Stress

Stress has a purpose. It is a built in physical response to situations that upset us, frighten us, or threaten us. When the body is operating in balance, its natural stress response functions to alert us of potential dangers at which time it will release adrenalin which gives us strength to defend ourselves.

During times of stress, the adrenal gland releases adrenalin, a naturally occurring hormone. It also releases other hormones such as cortisol into the blood stream. This release causes the heart to pump harder which increases blood pressure, opens airways in the lungs, narrows blood vessels in the skin and intestine to increase blood flow to major muscle groups. This signals the body to react when a threat is present.

In addition, certain types of stress such as exams, interviews, or other common situations , stress may help us focus or concentrate on the task.

Distress

The term  “Stress” is misunderstood and  often mis-used. As stated above, stress is a normal function of our bodies and is most necessary in certain situations. There comes a point however, where normal stress becomes distress, which is now so prevalent in our daily lives it is slowly killing us and we don’t even  recognize the danger. All we know is that we are fatigued, restless, and can’t sleep well. Our bodies just don’t feel right but doctors can find no reason for our discomforts. Most know little about nutrition or the effects of stress so their solution is to prescribe anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs.                            .

In small doses, even distress our bodies can manage. It is the prolonged chronic stress that becomes dangerous distress. This will take a toll on us cognitively, emotionally, physically, and in our behavior. If you are experiencing frequent fatigue, anxiety, headaches, body aches, depression, and a multitude of other symptoms, it might be a good time to acknowledge the issue, examine the source, and find healthy solutions.

Though physical ailments are the most recognized symptoms, it is important to realize that distress affects more than just our physical body. Physically, it can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, but it also affects our ability to concentrate, how we handle problems, and how we behave in general. If you are experiencing regular occurrences of the symptoms listed on this site, it is vitally important for your physical and mental health, to begin immediately releasing this toxic poison from your body. There are many natural healthy ways to do this which we will explore.

Next: “Stress 101: Fear vs Anxiety”