The ‘stress’ word was first found in the 14th century and the origins of that word dated back to the development of the English language from the Norman French and Saxons and Angolans. (Proffitt, 1997). The word stress is derived from the French word ‘destresse’, which is also derived from the Latin word ‘strictus’. The word stress originally denoted adversity or hard times. In the 16th century, the word stress was basically used to specify an entity related to fatigue, strain or to overwork. By the 19th century, the stress word evolved to become a scientific term used to refer a force which can cause deformation in the objects.
Stress management states the widespread range of systems and psychoanalyses meant to control stress level of person, particularly chronic stress.
What Is Stress?
Stress is such a negative physical/nervous/emotional way that response to feeling in some way overwhelmed. Usually it is caused when the comprehended demands placed upon us seem to outweigh our power and ability to cope.
Stress can be caused by two particular things. Primarily it is down to whether you believe situations around you seem to be worthy of anxiety. Then it is down to how your body responds to your thought methods. This inherent and instinctive stress response to unexpected incidents is widely known as ‘fight or flight’. Fight or flight
The fight or flight response of your body against stress was first noted by one of the great pioneers in stress research history, Walter Cannon. Later, in 1932 he established the theorem that when an organism experiences a sudden shock or perceives a life threat, it quickly start to release hormones that assist it to survive. In humans as well as in other animals, these life saving hormones facilitate us to run faster and fight harder. These increase the heart rate and internal blood pressure – delivering additional oxygen and essential blood sugar to power important body muscles. Our quick immune system is then activated and becomes ready to administrate to wounds. Site and attention become more acute and extremely focused. Our sense of pain is terminated as the body releases some analgesic hormones. This natural physiological aspect leaves us experiencing the world as a totally hostile place and we, the humans are fully prepared to run or fight. Whatever we choose, our body will drop an immense amount of energy which in itself forbids the build up of stress related to this particular response. These life-threatening events are not the only reactor to trigger this physiological reaction. We can experience it any time we come across something odd or unexpected or something that make us desperate. When the threat is little, the body response is small and sometimes do not notice it among the many other distractions of a stressful position.
What Causes Stress?
Many different and particular things can cause mass stress – let’s watch from physical (such as tremendous fear of something much dangerous) to emotional (such as worry over your personal life or job.) Identifying what can be causing you stress is often the very first step in learning how to deal with your stress better. Some of the most common causes of stress are:
Survival Stress – You have heard the phrase “fight or flight” before. This is the most natural reactions to danger in all people and animals. If you are afraid that something or someone will physically hurt you, naturally, your body reacts with a bristle of energy so that you will be able to survive in that dangerous situation (which is fight) or escape (which is flight). This is called survival stress.
Environmental Stress – This is a natural response to things around you that can cause stress, such as pressure, crowding, noise from work or family. Identifying these distinct environmental stresses and learning to deflect them or deal with them will assist lower your stress level.
Internal Stress – Did you ever catch yourself worrying about certain things you can do nothing about or simply worrying for no reason? This is called internal stress and it is one of the most vital kinds of stress to identify and manage. Internal stress is caused by people who make them stressed.
Overwork and Fatigue – This sort of stress is build up over a long period of time and may take a hard impact on your body. It is caused by working too much at your own job, home or school. Also, it can be caused by not knowing exactly how to maintain your time well and how to get time for rest and proper relaxation.
How Does Stress Will Affect You? (Health Consequences)
Stress can affect your body and your mind. Those who are under large amount of stress can become sick, sick or unable to concentrate clearly. And they even suffer from mental breakdowns.
Effects of stress
The major effects of stress can be emotional, physical or psychological. Hence, signs of stress are different in each person, with somebody expressing more physical signs, like high blood pressure or fatigue and others expressing emotion or psychological signs, like depression or irritability.
Signs of stress:
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Easily angered or frustrated
- Depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Trouble concentrating
- Muscle aches
- Rapid heartbeat
- Upset stomach
Heart Problems
Over the long period of time, people who respond more to stress have a higher risk of dangerous cardiovascular diseases. This risk is linked to individuals who are likely to be extremely impatient, competitive, hostile, and talk too quickly. Of these properties, hostility is pinpointed as the most noted significant.
High Blood Pressure
It is known as hypertension which is a very common disease and has no absolute symptoms. But it enhances your risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack.
Susceptibility to Serious Infection
It is without doubt that under stress our immune system is partially suppressed, letting you more vulnerable to viral infections. So, allergies and many autoimmune diseases (including chronic arthritis and multiple sclerosis) can be exacerbated by long term stress.
Severe Skin Problems
Stress is widely known to aggravate serious skin problems such as face acne, psoriasis and chronic eczema. It has been linked to some unexplained painful itchy skin rashes. These severe skin problems are themselves intensely so much stressful.
Pain
Continued painful stimulation of muscles through long term stress can lead to severe muscular pain such as backache. Our sedentary careless lifestyles and bad posture makes shoulder, back and neck ache extremely widespread.
Dehydration
A lack of water is perhaps the single biggest cause of all stress in the human system
Diabetes
There is much evidence that long term stress can lead to insulin-dependent diabetes in people who are previously predisposed to the dangerous disease. It is that stress causes the auto immune system to terminate functioning of insulin-producing cells.
Infertility
Stress does not independently cause infertility. But there is evidence that the two have been linked many times. Those who are looking for a baby are more likely to conceive when on general holiday or when experiencing little stress, and proper fertility treatment is more successful at such times too.
Above are just a few of the many conditions that are linked with stress but I believe that in every chronic condition i have ever treated that stress has been a huge part of the onset of the illness manifesting and in most cases i believe the root cause .I also think that by alleviating stress from a person will begin to see that person recover if not totally then certainly in the direction of health
There is a point at which the body will not recover but my observation over 20 years is that everyone can be helped by introducing relaxation into their life on every level on a daily basis and when this is done the body will respond positively
The truth is the body asks such little of us and yet it is one of the most important relationships we will ever have and yet one that is seldom nurtured, overlooked until it gives us a message by becoming sick and even then we suppress and misread the messages and it then has to shout a little louder and if ignored will protect itself by shutting itself down into a survival mode until we begin to take note.
“Love is the only true healing balm apply it where necessary to oneself and others”
I believe that all disease is an aspect of the self that has moved away from love. The meaning of life, the journey of this life and all lives is one back towards love.
Are the jars of rice a metaphor for the power of thoughts that are pure?
Is it the little water, is water the messenger? If so our bodies are 70{4957ac4cf499e49763b21041745c9dd389af099b002b9a043574525170776bf1} water.
Could it be that when we have these thoughts of anger and hatred, that they manifest as disease? When I look at the jars of rice, the one with words of hate look like a disease to me?
Could it be possible that all disease is because a part of us has moved away from love?
Is the real message of dis-ease?
Over many years there have been hundreds of Saints whose bodies have been found to be maintained in a non – decomposing condition following their deaths. Some of these saints remained pure for many hundreds of years after their death, such St Bernadette.
If we attempted to return to love, what would be the outcome for us? As far as I can see that is the real message of illness and If we focus on love for ourselves and others, can that cure all disease?
Are we missing the point when we look at disease and should healers really be restoring a balance first and foremost in the mind by nurturing the spirit and influencing the body gently to equilibrium?
Why not try your own experiment with the jars
Al rights reserved to Birmingham Holistic Health Centre
