Researchers find common killer: Stress

Many years ago I remember hearing about how stress was bad and it was fairly common knowledge that stress contributed to some major illnesses including heart attacks and strokes. Not many people seemed to know why. Surprisingly enough, I'm finding that a lot of people still don't!

This morning, on the way into the office, I heard on the radio that scientists have discovered stress deteriorates the cells of the immune system. I thought to myself, "They're just figuring this out?" Of course it does! And it contributes to every other condition as well.

Just about everyone holds a certain amount of tension in their body from both past and present stressors. I believe this is due in part to our culture's increased demands on our body and mind. We've become so accustomed to experiencing life in this state that it has become the norm, the standard by which we define our lives. This "standard" is called stress physiology... and it is completely normal when dealing with a stressful situation. However, after about 20 minutes, it becomes physically harmful.

Stressors can be physical, chemical or mental-emotional in nature. Regardless of its type, the normal response is for the body to go into stress physiology. If the brain can't fully process the stress it will continue in the stress response even after the stress is over. For most people it's never over. (Yes, you too.) Even something as small as the conversation in your head that never stops... that's stress.

So the question is, "Why does stress cause so many problems and affect the body on so many levels?" Well, to start with, when we experience stress certain "stress chemicals" like cortisol are released. This causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar. It only makes sense that stress contributes to cardiovascular problems and diabetes.

In addition, the breath becomes shallow and the musculature in the body tightens down causing bio-mechanical changes. This is especially true in the spine where improper movement effects the function of the nerve system. Of course, the nerve system controls all other systems including the endocrine system (body chemistry) which regulates everything from hormones to digestion to mood.

One of the most fascinating things to me is how stress affects brain function. The cerebral cortex, or the large part of the brain, is where our higher brain activity occurs. Higher brain activity means processing things other than survival, such as love, creativity, beauty, decision making and life purpose. When you are in a survival mode, or even when your body thinks there's a survival situation, the blood supply to that part of the brain actually diminishes.

Why would it do that? Simple: Your body directs blood where it's needed most and away from the area's that are not needed. In a survival situation we are accessing the lower, or reactive, part of our brain for quick response. The problem is we get stuck in that physiology even after the event is over and we exist as if we're trying to survive. In that state it's physiologically impossible to experience our full potential of love, creativity, beauty and all the other higher brain activities. Life becomes about making to the end of the day, and to the next weekend, and through another month, and to the next vacation and "when I retire then everything is going to be all right." I've got news for you. You never get there.

So I encourage you to ask yourself some questions: Why am I here (in this life)? Am I here to get by and survive, or am I here to experience life with as much love, joy and creativity possible? In addition to worrying about how stress deteriorates our immune cells, maybe we should concern ourselves with how it deteriorates our life experience.