EO to beat stress 🧘🏽

According to the world health organisation, stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. What’s clear is that stress affects almost all of us at least sometimes. Although a huge 63% of people in the UK are stressed at least weekly – up from just over a third 6 years ago. Therefore, for many of us, it’s a very frequent occurrence. We’ve seen Covid lockdowns, a cost-of-living crisis and lowering living standards in the past few years, which is a likely contributor to why the proportion of those stressed at least weekly has increased so much. Women in particular, almost a quarter say they experience stress every single day and for over two-thirds of them (68.41%) stress is at least a weekly occurrence and don't know how to relieve symptoms. Stress affects our mood, body (skin) and our relationships. It can make us feel anxious, unfocused, and irritable, lower our self-esteem, and even make us ill. It’s not the events in our life that stresses us, it's the way we deal with them that does. 

It's not surprising that people are looking for new treatments when you consider that we've seen a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr Rangan Chatterjee is one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK, a professor of health communication and education at the University of Chester, and the host of the popular Feel Better, Live More podcast.

He explains how stress first evolved to help keep us alive and why it’s become a significant problem in the modern world. 

At 9 minutes and 15 seconds, Rangan outlines some of the shocking health effects of long-term stress. To go straight there, follow this link.

My Journey: When Doctors can't help chronic illness due to stress

When I was 38 years old, I developed a series of worrying neurological symptoms after family stress, including loss of my Mum in Law, working full time and home schooling in covid, Richie my husband developing skin cancer to name a few. At first it was numbness and tingling in my right side including my face, I felt like I was having a stroke. I went to my local GP who referred me to get a MRI, ECG, EMG testing to make sure it was not epilepsy or a brain tumour. To my relief, tests came back "normal". I went back to the GP to be given a misdiagnosis of hemiplegic migraine. I was prescribed many migraine allopathic medicine Betablockers, Amitriptyline, and Naproxen all of which are to treat anxiety, depression and blood pressure, which unfortunately made my symptoms worse. I was also taking paracetamol; little did I know I was on medication over use and worryingly very unwell. I was a financial contributor to the household and was struggling to cope with going to work and managing a household with my husband and two daughters. I found a local private neurologist (expensive!) to check the diagnosis and he immediately suggested it was not hemiplegic but medication misuse, but I did have chronic migraine with aura. He suggested stop taking everything I had been prescribed and to take Vitamin B2 - the next few weeks would be difficult due to the amount my body had gone through with medication misuse.

The migraine aura is a process of your body changing in vision, speech, or sensation. It can be a scary, daunting and an awful out of body experience place to be. The auras for me last 3 to 4 hours and at my worst 24 hours and then I have the post syndrome of feeling dizzy, drained, and washed out for a couple of days before I return to feeling nearly 99.9% me. Also no one explains to you about when you have chronic migraine this means you will experience symptoms daily (mind blown!), mine include sinus throbbing, vertigo and back of head pain tightness, neck stiffness and shoulder blade tingle, tingle like coldness under my right eye and ear under water (all my symptoms are on the right side). I am finally after three years episodic by setting to work to improve my symptoms with a lifestyle overhaul. This included having a routine (no lay ins!) self-care micro morning habit, Ayurvedic nutrition, spices, herbs, and seasonal cleanses, eating regularly every 3-4 hours with no snacking and sipping boiled water. Holistic practices with acupuncture, reflexology, crystal clearing chakras, sound therapy, essential oils and taking supplements magnesium citrate, b2 vitamin 400mg daily. Daily exercise (walking/body balance). The main importance was to listen to my body and understand any signs that may cause me to trigger. To take time for me and running on empty would not help me and my family. 

Over the years, I’ve shared my story with others who have had similar symptoms. Could some of the cost, time, and worry have been avoided if I had been evaluated correctly who had some understanding of looking at lifestyle and its stressors as a whole?

Cultural Insight - Women trying to do it all aren’t taking time out of their busy days to combat stress, reaching a point of almost chronic tension.

Why do we have a stress response? 

Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. It usually happens when we are in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control. Stress is the body’s way of responding to anything that requires extra energy or effort. It’s a natural and essential part of life. Stress can be helpful in small doses, providing the extra energy or focus needed to meet a deadline or handle an emergency. But when stress is constant or overwhelming, it can have serious consequences for our physical and mental health. However, in today’s fast-paced, constantly connected world, we’re often bombarded with stressors that don’t require a physical response. The stress response is there to help us deal with potentially dangerous or life-threatening situations. Digestion, detoxification, and immune functions are only turned on when your body is in a parasympathetic state. That can’t happen when we are stressed.

When stress is on, our ability to heal is turned off. We should optimally be in a parasympathetic state 80% of the time, but many people struggle to be in this state at any point during the day. This is because stress inhibits the parasympathetic response and the body’s essential healing processes shuts down.

What Causes Stress? 

In today’s world, we don’t often find ourselves in life-or-death situations. But our bodies still respond to stress, like when chased by a bear or tiger. The problem is that this constant state of stress takes a toll on our bodies over time. Many things can cause stress. You might feel stressed because of one big event or situation in your life. Or it might be a build-up of lots of smaller things. An individual, for example when you have lots of responsibilities that you are struggling to manage.

The Key Stress Hormones at Work 

Stress hormones are designed to help us deal with stressful situations by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. However, chronic stress can take a toll on our bodies and minds over time. When we sense danger, our body kicks into gear and prepares us to either fight or take flight. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the key system controlling how our body reacts to and copes with stressors. The hypothalamus in the brain detects threats and triggers the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Cortisol increases blood sugar, suppresses the immune system, and alters brain activity to prepare for fight or flight. This is done by releasing a surge of hormones — including vasopressin, adrenaline, and cortisol — which give us extra energy and strength. The “fight or flight” mode triggered by stress is a survival mechanism that dates back to our days as hunter-gatherers. When faced with a dangerous situation, we fought or took off running. As a result, our heart rate and blood pressure increased, and we released adrenaline and other stress hormones like cortisol. This stress response gave us the energy and strength to confront the danger or quickly escape. In modern times most people know that too much stress is bad for them, but many don’t realise the full extent of the damage it can do. Stress hormones can wreak havoc on the body, and chronic exposure can lead to various health problems. Stress affects how our brains process serotonin, a chemical responsible for regulating mood. It can also disrupt other systems in the body, including the endocrine and immune systems, which can further contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression. So, here’s a closer look at some of the main stress hormones and their role:

Cortisol 
Known as the stress hormone, cortisol is a steroid that is produced in the adrenal glands and is our key hormone that contributes to our well-being and main role is to help the body respond to stress. Cortisol suppresses non-essential functions like digestion, reproduction, and immunity. This allows the body to redirect its resources to more pressing matters — like dealing with a stressful situation. It’s connected to many different bodily functions including sleep, blood sugar levels, inflammation, and memory. Usually, our cortisol is activated in response to a stressful event, and then returns to normal. Many of us, however, operate in an elevated state of stress due to family, work, health, and pandemic pressures. Cortisol imbalances are common which can exacerbate symptoms.  Unlike catecholamines — a group of stress hormones released in large bursts — cortisol is released in smaller amounts but more constantly. This is because cortisol is involved in the body’s long-term stress response. 

While cortisol is an important hormone, too much can be a problem. When cortisol levels are constantly high, it can lead to sleep issues (chronic fatigue), weight gain, anxiety, depression, IBS, hair and skin problems, and wears down our heart and ability to think clearly.

Catecholamines 

Catecholamines are a group of hormones that includes epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and dopamine. These hormones function as neurotransmitters in the human body, sending signals between nerve cells (neurons) to help the body respond to stress. Catecholamines are released in response to emotional stress and help to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Catecholamines also play a role in the “fight or flight” response, which is the body’s natural way of dealing with perceived threats.

• Epinephrine (Adrenaline) - known as the "fight or flight" response. It’s released in large amounts and has a number of effects on the body, including increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Epinephrine also boosts energy production and blood flow to muscles. While epinephrine can be helpful in short-term situations, too much can lead to anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

• Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline)  - Similar to adrenaline but is released in smaller amounts and has the same effect in increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Noradrenaline also boosts alertness and vigilance. Like epinephrine, too much norepinephrine can lead to memory loss, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

• Dopamine - Our reward hormone, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood, motivation, and pleasure. Dopamine is also involved in the stress response and is essential for coping with stress because it allows adaptation to various environmental stimuli. Low levels can lead to a weakened immune system, irritability, concentration problems, difficulty sleeping and memory loss.

Vasopressin 

This antidiuretic hormone helps regulate blood pressure and water metabolism in the body. Vasopressin is produced in the hypothalamus (a region of the brain) and stored in the pituitary gland (a small gland located beneath the brain). It is released into circulation when the body experiences physical or psychological stress. Once in the bloodstream, vasopressin binds to receptors on blood vessels and increases blood vessel constriction. This results in an increase in blood pressure. In addition, vasopressin signals the kidneys to reabsorb more water from urine, which leads to less urine production and helps prevent dehydration during times of physical stress (for example, during exercise). It is key to regulating the circadian rhythm — the periods of sleepiness and wakefulness in a 24-hour cycle. Vasopressin also helps maintain the body’s internal temperature, its blood volume, and the proper flow of urine from the kidneys. Too little vasopressin can cause frequent urination and can lead to dehydration, as well as low blood pressure and sleep rhythm difficulties. Too much vasopressin, your kidneys may retain water causing inflammation in the body and stiffness in the joints.

Allopathic Ways of Treating Stress 

Allopathic medicine tends to treat stress with various medications due to symptoms, which is intended to balance hormones using synthetic hormones. This would begin with hormone testing to identify imbalances, after which a treatment plan would be developed from the symptoms presented. Prescribed treatment can include:

• Sleeping pills or minor tranquillisers, if you're having trouble sleeping. Side effects include: excessive drowsiness, problems with concentration, and sometimes allergic reactions

• Antidepressants, if you're experiencing depression, anxiety or even migraine symptoms alongside stress. Side effects include: excessive drowsiness, seizures, problems with concentration, and sometimes allergic reactions

• Medication to treat any physical symptoms of stress, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or high blood pressure (betablockers) Side effects include: digestive issues, seizures, change in heartbeat and libido and allergic reaction like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue.

The role of essential oils: an evidence-based approach

Besides making your home feel like a spa, using essential oils for stress has risen in popularity in recent years. Whether one is adding these compounds extracted from plants to a bath or drops in the corner of the shower for relaxation or diffusing them in the bedroom to promote a long night’s sleep, the holistic use of aromatherapy to heal physically and mentally is something worth looking into if it helps ease any stress or anxious thoughts.