Signs of Stress
Mariana by John Everett Millais.
What is Stress?
Stress is any event, action or thought that requires that we change or adapt. Stress, both real, perceived (or imagined), can cause a host of symptoms including chronic pain, anxiety, depression and panic disorder.
Are You Stressed? What's going On In Your World?
Of those suffering from stress, 93% have had an accumulation of stressful life events, both good or bad, that are higher than what others are experiencing. The more you have had to deal with a change in career, relationships or marriage, health, family, death, finances and geographical locations, just to name a few, the harder it becomes to bounce back. These things, even when seen as positive, can drain one's energy and when changes happen too often, they become a powerful surge that leaves one depleted of reserves.
Highly Sensitive Women are even that much more vulnerable to energy shortages. And here's something else. Highly Sensitive Women can become overloaded and overwhelmed with other's emotions, pain, and problems. The HSW may not relate to being psychic, but she does share characteristics with those considered psychic. In fact, how often she avoids people and places all together, such as malls, restaurants and other crowded places, often depends entirely on how easily a HSW picks up on the vibrations of others!
Did you know that those having financial problems, especially credit card debt, have 19% more chance of digestive problems, 20% more chance of back pain and 29% more chance of having migraines?
Sensitivities can lead to anxiety attacks. Anxiety attacks lead to avoidance. Avoidance can lead to phobias, such as agoraphobia, which even though is described as 'fear of the market place', is actually fear of fear.
Physical Correspondences to Stress
Lungs: Grief and sadness.
Neck problems: The heart and mind not bridged in alignment.
Shoulders: Bearing burdens and the weight of the world alone.
Back and Legs: Being financially or emotionally unsupported.
Knees: Facing difficulty surrendering to a higher will.
Liver: Carrying around anger.
The Vitruvian Man by DaVinci
Causes of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Nutritional Deficiencies
Stress (both good and bad)
Food Additives
Toxic Intestinal Waste
Lack of Daylight
Energy Imbalances
Disease
Skull Distortion
Lack of Sleep
Lack of Purpose
Highly Sensitive Person (being a)
Misalignments of the Skeleton
High Levels of Stress Hormones
Low levels of Brain Chemicals (Serotonin, etc.)
pH Imbalances (high levels of acidity in the body)
Negative Thinking & Rage
Methyl Imbalance
IBS - Irritable Bowel/Bladder
Lack of Exercise
Hormone Imbalances
Psychological/Spiritual Issues
Hypoglycemia/Diabetes (blood sugar problems)
Bad Stress Response
Prescription & OTC (over-the-counter) Drugs
Tooth Decay/Gum Disease
Chronic Muscle Tensing/Tension
Lack of an Emotional Support Network
Dizziness, Tinnitus & Meniere's
Two Other Kinds of Stress - Boredom & Drudgery
There is a kind of stress that many don't talk about, but it needs mentioning. Sometimes, in life, it is not the stress of the things that are going on and happening in our lives, but the stress of what is not going on or not happening. When we become bored with what we are doing, experiencing, or living and don't feel we have an outlet for our energy, it causes tremendous stress. Continually being bored and without stimulation is no less than drudgery.
Drudgery, by definition, means a person who does hard, menial, tedious work. Take a look at these definitions.
Hard means 'with difficulty'.
Menial means 'as fit for servants' or 'a low person'.
Tedious means 'long, dull, tiresome, wearisome' work.
Work means 'to make one's way' and 'to proceed with difficulty'.
Boredom ends in drudgery and drudgery makes us lose contact with who we are (our values), which cause us to become bored, which causes drudgery. It is a vicious circle leading to burn out and a sense of uselessness or a feeling of lack of purpose. Boredom and drudgery, when ongoing, causes depression and physical dis-ease. The TCL e-book, The Building Self-Esteem Daily Energy Wellness Guide, can help you to end this vicious cycle once and for all.
How Do You React To Stress?
How you react to stress is not just a result of your mental outlook or your genes. It is both. Some of us are predispositioned to get stressed out more than others just because of the way we are built. But, there are ways of managing stress so that we don't become ill from it. Even those who are not highly sensitive have their weaknesses as well.
Stress and emotional problems can actually be seen in the lining of your gut. When you are angry the mucosa in the stomach turn bright red and can cause pain. When frightened it turns pale and when overwhelmed, or depressed, stomach contractions decrease. This is just one of the body's many responses to just one emotion. Too much of this going on and you could be looking at a case of Irritable Bowel.
When Symptoms Merge and Become Syndromes
Not all Highly Sensitive Women end up with stress syndromes, although many do. A true shipwreck (a car accident, a divorce, losing a job, a child, a pet, etc.) will infect everyone with some degree of stress, but for others the stress is the internal shipwreck that can't be seen by everyone else, sometimes not even by ourselves.
The Captains Lady's purpose is two-fold; to help prevent stress syndromes from developing in Highly Sensitive Women who do not currently have stress syndromes and to help erase stress syndromes in those who are already suffering.
Often, Highly Sensitive Women are tempted to listen when it is suggested that their symptoms are all in their mind, that they are depressed, or that they are making things up for attention. Have you been sent home with a clean bill of health, but left with a nagging feeling that something is really wrong? Do you no longer talk about it with others because you don't want to appear crazy? Is this your personal story?
The Common Denominator of All Dis-Ease is Energy Imbalance.
Trouble begins when there are blockages or obstacles along the energy paths in the body. Things such as poor diet, sleep or relationships, chemicals, EMFs, drugs, surgeries, and trauma create disturbances in our energy system. The result is distress, leading to low energy, fatigue, aches and pains, illness and, finally, dis-ease. Since each of us are unique in our strengths and weaknesses, our symptoms differ individually.
There are ways to correct these imbalances. Most energy blockages can be freed through all-natural, alternative therapies. Practically anything that is good for us will affect the aura, our electromagnetic energy field, in a positive way and bring about healing.
Words of Wisdom
At some point in your search for energy wellness, you may reach a point of realizing that the more you learn, the less you know. This can be very disheartening and may cause you to feel like giving up looking for answers, as there is no way you will ever know everything there is to know about everything.
Don't ever give up. Don't worry about never discovering what it is you don't know. The mind and spirit have a way of guiding you to what is relevant to you. Trust your inner guide, your subconscious wisdoms, and don't worry that you may miss the next greatest, best thing that might cure you. Usually, what you miss, you don't need. And, if you are reading these words, you are headed in the right direction.
Worthwhile Definitions
Symptom (simp'-tem) - any circumstance or condition that indicates the existence as of a particular disease.
Syndrome (sin'-drom) - a set of symptoms characterizing a disease or condition.
Disease (di zeez') 1. illness in general. 2. a particular destructive process in an organism.
Illness vs. Symptoms
Not all symptoms lead to illness, even though all illness eventually leads to symptoms. When a symptom, or group of symptoms, have no apparent cause, they are called a 'syndrome', meaning there is no cause, medically speaking. It is considered idiopathic, meaning it arose from an unknown cause. For most of us, that term just makes us feel like our doctors are saying we have idiot's dis-ease. Of course there is a cause!
Syndromes often overlap, with a wide variety of symptoms. Tinnitus, for example, has over 35 possible causes, many of which are related to other dis-eases. So, The Captains Lady lists several of the most common Stress Syndromes that Highly Sensitive Women experience, highlights their most common symptoms, lends you all-natural healing ideas, and makes sure you have the tools to heal yourself naturally!
The Top 10 Stress Syndromes
Fatigue 65%, Hormone Fluctuations 62%, Allergy 41%, Depression/Insomnia 32%, Weight/Appetite 21%, Cholesterol 19%, Headache/Migraines 17%, Blood Pressure 14% and Fibromyalgia 14%.
A few of these are associated with Chronic Pain, another syndrome not treated well by medical doctors.
* Percentages are based on reported experiences of individuals in the United States.
Common Causes of Stress Syndromes
Poor, or not enough, sleep.
Cumulative or ongoing stress, especially relationship stress.
Toxicities (acid forming substances from air, water, foods and products).
Poor nutrition (or problems with absorbing nutrients).
Food sensitivities. You don't have to be allergic to a food to suffer its consequences.
Lack of exercise.
Exposure to Violence, Sexual Abuse (as a victim) or Trauma, either physically or emotionally. Traumatic memories often cause cumulative underlying stress.
Exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic energy fields).
pH Imbalance. The 'Grandmother' of All Syndromes & Dis-eases!
pH imbalance is a condition specifically related to Western civilization. pH imbalance causes every conceivable stress syndrome known and represents increased body acid levels. As acid levels increase, so do stressful symptoms. If pH imbalance is the cause of your energy imbalance, you can reverse it through your diet. The TCL e-book, The Importance of pH Balance can help you steer clear of eating too many acidic foods.
Stress Syndromes...Symptoms, Causes, & Remedies
Click on titles, below, for detailed information on symptoms, facts, and remedies.
Adrenal Burn Out - Tiredness, Fatigue, Being Easily Startled (Jumpiness), Brain Fog, Hormonal Problems. This underlies many stress syndromes.
Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) - A burning sensation, or stinging, of the tongue, gums or upper throat (as if it was, indeed, burned).
Candida (Yeast) Syndrome - An overgrowth of natural bacteria.
Chronic Pain Syndrome - Includes information on all types of pain, including headache, muscle, joint, RSD, and more.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, ME, PVFS) - Tiredness and exhaustion, more so than pain.
Dry Mouth Syndrome - Sicca Syndrome (sometimes including dry eyes and nose).
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FS) - Widespread pain in the muscles and joints, more so than tiredness.
Irritable Bladder Syndrome (IBS) - Frequent urination, bladder pain and incontinence.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS) - Pain, Gas, Bloating, Indigestion, Constipation & Diarrhea (alternating)
Meniere's Syndrome - Imbalance, dizziness, and/or vertigo (perhaps with Tinnitus).
Muscular & Migraine Headaches - Pain in the head, neck and/or shoulders.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) - Inability to relax the leg(s), which interferes with relaxing and sleep.
SAD Syndrome - Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Sleep Disorders & Sleep Apnea Syndromes/ - Cessation of breathing, sleep disruptions, insomnia, etc.
Tinnitus Syndrome - Fullness, ringing, buzzing, whirring noises in the ear(s).
Vaginitis, or Bacterial Vaginosis - Itching, pain, discharge, odor, irritation, rawness, pain during intercourse, etc.
Tension Myositis Syndrome & Myofascial Pain Syndrome - The basis for nearly all Chronic Pain Syndrome cases.
When You Feel Sick, But Have Been Diagnosed As Not...
...it is important for you to realize our energy fields, and our bodies, are either constantly drained by our experiences or enlivened. This is especially true for Highly Sensitive Women. By taking The Aura Energy Self-Test you can discover your particular energy imbalances and find simple and immediate methods to increase your energy wellness!
Give Natural Remedies a Chance to Work
You will want to give each natural remedy a 'reasonable' amount of time to work before moving on to the next. The amount of time varies according to the treatment applied. And, remedies only work if you are cooperating with your body, mind and spirit to become as healthy as possible. Even natural remedies can become nothing more than bandaids if you are not working on the larger issues, such as diet, stress, relationship problems, and your environment. You don't have to make major changes all at once. You can paddle your boat to shore at your own speed!
Simple Measures To Reduce Stress
Get a massage. Share one or give yourself one.
Be 'intimate' and 'romantic' with your mate. The letter differences between celibate and celebrate are the 'I' and the 'R', with the 'I' standing for intimacy and the 'R' standing for respect. Without respect there is no romance and without romance there's no intimacy (meaning closeness). Therefore, encourage respect and the rest will follow!
Use Fung Shui in your home, office and car.
Take two 10-minute rests during your day.
Don't read or watch the paper or the News for 1 week.
Write down your deepest, darkest emotions that you hide from even yourself.
Place a calming picture on your car visor to look at when stuck in traffic.
Invest in some magnetic jewelry (not if you have heart problems or a pace-maker).
Buy your Christmas and Birthday gifts all year long. How fun is that!
Break down tasks and projects into smaller chunks of 'To-Dos'.
Do maintenance activities. Bake, clean, get rid of junk, redecorate a little, garbage and all things you do not use (or store it away), mow the lawn, or wash the car inside and out.
Get out of debt. Start by balancing your checkbook, then organize your bills, pay more than what is expected on your credit cards every month, put the 'plastic' away. Try not to live beyond your means. Pay your friends and family back. This is the worst kind of debt, being not only financial, but emotional burdening as well.
Make procrastination lists. Whatever doesn't get done today, place it on a new list for tomorrow. For those things that keep getting transferred, ask for help with or maybe decide a time frame for them until you are ready.
Take care of your own responsibilities and let others take care of theirs. Know when It is OK to help and be helped, but own your own personal 'stuff', whatever that may be.
Get rid of harmful addictions. Are there any addictions that aren't harmful? Think about it.
Go for a brisk 20-minute walk, if you can. It will change your perspective.
Have a heart to heart with someone with someone who does not judge you. Sometimes hearing yourself think can give you answers that were already inside of you. Or, your friend may have some wise advice.
No one to talk to? Write a letter that will never be sent or given, just to get things off your chest. This is especially helpful when you have things to say to someone who is no longer with you (or available) or would not validate what you have to say. Do it for you.
Just say "No". And, this can be hard to do. Some of us feel guilty telling others no. And maybe it is something you would really like to do, but if you are always feeling tired, rushed, out of time or energy, it is necessary.
Just say "Yes". When we feel overwhelmed, depressed and isolated, sometimes the best thing we can do is say yes to invitations, to taking ourselves by the hand to get outdoors, or to picking up the phone to call someone. Isolation is never good for extended periods of time. Say "Yes" to opportunities to increase your self-esteem!
Eat as well as you possibly can. Take your vitamins, but only the ones you know you need.
Find something you are passionate about. What is it that you really care about, makes you smile, makes you feel like a better person for being involved in? Do you love animals, like to sing, love to paint, to write, to cook? Find that something that you like to do, or would like to learn, that would capture your interest so much that you would not even notice the time. What captures your interest and your heart as well?
Have a good cry. It's nature's way of helping us to release that which hurts or frightens.
Resistance. Stress's Best Friend!
As a Highly Sensitive Woman, one of the best things you can do is to determine what causes you the most stress and build your life around that. I am not suggesting you should try to create a life that is isolated, or null and void of stress, but to become aware of those things that trigger anxiety, discomfort, feeling drained and work in and around those things.
Often, we resist our own sensitive natures and try to be the person that everyone else wants or expects us to be. This resistance creates tension and pain, both emotionally and physically. It could be that the only thing that you will be ever be able to change is your own reaction to whatever, or whomever, is stressing you out.
You have the right to provide a life for yourself that feels safe and is otherwise rich in the ability to grow, build self-esteem, and offers you the avenue to pursue your greatest passions.
Don't resist the urge to stop resisting! Learn to say no, to reschedule, to wait until another day, and then just sit and enjoy the quiet.
Mari,
Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your website. I was recently reviewing the possible diagnoses and treatment of certain ailments that I am experiencing and was amazed at the similarities for treatment between the different symptoms that I have. I am excited to begin a regimen of natural vitamins/minerals and diet, in the hopes of at least, minimizing my symptoms. Thanks again.
- Marie P.
May Love & Energy Be Yours!
