harmless, but it is as potentially stressful as dwelling in the past or future. It is, in fact, another facet of that same tendency. ‘Be there now’ is the best piece of advice for such a person to bear in mind. Life is in the ‘here and now’. In the past, the future and the ‘if only’ lie shadows, demons and stress.
Nowhere is this more evident than in personal relationships, whether this be at work or in the home environment. Much stress results from an inability to express feelings clearly, without becoming upset. If feelings are expressed inadequately, then hostility and anger will often develop. Once again, many such stresses relate to differences of opinion as to what is, and what is not reality. Interpersonal relationships require that we express our feelings clearly and in a non-hostile manner, and that we are then prepared to listen to a similar expression of the other person’s views, without feeling ‘got at’ or under attack.
This is the ideal, of course, and it may be difficult to achieve because of long-held attitudes and firmly-rooted personality traits, but it is, undoubtedly, the way to ensure non-stressful relationships. Seeing reality in the present, the ability to deliver unbiased, non-hostile expressions of opinion, and the ability to listen are, then, qualities to be cultivated.
In personal relationships much tension is generated as a result of unfulfilled expectations. If one party anticipates a gesture or form of recognition (such as a birthday card or telephone call) which does not materialize, a tense and resentful attitude may ensue. Again, an ability to communicate can defuse such a situation. Errors or sins of omission are just as potentially stressful as sins of commission; i.e. non-events as opposed to actual events. If bottled up and nursed, such feelings can produce stress out of all proportion to the importance of the actual incident.
Self-Esteem and Cynicism
Into the huge equation of stress factors and their interaction with the mind/body complex which makes up each of us, we need to add ‘self-image’. How do you see yourself in relation to others, society at large, your friends and family? How accurately (and how harshly) do you judge your own strengths and weaknesses? Above all, what is the degree of your self-esteem, and how important is that anyway?
An important leading article appeared in the Lancet (22 October 1988, pages 943–4) which addressed the question of self-esteem. This explained the complex way in which we come to a value judgement, in which we weigh ourselves, deriving our standards partly by comparing ourselves with others. Do we, however, compare ourselves with those who are better off or those who are worse off than ourselves?
Modern American adolescents compare themselves with their fellows, judging by such yardsticks as popularity, degree of influence over others, school and other results and their self-awareness of such concepts as honour and virtue. Out of those assessments comes a self-esteem judgement which can profoundly influence the person’s stress-coping abilities.
In adult life we use similar yardsticks, but we add to it factors such as how good we feel we have been at being parents, husbands or wives, as well as experiences of success and failure in many of life’s tasks and the world in general. One common tactic in maintaining self-esteem is the awarding to ourselves of the credit for all that goes well, and to others (or circumstances) the blame for all that goes wrong.
Additional reinforcement for feelings of self-esteem (and the opposite) derives from other people’s opinions of us, as we perceive them. To that we have to add the degree of respect, attention, approval, praise, affection and love (or the opposite of any of these) we receive. Our self-esteem, therefore, has a lot to do with how we see our value reflected in the eyes of those around us and of society, and this starts in childhood.
Freud summed it up by saying: ‘A man who has been the indisputable favourite of his mother keeps for life the feeling of a conqueror.’ Imagine also the opposite, the sense of rejection and failure which children derive and carry with them into adult life from a parental attitude of indifference, or worse. Of course, life is seldom as simple as any of these models suggest. Some children are much loved by their parents, but rejected by their peers (or the other way around); some people regard themselves as superior, having a high self-esteem, despite little evidence that anyone else agrees with them.
Is Self-Esteem Important Anyway?
It is known that poor self-esteem is linked to illness such as depression, anxiety states and a host of psychosomatic disorders. It has also been linked to delinquency, child abuse and prejudice. It is even suggested, with strong research evidence, that our measuring of self-esteem has echoes in biological evolution. Many animals have displayed what is called ‘resource holding potential’ (RHP). This relates to the animal’s sense of degree of ability to fight and defend itself when it compares itself with other animals. When a low RHP is assessed by an animal it actually alters its internal physiological state, characterized by excretion of higher levels of certain hormones, changes in skin colour and behaviour patterns which indicate submission rather than a desire to assert itself. This sort of behaviour is clear to anyone who has kept groups of animals in which some dominate and others seem willing to adopt submissive roles (the pecking order in a chicken run is a good example.)
In a human setting this means that hardiness, self-esteem, the ability to deal with life’s vicissitudes, could be linked to the primeval pattern noted in our animal example, and that we unconsciously take on the role of the weak and vulnerable based largely on our self-image, our degree or lack of self-esteem, and that this has profound implications in health terms. Unlike chickens, we are not legally permitted to assert ourselves by pecking and fighting, and we should look for other ways of raising self-esteem. This has to be one of the major challenges of stress-proofing. And, what is the ideal? To be healthy, it is suggested, you should be neither unmoved by success nor indifferent to it. You should also be using every means possible to increase awareness in yourself of these self-imposed limitations, so that you can blossom into the full potential which life offers, even with all its challenges and hardships.
But can self-esteem itself lead to excesses?
Cynicism
A danger inherent in excessively high self-esteem is seen in behaviour involving cynical mistrust. This is characterized by a collection of attitudes which involves suspicion and the denigration of the motives and behaviour of others, and this has been shown to be a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease (A. Fontana et al, ‘Cynical mistrust and the search for self-worth’ Journal of Psychosomatic Research (1989), Vol. 33, No. 4, pages 449–56.)
Interestingly, this research also showed that such people who are prone to self-criticism if they fail to reach the high standards they set themselves, who score high in assessment of their own self-worth in social comparisons as well as displaying cynical mistrust of others, also scored high in assessment of their degree of dependency on others for validation that they were deserving of being loved.
Self-esteem can therefore be seen to be a two-edged sword, especially where these other elements are found (cynical mistrust and strongly self-critical tendencies). I will return to cynicism in later chapters, and will also examine a splendid psychotherapeutic tool (Voice Dialogue) which allows the therapist to help you become aware of the ‘sub-personalities’ which make up all of us, and which can be involved in these excesses of critical and self-critical behaviour.
In summary: self-esteem, in its healthiest expressions, is a major stress-proofing factor, and conversely excessive self-esteem, especially when linked with cynicism, is a stress factor in its own right, as is low self-esteem.
Basic Emotions
The range of possible stress factors is almost endless, and the possible permutations of reaction to them equally so. It has been said that there are only two basic emotions: ‘like’ and ‘dislike’. All other emotions stem from variations and degrees of these prime feelings. The amazing differences in people, tastes, likes, dislikes and so on, makes it obvious that there is seldom any intrinsic quality in an event, object or situation, which guarantees it being universally liked or disliked (one man’s meat is patently another man’s poison). It is also worth noting that at different stages in life and under different conditions, the same person’s ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ will vary.
The conclusion may be drawn that a person can possibly be taught to like what was previously disliked, and vice versa. Thus, if, because of degrees of ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’, a person’s behaviour gives rise to a more stressful existence and more problematic relationships than are desirable, reduction of stress is possible only through a basic change in attitudes.
Just as type A must change from a fast-moving, fast-talking, fast-acting, fast-eating individual to one with more deliberate habits, so must the individual who says ‘that’s how I am, I can’t change!’ be made to understand that change is not only possible but desirable, and that self-interest dictates that it should be so. Changing habits and attitudes is merely a matter of understanding and recognizing them for what they are, followed by modifications in behaviour. This is easily said and, obviously, not as easily achieved. However, as will become clear, the alternatives to such behavioural modification may often be serious illness.
The Importance of Changing Your Automatic Response
In setting about behavioural modification – the changing of habitual attitudes and ways of responding – it is important to be aware that whenever you behave in a particular manner, you reinforce the belief that lies behind that form of behaviour. If there is always an angry tantrum in response to real or imagined criticism, then your belief that this is the appropriate response will be reinforced with each outburst.
To alter the underlying belief calls for an altered response. By substituting a less stressful, less provocative reaction, the belief will develop, and be reinforced, that the new reaction is correct and appropriate. Obviously, in interpersonal relationships, two such modified responses may be needed, and this is not easy to arrange.
Once you realize the role that habit plays in reinforcing undesirable modes of behaviour, it is possible to begin to change. By acting in a manner in which the other person is dealt with as you would wish to be dealt with yourself, and by expressing whatever needs to be said honestly and calmly, the opportunity will grow for a less stressful relationship. Such behaviour changes often spark changes for the better in the other half of the relationship.
It is worth noting that no-one and nothing makes you angry. You do it all on your own. Such feelings are always self-generated, and this is true of most emotions. You choose to be angry, jealous, guilty or bitter and, equally, you choose to be happy, giving, loving etc. Your attitudes and behaviour can be self-modified, and most experiences present a choice of response – one negative and stressful, and the other positive and, potentially, offering the opportunity for growth and self-knowledge – that choice always being yours, and the extent of attention you pay to the stress-reducing measures presented later in this book will be an indication of the extent to which you are prepared to accept responsibility for your life and actions.
Stress is Cumulative
Whilst, in early life, most people can cope with a great deal of emotional and physical trauma, this ability tends to diminish as life progresses. There are, of course, inherited characteristics which have an influence on our capacity for coping. And, there are other factors which will also, to varying degrees, determine to what extent stress can influence our physical and mental health. Among these are nutritional considerations, structural factors, exercise patterns, general fatigue, and the sum total – long-term and in the recent past – of stress. The effects these influences have will become clearer in subsequent chapters. At this stage, it is worth noting that stress is the spur that moves us to action, and that, if responses are not appropriate, it can also become the boulder that crushes.
There is indeed a point at which our body’s capacity for adjustment and adaptation in the face of stress becomes inadequate. When this occurs, health begins to break down in obvious ways. I will cover this in greater detail in the next chapter, but it is important to note that this very noticeable deterioration in health is itself a potent stressor. Anxiety in the face of changes in function and the onset of pain quickens the downward spiral. If you wait for this stage before taking reforming action you may have waited too long. It is, though, possible to regain health from this point, but only with great effort.
There are extrinsic factors which are outside our control, but there are also many aspects of the picture that we can control. There are, of course, states of mind which generate stress, which are outside our conscious control. There are many deep-seated anxiety states and depressions, in which only skilled psychotherapy and counselling can enable us to achieve insights and understanding and, ultimately, a resolution of the problem. Such forms of treatment lie outside the scope of this book, but it is suggested that the general principles here outlined, and the techniques described, can only be of help, even in such cases. However, no-one who is receiving psychotherapy should attempt self-treatment without first consulting his or her practitioner.
CHAPTER 2 (#ulink_dc692851-752e-5ee6-a568-ed3f6863dcd2)
The Physical Effects of Stress (#ulink_dc692851-752e-5ee6-a568-ed3f6863dcd2)
Stress is an essential and constant part of life. It is the spur that drives humankind to all achievement, but, when excessive, it can destroy. All the ages and stages of life are transitional; from baby to toddler, from schoolchild to young adult, from active worker to retired pensioner, and so on. Each change has potential stress implications which, when overlayed upon the external and internal stresses of living, are constantly affecting our minds and bodies.
A definition of stress, coined by the great researcher into this ubiquitous phenomenon, Dr Hans Selye, is simply ‘the rate of wear and tear on the body’. All change calls for adaptation. If we go from a warm room into the freezing cold outdoors, adaptive mechanisms immediately become operative to help the body to maintain its equilibrium.
Adaptive processes take place in response to all changes and stressors, whether these are physical, such as heat and cold; chemical, such as polluted air and water, and drugs; or self-generated emotions, such as anger, grief or joy. Anything that is perceived as threatening the mind or body arouses a response of an adaptive or defensive nature instantly.
Homoeostasis
This ability to attempt to maintain the safe equilibrium of the body is known as homoeostasis. It is, for a variety of reasons, not always successful. The biochemistry of the body may be inadequate for the task, perhaps through poor nutrition – and this and other possible factors, including structural integrity, will be considered later. If the response is inadequate, or if perception of threats is inaccurate, then unbalanced and faulty body adjustments may occur with harmful consequences.
The normal stress reaction is seldom the result of the outside agency, but rather it is the system’s reaction to it. Whether the stressor is physical, such as sudden exposure to cold; or psychological, such as an unexpected crisis or a change of responsibility at work, or unpleasant news, the body begins to make biochemical changes in response to its perceived needs. Such changes take place to a greater or lesser degree almost constantly throughout life.
If a stressor is prolonged, continuous or extreme in its nature, then the defensive mechanisms of the body become even more active. In response to intense heat, changes take place in the blood chemistry and circulatory system in order to cool the body by means, for example, of extra fluid loss and evaporation through the skin. Should this fail to achieve the desired effect, then an even greater defensive effort might involve fainting and temporary unconsciousness, in order to reduce all bodily functions to a minimum. Such homoeostatic efforts, though, fall short of being actual stress reactions, unless prolonged.
Fight or Flight
In response to any stress or extreme the body undergoes a series of changes which Selye has grouped under the heading of the ‘fight or flight’ reaction. Quite logically, the response to being confronted with real physical danger, such as the appearance of a man-eating animal, would be to attack it or to escape from it. Whichever was the choice, the body would require instantly available energy, strength and concentration. There would be no time for slow deliberation or stages of progressive arousal, for by that time the adversary would be beginning its meal! If an appropriate response (fight or flight) to the stressor were forthcoming, then the biochemical and other changes triggered by the initial shock, would be utilized, and no ill-effects would be felt.
Today, people are seldom faced with such life and death stress situations. However, the mind and body may feel threatened in many other ways than by a man-eating tiger. Any perceived (accurately or not) threat or danger to the mind or body will produce a similar ‘fight or flight’ reaction, and there may be ways of producing an appropriate response to these. For instance, someone might say something which is perceived as being insulting and hurtful. The stress reaction, which includes a tensing of the muscles as well as biochemical (hormonal and other) changes, could simply be ‘bottled up’ and remain as an extra degree of muscular tension. If a suitable verbal and/or physical response were to be found, however, then again the preparation for action would have been expressed and used, and no ill-effects would result.
The degree of stress imposed on the body will vary with your perception of what constitutes a threat – one person would laugh and shrug off an insult, another would reach for a gun! It will also vary with your ability to respond appropriately. One might calmly but firmly state their views and inform the ‘villain of the piece’ of their feelings. Another might bluster and fluster and add fuel to the fire, and in doing so fail to obtain psychological release from the hurt and anger within. The stress factor, therefore, cannot be seen as the main determinant of the degree of ‘fight or flight’ reaction, but only as its potential trigger. The harm done to your body by prolonged, repeated arousal, is largely an outcome of your beliefs, attitudes, personality and ability to see objectively what constitutes real, and what constitutes imagined danger, physically or mentally.
The ‘Chain Reaction’ of Stress
The actual processes that take place during arousal and ‘fight or flight’ reactions are quite amazing to contemplate. It is possible to extrapolate these immediate changes and to see their potential for major physical damage if they are repeated or prolonged. The following process occurs instantly within the body in response to stress:
The muscles tense in preparation for activity; the hypothalamus (part of your brain) co-ordinates a number of hormonal changes; the pituitary gland is activated, and among other results of this is the production by the adrenal glands of the hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline. As a result, a vast number of bodily changes occur; the pupils of the eye dilate – no doubt to see more clearly; the heart pumps more rapidly to service the extra requirements of the tense muscles, and this increases the blood pressure; the extra blood for the muscles requires extra oxygen, and the respiratory rate quickens to cope with this, as well as to help expel additional waste products resulting from increased activity. Blood being diverted to potential muscular activity requires the shut-down of some other functions, including reduction in blood through the kidneys, as well as the ceasing of digestive functions. To this end, saliva dries up and the intestines and stomach stop working. The body’s need for additional energy is met by the liver releasing stored glucose into the bloodstream, where the oxygen changes it into readily available energy. In anticipation of extra activity, the skin cools the body down by opening its pores to encourage perspiration. Since blood is being diverted to the muscles, there is a tendency for the skin to become paler. There may be involuntary urination or defecation, due to an over-reaction of that part of the nervous system responsible for restoring the status quo (the parasympathetic nervous system); normally, however, the sphincters controlling these functions close to prevent any further activity until the crisis is past. Other aspects of the body’s defence capability, the immune system, become less active during such arousal. This makes infection more likely at such a time. Since the muscles are tense, they will be producing lactic acid break-down products, which have the effect of reinforcing the anxiety and tension felt.
This listing of the chain reaction set up by stress is by no means fully comprehensive, but it gives an idea of what a devastating effect prolonged stress can have on normal body functions.
General Adaptation Syndrome
In the initial stages of arousal, most systems adapt to and accommodate such changes. After arousal there is a return to the status quo, especially if the response is adequate. However, if arousal is repeated over and over again, then some of the changes mentioned above stop being temporary and become chronic. The term employed to describe this process is the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). As your body adapts to repeated and constant stress factors, and as chronic symptoms become an accepted part of life, the general level of health declines. Such symptoms include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, blurred vision, swallowing difficulties, aching neck and shoulder muscles, high blood pressure, heart problems, circulatory problems, palpitations, asthma, allergies, indigestion, ulcers, backache, skin rashes, excessive sweating, colitis, sexual problems, depression, phobias and irritability.
Disturbances occur in the blood-sugar balance, giving rise to wild swings in energy levels and mood. If this is accompanied by the excessive use of sugar in the diet, and of stimulants such as tea, coffee and chocolate, the body’s ability to maintain a normal blood-sugar level can be severely damaged. (Some researchers see this as a major cause of diabetes.) There is often a tendency to underperform; self-doubt and insecurity become apparent, and there is a tendency for the defence mechanism to break down, making allergies and infections more likely. Personal relationships may become strained, libido often disappears, and all these changes lead to further anxiety and stress. A vicious circle of declining health, resulting from stress, is the bleak picture which is all too familiar in modern society.
Accompanied, as it often is, by poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and the debilitating habits of drinking (tea and coffee as well as alcohol) and smoking, the formula for disaster is well under way. Treatment by drugs and other medication results in nothing but a possible alteration of superficial symptoms. Indeed, by neglecting the underlying causes, symptomatic treatment may well do further harm. Masking and disguising a problem will never provide an answer to it.
This adaptation stage is critical in as much as most, if not all, of the symptoms are still reversible if the underlying stress factors are dealt with, and attention is paid to nutrition, exercise and structural integrity. How long this stage lasts depends upon many variables, including inherited factors, as well as the degree of stress, basic health habits, and the degree of emotional support available.
After a period of years (ten, twenty or more) the exhaustion stage of the GAS may be reached, and at this time the body simply ceases to be able to cope, and there is a collapse into one or other disease state. Break-down finally occurs, when even minor stress factors are not dealt with satisfactorily. At this point there may be collapse into a catastrophic illness, such as coronary heart disease, cancer, etc.
Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of stress, and of some of the ways in which the body copes with stress, can be seen as a necessary step towards understanding the enemy. Without being able to recognize and become aware of stress, it is possible to delude oneself that ‘it just won’t happen to me’.
The combination of prolonged stress and chronic fatigue has been put forward by some researchers (Drs Poteliakhof and Carruthers, in their report: Real Health: the III Effects of Stress and their Prevention) as a major factor in the cause of such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and hypertension. Lack of sleep, persistent overwork and chronic anxiety is thought to result in hormonal imbalance, notably adrenal exhaustion or sluggishness. This is thought to interact with constitutional and inherited factors to determine the type of disease which develops.
Heart Disease
In the field of heart disease, research by Dr Peter Nixon at London’s Charing Cross Hospital (detailed in Stress and Relaxation by Jane Madders) has shown contributory causes to be sustained and inappropriately high levels of arousal. This is mainly the result of the following factors, he suggests:
1 Pressures exerted by people from whom there is no escape.
2 Unacceptable time pressures, deadlines, etc.
3 Sleep deprivation.
4 A high score in the lifestyle changes list (see page (#ulink_5f181ab9-3563-51dd-8ba5-4ed3676d727d)).
Dr Nixon states that drugs are unsatisfactory in the treatment of hypertension, since the underlying causes are not dealt with.
Neurological Disease
Among other stress-induced conditions are those that mimic more serious conditions. ‘Symptoms suggesting serious neurological disease are common in patients suffering from anxiety states, or depressive illness, partly, or wholly, attributable to the effects of stress’, states Dr Richard Godwin Austin, consultant neurologist of Nottingham General Hospital. ‘The most common example seen in the neurological out-patient clinic is the patient suffering from recent onset headaches … Patients under physical or psychological stress, frequently develop tension headaches. These may occur in the setting of a depressive reaction, with symptoms of agitation or phobia. The headache often fails to respond to any form of simple analgesic.’
Cancer
There has also been a good deal of research into stress and its relationship to the onset of cancer. The German researcher Dr W. Herberger has noted that chronic anger, disappointment, fear and inability to cope with misfortune often play a role in its development. It has been found that the majority of cancer sufferers have a tendency to dwell on past misfortunes, real or imagined, and they have little sense of the future. Dr Hans Moolenburg, a noted Dutch physician, has described cancer patients as people who have been ‘battered by fate’. It has also been noted that in the U.K., where six out of ten members of the general public acknowledge some belief in God or some spiritual agency, that nine out of ten cancer patients had no such belief. Cancer might therefore be described as, in part, a disease of ‘spiritual deficiency’.
Load, Strain and Stress – Harmful and Helpful Factors
Before looking at some of the conclusions that have been come to concerning the relationship between personality traits and disease states, I want to touch on the possibly surprising healing potentials of some aspects of controlled stress. First, I want to be sure that you truly understand what is, and what is not stress.
Any reaction of your body or mind in response to an environmental or psychological demand is commonly termed a stress reaction. However, the total process of adaptation can be divided into three major phases, termed load, strain and stress.
Load is that part of the process in which an interaction takes place between you and any factor (physical, chemical or psychological) which is capable of disturbing you, or which demands a response from you. Strain is the term applied to the change(s) which result in your body/mind after the application of that load. It is the defensive (healing or normalizing) phase which follows on from the strain, in which an attempt is made to restore the situation to balance, which, strictly speaking, should be termed stress.
Stress can therefore often be seen to represent a positive, normalizing effort, something which can only be considered good, helpful and desirable. It is this self-healing process upon which we rely for survival, and in fact upon which all healing methods depend. For example, cut yourself (load and strain) and stress follows as the wound heals. This is homoeostasis in action.
Many other symptoms which we commonly try to ‘cure’ are, in fact, nothing more than evidence of the body putting things right. One good example of this is that of the fever which occurs during an infection. The infecting agent (load) has led to local or general problems, leading in turn to a ‘stress’ reaction (adaptive response) on the part of the immune system, which involves elevation of the body’s temperature (the fever). Under normal conditions this is a self-limiting process which causes no harm (except to the invading virus or bacteria) and which effectively gets rid of the infecting agent.
Such a stress reaction can actually be said to be life-saving, and yet – in many instances – the first objective of most people seems to be to try to over-ride this self-healing process and to take or do something to bring down the temperature! Such an action is clearly counterproductive, and not in the best interests of the body as a whole, unless the fever is of life-threatening proportions.
