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Stress Busters: The Stress Cycle

Welcome to life in the twenty-first century where daily stress is so pervasive it seems to be a way of life. We feel pressured to keep up with jobs, family, and the myriad responsibilities of everyday life. Hardly a moment goes by when we are not subject to some form of stress. Many of us end up anxious, depressed, and exhausted – the price we pay for our complex lifestyles. Understanding stress and finding ways of dealing with it effectively are key to living on a natural high. We'll be looking at how stress affects our minds and bodies, as well as at some of the common substances we use to deal with it – even though they are ineffective in the long run. We'll examine the natural antistressors that do work, and you'll even see how stress can be turned to your advantage.

Here's a scene that you may be able to relate to (substitute your spouse, your elderly neighbor, or your precious Siamese cat):

It's Monday morning, and you have just enough time to drop your daughter at school and get to work in time for an important meeting. Just as you're both ready to leave the house, she complains of a tummy ache. She does look a bit flushed, so you stop and take her temperature. She has a fever, and you know you can't send her to school. Your mind races: "Should I stay home with her? Can I get a sitter? If not, what do I do about work?"

You have suddenly become a victim of forces beyond your control, pulling you in two directions at once and creating a one-way ticket to stress that wreaks havoc on body and mind.

We need a certain amount of stress to keep us motivated. But when it takes over our lives, it can hurt us. How did you score on the stress questionnaire? If you didn't take it yet, now is your chance.

Why do we have such a strong reaction to stress? Our particular stressors may be modern, but the stress response is ancient. It mobilizes the body's "fight or flight" response, our built-in mode for coping with emergencies. It increases breathing and heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and raises blood-sugar levels, preparing the body for either self-defense or escape. It worked fine when we were running from fierce predators at the dawn of human existence. However, as much as we'd like to, we can't run from our boss, our stalled car, or the ringing telephone. So, unlike our ancestors, we have no way of burning off this excess energy. In fact, animals in the wild will actually go through a series of movements that disperse the energy and complete the stress cycle right away. We don't, so it stays inside us. Psychologist Peter Levine does an excellent job of exploring this concept in his book Waking the Tiger.
On top of this physical burden, we store mental images of traumatic events for years later. These can pop up in our memories at any time in response to similar events, or even at random moments. Then, our minds and bodies react exactly as if the incident were occurring right then – yielding the stress response and anxiety all over again. Some of our problems really are in our minds!

It's All In Your Head
...there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

Shakespeare had a point. The truth is, unless your house burns down or someone dies, most stresses are not disasters. Thinking they are, however, can easily overwhelm you. As we said, the problem doesn't even have to be real or present – it can be in the past or the future, or even, only in the mind.

When we worry about an upcoming job interview or a blind date, we may find ourselves with a dry mouth, queasy stomach, or sweaty palms. We might become fidgety, restless, and pace around, or have difficulty falling asleep. Our nerves or anxiety are our emotional response to stress. Incidentally, anxiety is not always a bad thing. That feeling of apprehension, the gnawing feeling in the pit of our stomachs that "something is wrong" is a natural warning signal. We have all used it as a motivator at times to study for finals or to pay our bills. When it works overtime, though, it causes problems.

Addicted To Stress
Adrenaline keeps us going, but after awhile it can become addictive. When the stimulus stops (no deadlines while we are on vacation), we experience adrenaline withdrawal, accompanied by restlessness, vague feelings of unease, and a strong desire to "do something," anything, to restart the stress cycle and get the adrenaline pumping once more. If and when we finally let go, we collapse into a heap – depleted, depressed, and exhausted. We may feel blue or bored. Our "get up and go" has "got up and went." We need, in short, to relax, regroup, and rebuild ourselves.

Fight or Flight – the Stress Response
Nobel Prize winner Dr. Hans Selye, the father of stress research, proposed three stages to this stress response. This "General Adaptation Syndrome" (GAS) consists of alarm, adaptation, and, finally, exhaustion. His model is useful in helping you see where you are in the stress cycle and what to do about it.

Alarm Stage
When you are first stressed, in the alarm phase, the brain signals two tiny almond-shaped adrenal glands, perched on top of the kidneys, to produce stress hormones. There are about forty such hormones, but the most important stress hormones are adrenaline, which is manufactured by the inner core; cortisol; and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). Cortisol and DHEA are produced by the outer shell, or cortex. Hence the name "adrenocorticosteroids."

When we are alarmed, the adrenaline effect kicks in immediately, then wanes, but cortisol keeps on going. Both adrenaline and cortisol give a boost to your blood sugar. In fact, the average "adrenaline rush" experienced by a commuter stuck in traffic can supply enough glucose to keep you running for a mile. The adrenals also release the hormone DHEA, which helps maintain energy and resistance to stress.

As a result of this rapid deployment of adrenaline, cortisol, and DHEA, we have more oxygen and sugar available, push more blood to the brain and muscles, and are instantly more alert. In fact, many people will create stress in their lives just to experience this stimulation. It may be stress, but it's also a high.

Adaptation Stage
When the body needs to continue its defense mechanism beyond the initial "fight or flight" response, it enters the adaptation phase. Cortisol and DHEA have a reciprocal relationship, so as cortisol levels go up, DHEA levels fall. We start to feel the effects of long-term stress, with increasing anxiety, fatigue, and mood swings.

Exhaustion Stage
When we become stuck in the stress response, it becomes chronic, and we enter the dangerous territory of the exhaustion phase. No longer can we produce the necessary cortisol to respond to stress. Our DHEA levels drop. We become depleted of vitamins, including vitamin C, the B vitamins, and essential minerals such as magnesium. Our energy plummets, and since adrenaline is derived from the "feel-good" neurotransmitter dopamine, excess adrenaline demands lead to dopamine deficiency. Consequently, our emotions can take a dive into depression.

The Costs of Stress
The extra energy liberated by adrenal stimulation comes at a high cost. In the short term, stress does the following:

• Suppresses the immune system, increasing the risk of infections.
• Slows down the body's rate of repair.
• Slows down the metabolism.
• Robs the body of vital nutrients.

The following physical symptoms may occur:

• Recurring headaches.
• Vague aches and pains.
• Dizziness.
• Heartburn.
• Muscle tension.
• Dry mouth.
• Excessive perspiration.
• Pounding heart.
• Insomnia.
• Fatigue.

In the long term, stress will do the following:

• Promote rapid aging.
• Lead to weight gain.
• Increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and digestive problems.

On an emotional level, when our brains run out of feel-good chemicals, we experience the following:

• Anxiety, fear, restlessness.
• Irritability, anger.
• Depression.
• Insecurity.
• Loss of libido.
• Impaired memory and concentration.
• Excessive smoking and/or drinking.

Blood-Sugar Blues
Adrenaline and cortisol activity isn't the only danger when we're heavily stressed. Our blood-sugar, or glucose, levels rise, too, then abruptly fall. This is because both adrenaline and cortisol temporarily release stores of sugar into the bloodstream. You can get the same effect from a stimulant, such as coffee, or by eating sugar. Then there's the rebound, and your blood-sugar level plummets. This is serious, because 20 percent of the body's entire intake of glucose fuels the brain, the first area to suffer when glucose is scarce. A dip in blood sugar may leave you feeling tired, nervous, foggy, irritable, impatient, and temperamental. And to relieve this discomfort, you may reach for a doughnut, cola, or cigarette, and a vicious cycle begins. The good news is that a proper diet and specific nutrients can break this cycle. First, though, let's look at some of the typical solutions to dealing with stress and why they don't work in the end.