Stress On Your Body

[mamachick]

I think of ptsd stress and illness with this anaogy:
We start like baby trees planted in the forest. Our roots are taking hold and we are growing among trees of all sizes, shapes, and types. Some trees grow perfectly healthy. Others lack sunshine from the large trees that block it. Some are in the path of the wind and the storms beat them down. Some are planted in poor soil and dont benefit from the rain.

Humans come through on four wheelers and plow some of the small ones down, their course of growth changed for ever. There are tree diseases that the most vulnerable trees will get, those without sunlight and adequate water. Roots become damaged. On occassion, lightening strike one of the trees and it splits or its branches break off.

For me, sunshine and rain =love and nurturing
Wind=rage
Soil=genetics/family
four wheel/lightening=trauma

I think I sometimes need these analogies because after living under stress for so long, I have difficulty seperating what is big and what is little. My brain doesnt know the difference between a little wind and being struck by lightening, my body does though.

 

[Babablacksheep]

Stress is definitely increased when going through trauma therapy, but it is well worth it in the end. You can decrease your stress and the effects it has on your body by eating right and exercising.

 

[OKRADLAK]

So true. Many people I know with PTSD have pain syndromes and some things are right there, easy to diagnose and other are those ones that are so hard and hidden.

 

[Reclusive]

I'll add my name to the list. My cats just got into a larger-than-usual fight and now all my little chronic pain issues are flaring up. I can feel the pinch in my neck, the nerve in my elbow, the pain in my fingers, the ache in my back and even my stupid knee. And a hint of a migraine if I don't get it all under control ASAP. I swear, stress has done more damage to my body than anything else. When I was still in my abusive situation I would warn people who were sick to stay away because I didn't even HAVE an immune system anymore.

When I was little - say 5 or 6 - I had a lot of stomach problems and the doctor told my mom if I didn't get my anxiety under control, I was going to end up with ulcers. Surprisingly, I have had no such digestive issues whatsoever since learning to breath right.

 

[anni]

I was wondering if anyone had this possibly affect the neurological system through just being affected by stress/PTSD for a couple of decades? That's not meant to sound too simple, I mean it.

 

[OKRADLAK]

Anni- yes, to such an extreme I had to have an MRI on brain......of course it was totally normal. The dr said it was beautiful. That made me both happy and mad because when they can't see it, it's just "psych". So yes, stress can make you have the same symptoms of serious disease AND it can also cause serious disease.

I have a blood issue that I am sure is related to my body's response to stress. Stress breaks down our cells and also the way they communicate. On a very tiny level, it is like an earthquake to the poor little things.

 

[anni]

Thank you Okradlak. It doesn't seem to matter how much one Googles this stuff- either you find those forums where members share hangnail miseries or knock-down, drag out medical papers I can't make head or tail out of personally. There are of course absolute connections with much of this stuff, with stress on the body-very real harm done.I've got some neurological bugs at the moment which I just can't help but wonder about. It's been kind of a very long 20 years.

Gosh, I hope your blood disorder isn't one which is debilitating. It really brings it home to make the connection between the mental and physical, where all of a sudden PTSD just isn't all in your head, you know?

 

[Jstalaboin]

Stress can get the best of me at times. Stress is definitely a negative part of my existence, however I choose to try to be stress free today and all I have is today. Thank you for that article. It was great.

 

[mamachick]

Right now, stress is taking a real toll on my physical health. I have many things on my mind and the future is extremely uncertain. Nobody likes the unknown, but I can see where I have lived my life with some issues of control (I feel safer when I am controlling my environment). Now, many things are out of my control and my muscles are fully tense. Lately I have even felt nausea and am pretty sure it is just stress.

 

[Jstalaboin]

Yeah, I can most definitely relate to the unknown future. One tool I've found especially helpful is doing my very best to stay in the moment. If I focus on what I am doing at this very moment, rather than projecting about what might happen or what could happen, then my stress level tends to stay at a low. Also, another thing I started doing lately is exercising on a consistent, regular basis. I find also, that when I do this my worries tend to diminish as well. Not every day is going to be a bowl of cherries...especially for a high strung person like me...lol but I can try to do the best with what I have and stay in the here and now. I hope this helps. :geek:

 

[yomama]

Very useful article. Maybe I missed it, but is there a citation? On a related note, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study by Felliti et al. (2004) has shown links between various different traumas experienced in childhood and later health effects in adulthood. I guess I agree with others on this thread - it's nice to normalize our health problems, but then what?

 

[hear4u]

I get the shakes when I talk with strangers after about 15 min then I start to break up. I must walk away or mention my problem of PTSD so they don't freak out. I try to stay in doors so I don't offend anybody. Watching my life pass me by can I go to the beach, theaters or resturants? I became a carry out and dvd man.