Nowadays stress comes in many forms - from work, lack of money, study, parents, children, neighbours, etc. Hardly any of the present-day stress is physical - mostly it is emotional. Our bodies were made to take physical stress - the ‘fight or flight’ attitude (pulse rate increased, your blood pressure up, sugar released from your liver to give you energy, your brain went into overdrive, etc) - we had to stay alive! This type of stress, lasted for only a few moments - you either survived, or you died. If you survived, the stress was gone.
The stress that we are subjected to now is ongoing and most people can't get rid of it quickly. However, our bodies still respond to stress in the same way. Now, we may end up with chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer, Depression, etc. These diseases were hardly ever found in a primitive society. These are the ‘new’ diseases, which have afflicted us only in recent times.
In the USA, 43% of adults suffer from stress-related adverse health effects. 75 - 90% of all visits to a GP are for stress-related disorders.
Many people attend their doctor, and are told that all the blood tests are fine. However, they may still have a foggy mind, difficulty in sleeping, feel tired, be low on energy, have a low sex- drive, tend to overreact, have less self-control, and feel grumpy. They often end up being given an antidepressant- or something like Valium-that they continue to take for years and years. The source of the stress has never been identified, and they are not advised on how to deal with it. You can reduce and eliminate stress – without drugs.Read more about Mind and Body Medicine -
