What exactly is stress?

Who has never experienced a stressful situation and never suffered its consequences? A majority of the population has already experienced this kind of tension and some even live it on a daily basis. Stress has become a way of life to which each of us tries to acclimatize with more or less pressure.
Depending on our experience, our culture, our history as well as our character but also our vitality, our response to stress will be different from that of our neighbor who will live it more or less well. Very often our personal experience, whether it is current or from our early childhood and sometimes even from our intra-uterine life, can define our resistance to stress.

Biologically, what is stress?

The hypothalamus - a gland in our brain - sends information via neurotransmitters to the pituitary gland, which then stimulates the relevant gland. It is the disruption of the hypothalamus that is responsible for the consequences of stress. Indeed, in a stressful situation, the secretion of three neurotransmitters decreases: serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. These are therefore responsible for all our ill-being.

Our body will therefore struggle to balance its condition and will therefore go through three stages:

  1. The alarm phase which will set in motion the body's defenses to compensate for the lacks and aim at homeostasis. It is the alerting of the body.
  2. The resistance phase during which the body will fight body and soul not to sink.
  3. The exhaustion phase, which is synonymous with the well-known "my body is giving out" and during this phase, the search for balance is futile and the body can no longer find the resources necessary for its well-being because it is totally overwhelmed.

The consequences of stress can be really serious over time and we can notice pathologies in different organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys and even the immune system.

The damage of stress

But in everyday life, stress does damage that we do not systematically attribute to it, such as

  • Behavioral problems: aggressiveness and gloom, loss of self-confidence, lack of enthusiasm, anger, dark thoughts and tendency to depression, etc.
  • Problems in different areas: loss of libido, loss or gain of appetite, itching, headaches, diffuse pain in the body, diarrhea or constipation, etc.
  • Also sleep disorders such as insomnia, nightmares, non-restorative nights, difficult sleep, etc.

It is very important to learn to listen to your body to take into account the first signs so you can react quickly. Letting the exhaustion phase happen is dangerous for both mental and physical health. Too many people overdose themselves with anxiolytics or antidepressants because they did not listen to the first signs and let themselves be carried away by the infernal spiral of stress.

In the field of natural medicine, there are many methods to overcome these reactions: from taking adapted food supplements to yoga or relaxation sessions. Think also of your liver by imposing a small detoxification because if it listens to the traditional Chinese medicine, this organ is the center of our anger and our frustrations.

To take one's health in hand is to take a step forward to avoid plunging into chemical medication which will only bring additional consequences and inconveniences.

# Mood
Vanessa Colant 27 May, 2016
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Magnesium, the anti-stress reflex par excellence