What is "stress"?
Most people who live here in Los Angeles don't have to
ask that question, but here are a few web definitions: 1.) Stress is defined as a nonspecific response of the body
to any demand made upon it which results in symptoms such as rise in the blood pressure, release of hormones, quickness of
breath, tightening of muscles, perspiration, and increased cardiac activity. Stress is not necessarily negative.
Some stress keeps us motivated and alert, while too little stress can create problems. However, too much stress can
trigger problems with mental and physical health, particularly over a prolonged period of time. 2.) any experience that
taxes an individual's energy or well-being; stress may be physical, mental, or emotional. 3.) tension: (psychology)
a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
4.) (physics) force that produces strain on a physical body; "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided
by units of area" and 5.) mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes.
What is "stress reduction therapy"?
Anything that relieves mundane stress on a daily basis, such as relaxation,
can help. However, Hans Selye, a Hungarian medical scientist, was the first to use the word "stress" in connection
with a picture of health wellness. His theory is that when the body reacts to stress, it creates an "alarm"
response, which is as it should be. That means that your body is in good shape to react accordingly to any given stressor,
hopefully appropriately and effectively in ways that relieve it.
If the stress continues, however, an "adaptation" state may result,
where we learn to accomodate or bear the symptoms of stress by adjusting to them. This can, more positively, mean creating
an increase in our tolerance to frustration and moving back into the alarm state, which relieves the stress, or, negatively,
reacting with an accomodating adjustment that (temporarily) alleviates the pain of the stress but becomes
a new holding pattern.
A physical example of this would be continually keeping your
head tilted to one side because it relieves the pain in your neck, but does not remove or alleviate the source of the stress.
If the stress continues even longer, an "exhaustion" state is created
that may lead to a weakened system. For example, if you keep your head tilted at a relieving angle to your neck
for 3 years, the adaptation may cause other stresses.
This alarm/adaptation/exhaustion model fits all forms of stress, whether
physical, emotional, mental or spiritual.
Obviously, reducing stress is a key to well-being. Relaxation helps, but how do we
know where stress may be hiding in the adapted or exhausted states physically, mentally, emotionally or even spiritually?
With the help of quantum biofeedback, we can painlessly and non-invasively look at reactions
to common stressors and begin to piece the picture together. Click on the atom below to learn more.
