West End Health Line
By Chatterton, PhD, L.P.
We’ve all heard that we need to manage our stress to stay healthy. However, many people don’t realize how connected their mental health can be to their medical diagnoses. Stress increases common physical ailments like colds, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome, and it can also contribute to serious medical problems like chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. That’s why your doctor may ask about your stress level and emotional well-being, even when you’ve only had concerns about a medical condition. This can be confusing and we may think, “He doesn’t seem to be taking me seriously!” Or “Are you saying it’s all in my head?” Once you have a better understanding of how connected your mind and body really are, it will make more sense to have conversations with your doctor about your mental health. The holidays can be an exceptionally stressful time, so let’s explore the implications of that stress and how to manage it.
Our bodies and our brains are in constant communication through an interconnected network of neurons called the autonomic nervous system. Those phrases we use like, “hunches,” “gave me goosebumps,” and “butterflies in my stomach” demonstrate the ways our bodies give us information about our emotions and feelings. In addition to this communication, the nervous system is responsible for all the automatic functions of the body such as heart rate, breathing, temperature control, and survival when we sense danger. In fact, our nervous system is constantly scanning our environment for signs of threat, and it performs this assessment four times per second. If we are in a state of chronic stress, the nervous system will detect threats and dangers every time it scans the body for information. So we are caught up in constant tension, irritability, and a feeling of being on edge.
Think about a time when you were stressed about something. Can you remember how your body felt at that time? Were your muscles tense? Accelerated heart? Tight jaw? Couldn’t he stay still? That’s all because your body was preparing to help you survive a threat. Chronic stress appears in the body as a danger signal and our body springs into action. This is a brilliant strategy that your body automatically engages in to help you survive something painful or overwhelming. The problem is that if you’re constantly in this state, your body becomes overloaded with stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. This can cause inflammation, tension and pain in the nervous system and can disrupt all those automatic functions that keep us healthy. This is why chronic stress is so bad for our health. Not to mention, it doesn’t feel right and prevents us from being connected with loved ones and doing things we enjoy. You might find yourself saying “don’t worry so much, this isn’t even a big deal” or “just relax, there’s nothing to worry about.” No matter what we tell ourselves, however, it is our body and nervous system that hold the key to relaxing, staying calm, and feeling safe and healthy. So the next time you find yourself in this situation, try doing something healthy for your body, like taking a deep breath, stretching out tight muscles, taking a short walk, or talking to someone you trust about how you feel.
Remember to talk to your doctor about finding ways to better manage your stress and mental health. There may not be easy answers, but even small improvements can have a big impact on your health. Often, people find that mental health medication and therapy can improve their other medical problems as well. With these potential benefits, it’s never a bad time to explore ways to improve your stress. Perhaps talking to your doctor about improving your stress and mental health could be a gift to you this holiday season!
Dr. Chatterton works at Allina Health United Family Physicians, 233 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN; 651-241-5200
