by Lawrence Wilson, MD
© February
2010, The Center For Development
Stress is one of the most often used
words today. But just what is
stress, and exactly how does it affect us? Let us begin with the definition of stress.
Stress is a response
of the body to stimuli. Noise, heat or cold are
not stresses. They are
stimuli. The response they cause
in the body is called stress. This
means that if your neighbor is playing his stereo at full volume, but you have
an excellent set of earplugs, there is no stress! There is stress only if you respond. The impact of any event or stimulus
depends on how you respond (or don't respond) to it.
On a more general level, stress
is the underlying response of an organism to its environment. This is a most important concept to
understand, and it is the basis for the hair analysis patterns that are
revealed on the hair mineral tests.
The minerals on the test have value in themselves. However, in addition, Dr. Paul Eck
figured out how they represent the responses of the body to stress of many
kinds in the environment. This is
a great secret and key to understanding hair mineral analysis by the method of
Dr. Paul Eck.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
STRESSORS
External stress
responses. Our bodies are continuously having to
respond to the world around us.
This includes the ground we walk upon, the outer temperature, wind,
rain, snow, sounds, sights, people, and hundreds of subtle factors such as
smells, tension in the world, oneÕs financial and social situations and more.
Internal stress. The body also must respond to
changes in the internal environment of
the body, such as too much warmth or cold, hunger, thirst, diseases in the
body, strain and tension on muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints, the bodyÕs
position in space and how gravity is affecting the body, and thousands of other
parameters or factors. The body
must continuously adjust the blood sugar level, the blood pressure level and
the levels of all the minerals, vitamins, hormones, and hundreds of other
nutrients and chemicals that we are made of. This is the continuously changing response to internal
stress that keeps us alive.
An important principle is that usually it is far easier to work with and
control internal stress than it is to control external forces.
THE BODY'S STRESS
RESPONSE
Non-specific nature of
the stress response. Dr. Hans Selye
discovered that the bodyÕs overall response to stressors of all kinds is
similar. This means that the bodyÕs
response to a loud noise, extreme cold, a bacterial infection, a toxic metal,
or worry can all cause the same stress response. It doesn't matter if the stressor comes from within the body
(bacteria) or from outside the body (noise, for example). This is an important principle of the
General Adaptation Syndrome, which is what Dr. Selye
called the way the body responds to stress.
The stages of stress. Dr. Selye divided the response into three stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. All organisms go through these three
stages of stress, which are followed by death. One can go through all three stages in minutes, or it can
take 100 years. The progression of
the stages of stress are mediated through the adrenal and thyroid glands.
Dr. Paul Eck realized that he could
identify these stages with fair accuracy using a hair mineral analysis
providing the hair sample is not washed at the laboratory. Knowing which stage of stress the body
is in is most helpful to recommend diets, nutritional supplements and other
procedures to gently and safely move the body to a healthier stage of
stress. With a hair mineral
analysis, this is done with mathematical accuracy.
Dr. Eck's research on hair analysis
was greatly assisted by incorporating the stress theory into the interpretation
of the hair analysis. Knowing the
stage of stress, one knows a lot about how a body is functioning. This allows one to move beyond symptoms
and correct underlying body chemistry.
Dr.
Eck discovered the alarm stage of stress roughly correlates with fast
oxidation. The resistance stage of
stress roughly corresponds to a mixed oxidation pattern. It may also correlate with a fast oxidation
pattern with a low sodium/potassium ratio. The exhaustion stage of stress roughly corresponds to a very
slow oxidation rate.
Mineral
levels change in accord with the stage of stress. For instance, in the alarm stage, sodium rises. As the resistance stage begins, sodium
begins to drop. It continues even
lower in the exhaustion stage. One
can determine the stage of stress with numerical accuracy from the tissue
mineral levels and ratios.
COMMON CAUSES OF
STRESS
Internal
causes of stress include nutritional deficiencies, bacterial or viral
infections, subluxated vertebrae, hardened arteries,
weak muscles, toxic metals in enzyme binding sites, poor circulation, fatigue,
energy imbalances, fear-based emotional patterns, neuroses or rigid ideas.
External
stressors include family problems, financial struggles, school difficulties,
interpersonal problems, extreme heat or cold, polluted air and water, improper
diet, low-quality food, toxic medications, drugs and other poisons, and many
other factors that appear 'external' to us. The internal and the external factors of stress combine to
create stress responses.
Noise
can be a potent stressor. This
includes televisions, radios and even too much or too loud talking. The presence of other people,
especially for babies and children, can be stressful. Some
people are affected by even more subtle factors such as electromagnetic waves,
colors, tone of voice, and even a person's 'aura'. We have all heard the phrase, "there was so much anger
in the room you could cut it with a knife".
There
are even spiritual stressors. Just
telling the truth, or speaking up to a friend, can cause much stress. For innocent children, hearing false
statements by parents like "you are a bad child" can be a horrendous
stress.
WHO IS UNDER STRESS?
Everyone
copes with stress all the time. If
we are healthy, it means we are able to cope and respond adequately to our
internal and our external environments.
As the body weakens, or if stress is
excessive, the bodyÕs ability to respond correctly and appropriately to stress
begins to decline. This can occur
at any age. In fact, it usually
begins shortly after birth in some ways, because babies today are born quite
deficient in some essential nutrients such as zinc. They are also often born with too much copper, lead,
aluminum, and other toxic metals and toxic chemicals in their bodies due to
these excesses in their mothers.
This is one important cause for infections, ADD, ADHD, other learning
and developmental problems of infants and young children.
STRESS AND ENERGY
Each
of the stages of stress is a lower energy state. The goal of a nutritional balancing
program is to move the body from a lower energy and less healthful stage of
stress to a more healthful stage of stress.
Another
principle of stress is that coping or adapting to stress uses up energy. When energy improves on a nutrition
program, it is because there is less biochemical stress on the body, and thus
more adaptive energy is available.
This is an important principle that helps explain 'healing reactions',
and the success of nutritional balancing programs.
THE IDEAL STRESS
RESPONSE
The
ideal stress response is a minimally upsetting response. On a hair analysis it would be to
maintain a balanced oxidation rate.
To do this one must be able to absorb or "digest" every
experience without reacting to it.
This can only occur if one is not attached to any physical or emotional
state or condition, and if the body is quite healthy. Of course, some types of stressors require a vigorous
response, but even here, the most healthful response would be one that upsets
the status quo of the body the least.
Emotional detachment. When an emotional upset occurs the body
and mind should be able to handle it without becoming too unhappy, angry or
upset. In philosophy, this is often
called a state of 'emotional detachment', or Òliving in the world, but not
being of the worldÓ.
One
can assist the body and mind to respond appropriately to all types of stress by
balancing and strengthening body chemistry. This can help one to cope with everything from invading
bacteria or viruses, to negative thoughts, fearful emotions and physical,
social or financial hardship. An
important principle of nutritional balancing science is that reducing
the internal stress on the body, one can handle or digest more external stress.
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
STRESS
Some people are under the
misconception that all stress is bad.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Dr. Hans Selye, who originated the
stress theory of disease, wrote a book entitled Stress Without Distress. He explained that certain kinds of
stress are essential for health.
These range from physical exercise which keeps our bones and muscles
strong, to mental stress or stimulation which keeps us mentally alert, and may
help avoid senility.
There are many other types of
positive or beneficial stressors.
In fact, healing therapies including nutritional balancing science
sometimes intentionally apply a 'positive stressor' to the client in order to assist
healing. The 'good' stressor may
be a chiropractic adjustment, a massage, a new diet, vitamin supplements or
spoken words. These may be felt at
first as stressful. However, if
the act or information is applied correctly, it results in a positive or
healing change in the body.
THE INDIVIDUALITY OF
STRESS
Because stress is a response that
depends on how one reacts, the same event may cause stress in one person, but
cause no stress in another. For
example, one person may adore being around cats, while another person is
allergic to cat hair and feels miserable around cats.
This simplistic example illustrates
the principle that the stress response is individual, depending on what each
person responds to. One's physical
or psychological makeup can protect or make one vulnerable to particular
events. Of course, some stimuli
affect everyone, such as starvation, atomic bombs, or cyanide poisoning. However, individual variation exists to
some extent even in these instances.
In a sense, we define ourselves by what we respond to: whether it be
famine in Ethiopia, a stock market dip, sports scores, a bird singing, a sunny
day, etc. Many times in order to
achieve health and happiness, what must change are the events that we respond
to.
We tend to be shaped or influenced
heavily by those stimuli or stressors to which we respond. The person who responds to the TV news
tends to be shaped by that stimulus.
Another is more shaped by what his friends tell him. Becoming a mature person involves
finding those situations which are healthful stressors for us, even though they
may not be ideal for another. Much
disease and unhappiness is produced because we either conform to or rebel
against the dictates of parents and teachers as to how and to what we ought to
respond.
SPIRITUAL STRESS
A type of stress that is not often
discussed is what may be called spiritual
stress. A spiritual stressor
is one that causes us to change or adapt in a way that improves oneÕs
character, causes mental or spiritual development, or perhaps makes one a nicer
or more aware person.
For example, some people respond to
truth. They seek the truth in
their activities, and they guide their life by it as much as possible. Responding to the truth is a powerful
positive stressor. It can
certainly cause some upset, as people and events are revealed for what they
really are. But it leads to an
enhancement and strengthening of character as long as one seeks and follows
what is revealed as the truth.
Many religions recommend techniques
such as prayer and meditation. If practiced correctly, these activities may
also act as stressors that increase self-discipline, awareness and
receptiveness to the truth.
Another spiritual stressor is taking
full and complete responsibility for all oneÕs actions, words, and
thoughts. This means responding to
oneÕs conscience, and doing what is correct in every situation no matter what
the consequences. This is an
important spiritual stressor for some people that also builds character and
leads to mental and spiritual development in some people. Of course, one must
be clear about what is right, because otherwise one may make errors of judgment
and follow paths that are not healthful at all.
Harmful spiritual stressors are
often called temptations or sins in some circles. They would include doing what is
expedient or what 'feels good in the moment' rather than what is right or
good. Another is making a decision
to please others, no matter what the cost to you and your health. Others are to eat without thought of
your health, to spend money without thought of the consequences, and there are
others, of course.
SUMMARY
Stress is usually not due to events
only, but to oneÕs response to events.
Many responses are conditioned.
This is why you may feel trapped by stress. By reducing internal
stressors (imbalances inside the body and mind) one will be more able to handle
all kinds of stress that comes from outside
One tends to become like that to
which one responds. Anyone can
choose to respond to 'positive' physical, emotional and spiritual stressors
that have powerful beneficial effects on both mind and body.
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