Stress

Stress is notoriously a double-edged sword. We need a certain amount of stress to keep us on our toes, healthy and motivated. But too much of it and we can crash into nervous breakdown; too little and we feel bored and apathetic. Stress is so much a buzz word of the 90’s that you might think we knew all about how to manage our lives to avoid its extremes. Yet on the contrary, stress thrives untrammelled in the lives of many of us, whether it is caused by pressures of work, tension in relationships, the difficulties of raising a family; all of these combined, or a range of other factors.

The consequences for our health can be overwhelming. An estimated three-quarters of all medical complaints are stress-related, which means that 75 percent f the people in physicians’ waiting rooms could benefit from some sort of advice on how to reduce stress in their lives. The effects of stress can be both obvious and subtle. Some people show up with noticeable symptoms such as rashes or headaches. Often, however, the physical effects are less evident and so more potentially dangerous in the long term; they could include high blood pressure, ulcers and stomach disorders, panic attacks or rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Stress may be at the root of a host of disorders, from migraine to strokes, from constipation, colds and eczema to impotence and insomnia. Indeed, many complementary practitioners argue that stress – by undermining our immune systems – is a factor in almost all cases of illness. Harder still to measure are the effects of stress on the quality of our lives and the lives of those around us. Stress may be at the root of phobias, compulsions, anxieties, and nervous habits which can make the simplest of our daily routines intolerable. Stress can steadily wear away at confidence – until we wake up one morning wondering what happened to the person we once were.

Stress can also lead us into unhealthy habits of smoking and/or drinking, because it seems at first that a few glasses of wine or a cigarette will calm us down and help us cope. The reality is the opposite: alcohol is a depressant, tobacco a toxin, both can be addictive – and by depleting our energies they make it harder to manage stressful situations in the long run.

THE ORTHODOX APPROACH

Conventional medicine will often treat the physical symptoms of a stress-related disorder, such as ulcers, with drugs. Emotional and psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, may be treated by a combination of drugs and counselling. While these techniques can bring rapid relief of symptoms, unless the root causes of stress are tackled, the symptoms are likely to recur.

THE HALE APPROACH

Drug treatment for stress should be used only as a last resort; the complementary therapies listed here are the first step. If physical symptoms are showing, your physician should be kept informed and allowed to monitor your progress.

Although stress, in certain conditions, can stimulate us to great achievement, we cannot remain in a permanent state of stress without doing long-term damage to our physical and mental well-being, as well as hurting our relationships with people in our close proximity – our family, friends and colleagues. We cannot avoid all stress and be forever floating through life on a “cosmic cloud”, but we need to find special times to experience tranquillity.

Nearly every complementary treatment practiced at the Hale Clinic will help you towards some sort of peacefulness, and it is impossible to give a description of every treatment in this section. However, the following descriptions should enable you to select either a single therapy or a combination from the various categories.

Many of these treatments will help bring calmness in the short term; however, stress is a permanent feature of many people’s lives today and choosing a permanent stress- reducing program is often a necessary survival mechanism in the frantic world in which we live.

Autogenic Therapy is a powerful deep relaxation technique that empowers you to reduce your stress and anxiety. Once learned, this simple mind-body technique becomes a skill for life, to relax your body and calm your mind anytime. It enables you to tap into your body’s innate self-healing capacity to restore health and well-being.

Acupuncture, homeopathy and Ayurveda are very good at strengthening a patient’s constitution, mentally and physically, so that they are in a stronger position to withstand stress. These treatments are also effective in treating severe cases, when a patient needs to be calmed down very quickly.

You should avoid eating foods which aggravate stress, such as sugar, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Stress often weakens the digestion, so it is important to eat foods that are easy to digest. Improved digestion will have a positive effect on our ability to handle physical and mental stress and prevent illness associated with a poor diet and weak digestion.

Likewise, the combination of poor diet and stress can seriously affect our elimination system, which again compounds stress levels. Colonic irrigation, lymphatic drainage and the Hale Clinic Liver Detox Diet will help the elimination system to work better, making you feel healthier and better able to cope with stress; it will also prevent the development of such stress-related illnesses as irritable bowel syndrome.

When we become stressed, our musculo-skeletal system may be affected. Osteopathy and chiropractic are not generally associated with the relief of stress, but manipulation of the vertebrae, soft tissue work and cranial osteopathy can make us feel much calmer. Likewise, special massage treatment such as marma, tuina (Chinese massage), Indonesian and Thai massage can gently relieve the build-up of stress in the muscles, as well as calming the mind.

The essential oils of aromatherapy induce a feeling of calmness. Reflexology, by massaging special points in the foot, can also have a great calming effect. I often advise a massage once a week, possibly on a Friday if you work a conventional five-day week, so that you can enjoy the weekend fully. Many people go out for dinner or to the movies to relax, but often the rebalancing effect of the correct massage can be more beneficial (although laughter and having fun are among the best antidotes for stress).

By training you to breathe correctly, the Buteyko Technique gives you a tool which you can use at any time to calm you down. Light therapy, which you can have as a treatment or practice at home by installing a full-spectrum light box, will also help create a peaceful environment.

The fact that many illnesses are related to stress shows the power the mind has over our physical well-being. But the mind can also be trained to redirect our thoughts and behaviour into a more positive modus operandi. Research into hypnosis has shown how it can remove the physical and mental symptoms of stress. Moreover, patients can be taught self-hypnosis techniques which they can use to reduce stress levels.

Many people are apprehensive about seeing a psychologist or counsellor, but so often these therapies can help us to understand the way in which our emotions are creating a stressful environment, holding us back from positive experiences and preventing us from enjoying life to the full. Just as we look after our physical bodies, with good nutrition and exercise, so we need to understand our mental and emotional states in order to express and realize our true individuality.

The exercise systems of yoga, T’ai Chi, and Chi Kung help to calm the body, mind and emotions.

It is interesting that working on the body (e.g. with massage) can calm the mind, while working on the mind (e.g. with hypnosis) can calm the body. Equally, healing by cleansing the aura fields around the body can bring a state of peace and tranquillity to both body and mind. .

DEEP RELAXATION: AUTOGENIC THERAPY

On the eight week Autogenic Therapy stress-reduction course you will learn a simple but powerful deep relaxation technique, akin to meditation. Regular practice of this mind-body technique empowers you to reduce your stress and anxiety, relax your body and calm your mind in a few minutes. By learning simple relaxation and body awareness exercises, you tap into your body’s innate self-healing capacity to restore health and emotional balance. .

Through the autogenic exercises, you learn to switch off the body’s automatic ‘fight or flight’ stress response and switch on its opposite – the ‘relaxation response’. Your muscles relax, your heart beat and breathing become slower, digestion settles, blood pressure decreases and the calmer mental activity associated with meditation appears. The whole system comes back to a state of harmony and balance. The body’s self-healing processes induce rest, repair and recuperation, boost the immune system and restore emotional balance. .

Autogenic Therapy is one of the simplest and most effective ways to activate the ‘relaxation response’ which can break the vicious cycle of stress-related disorders. Once learned, Autogenic Therapy enables you, within minutes, to bring the apparently involuntary stress response under your voluntary control..

Research has demonstrated that regular activation of the relaxation response is an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related conditions, including, anxiety, panic attacks, high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches and migraine, chronic pain, moderate depression, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and asthma. .

Whenever you feel stressed, you have this powerful tool available to reduce your stress, gain a new perspective on your life, and find emotional balance and well-being. In just a few minutes you can practice the exercises, releasing physical, mental and emotional tensions and dipping into the exquisite calm of your own ‘oasis of peace’..

More about autogenic therapy...

BODYHARMONICS

This is an integrated approach to therapy, drawing on 3,000 year old traditional Chinese, Indonesian and Thai medical techniques (left). Its originator calls it Body Harmonics because she likens the body to a musical instrument. When we are “well tuned” and our energies are in harmony, we can experience a wonderful feeling of well-being.

“Your body demands individual tuning”, she explains, “but unlike a musical instrument it contains your life history. The ‘harmonics’ of your body are unique, having developed through your interaction with the world from the moment of your conception”.

Treatment for any kind of emotional problem – which can cause high levels of stress – usually begins with a session of acupuncture, which can be highly effective in relieving the various components of emotional pain. Stress often takes a heavy toll on the neck, shoulder, and back and, after acupuncture, massage is essential to dispense the tension that has built up in the soft tissues.

For this tuina – Chinese massage, a vigorous form of manual pressure combining soft-tissue massage and joint manipulation – is used. “Its unique rolling action eases pain and liberates powerful healing forces”, the therapist believes. More about tuina...

CLINICAL AROMATHERAPY

“Clinical aromatherapy is a holistic treatment promoting relaxation and self-healing within a safe, nurturing environment”, says one practitioner. And when you feel relaxed, safe and cared for, you may also feel free to discuss the reasons why you are felling stressed – so relieving the pressures you are under and working towards possible solutions.

At the first consultation the practitioner takes a detailed case history and carries out an examination, then blends organic or wild cultured essential oils (essences) to suit your particular symptoms, emotions, and mood. She uses these in massage, tailored to individual needs, to calm the nervous system, as well as giving advice on diet, exercise, meditation and relaxation techniques.

“Treatments take up to an hour and a half”, she explains. “Massage to relax the muscles, including acupressure to help balance the body’s energies and induce deep relaxation, gives the patient a much-needed rest from life’s merry-go-round”.

Aromatherapy oils can also be used for inhalation or in baths as part of your self-care strategy at home. Cedarwood, petitgrain, Roman chamomile, lavender, sweet marjoram, and sandalwood are all soothing oils which may be useful for stress-related problems. More about aromatherapy...

STRESS MANAGEMENT/SELF-HYPNOSIS

“I can’t cope!” “I’ve had enough!” “I never have time for myself!” “I can’t seem to stop worrying!”

These are all cries which stress managers recognize as signs of stress getting out of control and taking over our lives. Through stress-management techniques which are often coupled with learning hypnosis, stress managers work to identify sources of stress and to reduce and eliminate them. “I aim to teach people how to become positive, effective and relaxed while finding a new balance”, explains one. “Self-hypnosis uses the power of your mind to relieve symptoms and alter unwanted behaviour patterns”. The list of stress-related conditions which he believes stress management may help is long, but it includes anxiety, agoraphobia, asthma, bed-wetting, eating problems, executive stress, grief, hay fever, impotence, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, obsessive compulsions, pain reduction, panic, phobias, fear of public speaking, problems with relationships, feelings of rejection, lack of self-confidence, skin disorders, sleep problems, travel fright, and weight control.

Most courses in stress management take from 5 to 10 sessions and, according to the same therapist, “In most cases when people are willing to make changes in their lives, there is permanent release from symptoms”. By the end of the treatment, patients will also have learned techniques for self-hypnosis, which will help them manage stress better in the future. More about stress management...

REFLEXOLOGY

A reflexology session would begin with a comprehensive case history, helping to identify the causes of stress in your life. A full treatment, unblocking energies throughout the body, follows, after which the reflexologist concentrates on those areas which have specific problems.

By its very nature as a massage of the feet, reflexology is a relaxing treatment which reduces nervous tension and stimulates the body’s own self-healing properties. It is also an essentially natural treatment, involving no medication or interference with the body. And once you are aware of the points on your feet – or hands – which can be pressed to alleviate your individual symptoms of stress, you can administer “self-help” at home by massaging these points.

If you are severely stressed, a course of six reflexology sessions over three weeks may be recommended followed by “top-up” treatments as and when you feel the need. More about reflexology...

COLONIC HYDROTHERAPY

The colonics therapist tackles stress on two fronts. Firstly, you will be advised on how to change your diet in order to eliminate nutritional stressors. When you take away stimulants like tea and coffee which increase the body’s toxic load, you are likely to find that – quite suddenly – your body is able to relax.

Secondly, colonic irrigation reduces your body’s toxic burden, clearing quantities of toxic material. Therapists explain that the rest of your body will respond, so that you feel less overloaded – and less stressed. More about colonic...

COUNSELLING/PSYCHOTHERAPY

Many counsellors regard stress as a state in which the demands being made of us exceed our abilities to cope with them – and because we all respond differently to stress, counselling and psychotherapy treat stress in a range of different ways.

For instance, if we can identify those aspects of our own behaviour which contribute to stress – and those which diminish it – we can learn to improve things in our lives. On the emotional front, too, we need to develop an understanding of those feelings which cause us stress if we are to find positive and effective ways of dealing with them. The nature and quality of our relationships with work colleagues, friends and family are a vital part of this larger picture.

Sometimes we have negative thoughts and mental images of ourselves as unable to cope, which add to stress. Counselling can help to challenge these and substitute more positive patterns of thinking, so that we can feel better about ourselves and cope more easily with the ups and downs of life.

Counselling can also help us to identify the physical signals of stress so that we can nip the problem in the bud. Maintaining healthy diet, sleep and exercise patterns will support the range of effective coping skills which counselling can help to develop. More about counselling... More about psychotherapy...

SELF-CARE

Relaxation or meditation is a powerful way to combat the effects of stress, even if you can only find a few minutes of peace each day. Assertiveness training that helps you to say “no” to too many burdens can lighten your load, while common-sense health measures like maintaining a good diet and trying to get a good night’s sleep will stand you in good stead. Vitamin B complex can also provide a useful boost at times of stress.

Taking an aromatherapy bath at home, using essentials oils (essences) for inhalation – from your pillow at night or from a handkerchief – can alleviate symptoms.

SUPPORTIVE TREATMENTS

Nutrition

Nutritional consultants aim to remove toxins (which are chemical stressors) and stimulants (certain foods, drinks and allergens) from your body. Extra nutrients are also recommended in order to counteract stress.

You may need between three and six treatment sessions, which would involve detoxification, identifying food allergens and other underlying causes of stress, as well as establishing a diet and exercise regime designed to suit your individual needs.

Marma Massage/Exercises

If stress has the effect of overloading the brain, Marma massage works by “creating a space” in the brain cells, according to one practitioner. This space acts as an extra shock absorber, giving your brain the capacity to do the job of dealing with stress.

Once that space is available, yoga breathing of two counts for the in-breath and three counts for the out-breath will re-establish the balance and rhythm of your system. The yoga “tree pose”, which involves concentrated balancing, helps you to forget stress by “balancing” your mind.

Classical music – which should be listened to between 6 and 7pm – is also excellent for relaxation.

Light Therapy

There is a direct correlation between rising stress levels and lack of light. A combination of light therapy and reflexology is particularly beneficial for those suffering from stress. Light therapy reduces stress by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, thereby making the world seem an easier place. After a series of sessions the patient feels both relaxed and energized at the same time.

Remedial Yoga

Yoga is a therapy which relieves stress by calming both mind and body, giving us focus and stability while improving the quality of sleep. Physically, yoga stimulates blood and lymph circulation and helps balance the endocrine system, allowing your body to relax. Its breathing techniques can also help with relaxation and give you control over the rate and rhythm of your breathing.

Chi Kung/T’ai Chi

These exercises are all about restoring the balance of yin and yang throughout the body, warding off disease which – according to traditional Chinese medicine – can follow from an imbalance of energy. For stress and stress-related symptoms the exercises known as “Second Chi Kung” and “Triple Heater” are especially helpful as supportive treatment.

Shiatsu

All sorts of stress-related illnesses respond to this gentle form of Japanese massage. The therapist will aim to locate the source of the trouble and work on the relevant meridians to improve the flow of energy through the body.