We all deal with chronic stress. Even celebrities on the red carpet have chronic celebrity stress.
Do you feel so stressed that you can't even talk or think about it? If you answered yes, then don't read this blog.
Skip to the section where I share some quick fixes - without a doctor's office visit. Remember one phrase - HPA axis. HPA axis involves the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands. Your HPA axis controls your response to stress, your digestion, your immune system, sexuality, mood and production of energy, how you store that energy and how you spend the stored energy.
Chronic stress disrupts the HPA axis. Chronic stress is part of chronic disease.
Your response to chronic stress has 3 stages.
- Alarm stage
- Resistance stage
- Exhaustion stage
During the alarm stage, some individuals can reset their system while others experience biochemical changes expressed as anxiety, agitation, sleep issues, tummy troubles, quick pulse, high blood pressure and high glucose sugar levels.
Resistance stage happens when the chronic stress becomes sustainable. That same person can become fatigued, anxious, irritable and feel depressed. The intestinal microbiome becomes altered and "irritable bowel syndrome", autoimmune reactions and flares, muscle aches and joint pain become prevalent. I've had many patients in this phase who self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sugar and processed foods. All non-environmental detoxification must address the HPA axis and stress.
The exhaustion stage of full throttle HPA depression comes with extreme fatigue especially later in the day, poor sleep patterns and low pulse. I call it stress shock because it is that serious. All labs are low for cortisol, DHEA, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin. I've treated these patients in my office with liquid serotonin and emergency homeopathic HPA meds. Biochemical CPR.
There are many herbs and nutraceuticals that I integrate into the treatment protocol for chronic stress.
Almost everyone gets HPA RX meds and a complex B vitamin with MTHFR. Magnolia, ashwagandha, bacopa and rhodiola, eleuthero and maca have been well-studied adaptogenic herbs that regulate the HPA axis. Some patients take a neurotransmitter test to be more accurate with specific treatment formulas. Dosage is individualized based on gender, weight and genomics.
We will always experience stress; healthy and unhealthy. In my own life, I would rather go to the dentist for an hour of intense hand-scaling than negotiate a car deal. Just thinking about it drives up my panic level.
When I do experience stress, I take Xymogen's B Activ, Mitochondrial Renewal Kit and Adrenal Essence. I keep lavender oil handy in my purse for an olfaction boost.
