Stressing Stress
It seems that we have no way to explain the impact of stress on our lives other than stressing stress. Everyone in the Modern World gets it. Deadlines. Financial Pressures. Family Disruptions. Strained Relationships. Addictions. The list goes on and on. There are so many pressures that mount on us. There seem to be so few outlets to deal with them. The evolutionary Fight or Flight is, indeed, not relevant. Both options seem to be out of reach for so many. Healthcare needs to step in and support people before they become patients (and add to the stress as well as financial concerns). This requires a holistic approach… not just pills and procedures.
The word stress is meaningless today. It now refers to vague feelings of unease and discomfort. Stress has become so much a part of our daily life that we accept it as normal. A bad idea. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, stress is the developed world’s No. 1 health problem.
Consider this: Up to 90 percent of physician visits are for problems rooted in stress. As Dr. Paul Rosch, former president of the American Institute of Stress and professor of medicine at New York Medical College, put it: “Stress is taking a terrible toll on the nation’s health and economy. It is a heavy contributor to heart disease, cancer, respiratory distress, lupus and many other life-threatening illnesses.”
Stress triggers a complex assortment of biochemical and hormonal reactions, reactions known as the “Flight or Fight Response.” The FFR is hard-wired into us. It’s designed to keep us alive in the face of life-threatening danger. Stress hormones energize us to fight or flee.
The problem is that the FFR is now obsolete. It’s intended for a time that’s long gone. Evolutionary biologists refer to this problem as the Great Mismatch. Our intense, fast-paced life no longer matches up with our wiring. And our mind now triggers the FFR — in error. We get stressed not just by what happens in our life — but by the way we view what happens in our life. As a result, toxic stress hormones, released in error, seep into our blood and tissues. And set up conditions for serious health problems.
At the end of the day, stress is also a spiritual problem. Because it disturbs our thinking mind so much that we lose a connection to the deeper levels of who we are. And without that connection, we not only lose sight of the brighter colors in life, but we also stop believing they exist.
The solution to stress-related health and spiritual problems is to understand what stress is and what we need to do about it. Including learning how to find, stabilize and strengthen a connection to the “Calm State.” Doing so will flush stress hormones from our blood and tissues. And give us access to the well-being and sanity we find only in deeper states of mind.
For more information please see the original article: Health and Well-Being: Understanding the world’s No. 1 health problem | Lifestyles | newburyportnews.com
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