Did you LOSE your mind during the Pandemic?

Are you living your best year ever? Are you just okay, or maybe dealing with some pretty big stressors right now? Just wondering, because I care about you! How do we stay afloat in today’s ever hectic, stressful world? 

Today in our “Let’s Make America Healthy Again” series, we are exploring MENTAL HEALTH: understanding stressors, how they affect our lives, and how to protect ourselves. Read on to learn some simple tools to minimize stress, and feel better immediately!

Understanding the STATISTICS

Unfortunately, over 19% of Americans experienced a mental illness, such as Depression, before COVID hit; up 1.5 MILLION over last year’s dataset!

Suicidal ideation among adults increased by more than 460,000 people over last year.

Over 9% of American youth have severe major Depression, and 60% of these youth do not receive any medical health treatment.

With statistics like these, it’s all more important to pack some tools in your arsenal for when the going gets tough. As a nation, we can help ourselves and others, learn a few positive healing techniques to improve some of America’s most challenging mental health statistics by implementing some (often-times simple) solutions….

STRESS and ILLNESSES (depression, immunity, heart, diabetes…)

Interesting enough, research suggests that continuing difficulties, things such as long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness, or prolonged work stress, that are more likely to cause Depression, rather than recent life stresses.

That being said, the current Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of our lives, and for many of us caused increased amounts of stress in various areas of lives. Stress can affect your physical and mental health, so finding ways to manage should be a priority. There are techniques we can use to help manage stress, boost healing, decrease pain, and regulate our nervous system for a decreased stress response.

There are three stages of stress: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion. 

First stage: Alarm – This occurs when we first perceive something as stressful, and then the body initiates the fight-or-flight response. When we experience sudden, high stress, we activate our fight or flight response, getting the body ready to either flee the scene or fight. In our everyday experience of stress, there is no place to run or hide, and the stressful situation is not one that can easily be fought off. Most of us are not meeting tigers in the street!

Second stage: Resistance – If the perceived stress continues, the body stays activated at a higher metabolic level in an effort to offset the persistent stress. The body cannot maintain this level indefinitely, and its resources will eventually deplete.

Final stage: Exhaustion – Prolonged exposure to the stressor will result in the depletion of the body’s resources, and the resulting wear and tear will suppress the immune system and cause bodily functions to deteriorate. This can lead to a variety of health issues and illnesses, including heart disease, digestive problems, depression, and diabetes.

HEALH EFFECTS OF STRESS

Stress is a feeling you get when faced with a challenge. In small doses, stress can be good for you because it makes you more alert and gives you a burst of energy. For instance, if you start to cross the street and see a car about to run you over, that jolt you feel helps you to jump out of the way before you get hit. But feeling stressed for a long time can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Even though it may seem hard to find ways to de-stress with all the things you have to do, it’s important to find those ways. Your health depends on it.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF STRESS?

Stress happens when people feel like they don’t have the tools to manage all of the demands in their lives. Stress can be short-term or long-term. Missing the bus or arguing with your spouse or partner can cause short-term stress. Money problems or trouble at work can cause long-term stress. Even happy events, like having a baby or getting married can cause stress. Some of the most common stressful life events include:

  • Death of a spouse

  • Death of a close family member

  • Divorce

  • Losing your job

  • Major personal illness or injury

  • Marital separation

  • Marriage

  • Pregnancy

  • Retirement

  • Spending time in jail

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON SIGNS OF STRESS?

Everyone responds to stress a little differently. Your symptoms may be different from someone else’s. Here are some of the signs to look for:

  • Not eating or Eating too much

  • Feeling like you have no control

  • Needing to have too much control

  • Forgetfulness

  • Headaches

  • Lack of energy

  • Lack of focus

  • Trouble getting things done

  • Poor self-esteem

  • Short temper

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Upset stomach

  • Back pain

  • General aches and pains

These symptoms may also be signs of Depression or Anxiety, which can be caused by long-term stress.

CAN STRESS AFFECT HEALTH?

You betcha! The body responds to stress by releasing stress hormones. These hormones make blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels go up. Long-term stress can cause a variety of health problems, including:

  • Mental health disorders, like Depression and Anxiety

  • Obesity

  • Heart disease

  • High blood pressure

  • Abnormal heart beats

  • Menstrual and Fertility problems

  • Acne and other Skin problems

  • Ulcers, Colitis, IBS and Digestive problems

HOW CAN I HANDLE MY STRESS?

Everyone has to deal with stress. There are steps you can take to help you handle stress in a positive way and keep it from making you sick. Try these tips to keep stress in check:

MINDSET - Develop a new attitude:

  • Become a problem solver. Make a list of the things that cause you stress. From your list, figure out which problems you can solve now and which are beyond your control for the moment. From your list of problems that you can solve now, start with the little ones. Learn how to calmly look at a problem, think of possible solutions, and take action to solve the problem. Being able to solve small problems will give you confidence to tackle the big ones. And feeling confident that you can solve problems will go a long way to helping you feel less stressed.

  • Be flexible. Sometimes, it’s not worth the stress to argue. Give in once in awhile, or meet people halfway.

  • Get organized. Think ahead about how you’re going to spend your time. Write a to-do list. Figure out what’s most important to do and do those things first.

  • Set limits. When it comes to things like work and family, figure out what you can really do. There are only so many hours in the day. Set limits for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to say NO to requests for your time and energy.

RELAX:

  • Take deep breaths. If you’re feeling stressed, taking a few deep breaths makes you breathe slower and helps your muscles relax (this can help your Vargus Nerve, read more HERE)

  • Stretch. Stretching can also help relax your muscles and make you feel less tense.

  • Massage tense muscles. Having someone massage the muscles in the back of your neck and upper back can help you feel less tense.

  • Take time to do something you want to do. We all have lots of things that we have to do. But often we don’t take the time to do the things that we really want to do. It could be listening to music, reading a good book, or going to a movie. Think of this as an order from your doctor, so you won’t feel guilty!

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY:

  • Get ADJUSTED: A full-spine adjustment (including your Vagus nerve) The good news is that our bodies contain their own superpower that can assist with decreasing our fight or flight response. The vagus nerve system acts to counterbalance the fight or flight system and can trigger a relaxation response in our body. It is one of the cranial nerves that connect the brain to the body. The vagus nerve is a major part of how our bodies and brains function; without it, our bodies wouldn’t be able to do basic tasks, and by stimulating it we can receive powerful health benefits.

  • Pay attention to your NUTRITION: Fuel up with fruits, vegetables, and protein. Don’t be fooled by the jolt you get from caffeine or high-sugar snack foods. Your energy will wear off, and you could wind up feeling more tired than you did before.

  • Make sure to EXERCISE: Physical activity can not only help relax your tense muscles, but improve your mood. Research shows that physical activity can help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

  • Watch and REDUCE TOXINS: Don’t deal with stress in unhealthy ways. This includes drinking too much alcohol, using drugs, smoking, or overeating.

  • Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep helps you recover from the stresses of the day. Also, being well-rested helps you think better so that you are prepared to handle problems as they come up. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to feel rested.

CONNECT WITH OTHERS:

  • Share your stress. Talking about your problems with friends or family members can sometimes help you feel better. They might also help you see your problems in a new way, and suggest solutions that you hadn’t thought of.

  • Get help from a Professional if you need it. If you feel that you can no longer cope, talk to your Naturopathic doctor. They may suggest counseling to help you learn better ways to deal with stress. If your doctor prescribes medicines, such as antidepressants or sleep aids, make sure to request the help of a Functional Medicine doctor first, as these meds are addictive and you don’t want to get addicted to them!

  • Help others. Volunteering in your community can help you make new friends and feel better about yourself.

THE BOTTOM LINE on MENTAL HEALTH

So as you can see, stress affects all systems of the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems. Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body.

Next time you feel the emotional symptoms of stress, such as becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody; or feeling overwhelmed, having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind, or like you are losing control or need to take control; take a deep breath and RELAX.

Think about your MINDSET, and whether you are taking things too seriously and personal. Most people are really good people in their hearts. Are you being flexible and meeting others in the middle? Are you trying to be super-human? Learn how to say NO and simplify your life. Ask for help…. 

Make sure you are getting a Spinal Adjustment for your NERVOUS system, pay attention to your NUTRITION (reduce sugars and caffeine), get EXERCISE (especially when you recognize the fight-or-flight stress happening), reduce your TOXINS (booze, drugs or food binges are just going to make things worse), get your SLEEP, and CONNECT with others.

I hope you are enjoying our “Make America Healthy Again” series, and are learning helpful information for yourself, your family and loved ones. We are exploring the most glaring health statistics facing each of us as American’s, and the positive healing that can be realized by implementing some (often times) simple solutions. If you missed our kick-off newsletter read it HERE. So far we have discussed:

  • Food Addiction to Processed Foods (read it HERE)

  • FACT: 75% of America’s diseases are preventable with Exercise (read it HERE)

  • Nutrition and Exercise go hand-in-hand to keep Obesity Rates in check! (read it HERE)

  • What do Salami, Tortillas and Mountain Dew all have in common? (read it HERE)

From “Preventable chronic diseases accounting for 75% of our nation’s health care spending” to “Obesity rates in children tripling over the last three decades”, it will be impossible to turn these trends around without getting Americans to pay attention to our National Health.

Remember,

We can’t give away our health to any one. Our health is our responsibility, to preserve and protect.

Wellness promotes active awareness and participation in measures that preserve health, both as an individual and in our communities. Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily personal commitment.

If you, or your family, are having a hard time understanding MINDSET, or feel you may need help in handling your Stress, we can help you personalize the best approach for your health. Make sure to let us know by calling or telling us when you visit the office, and we will get you help.

Our families need to BE healthy, to STAY healthy, if we want to LIVE as long, or longer, than our parents did.

We need to improve the Health of Americans, NOW!

Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily commitment by each of us, every parent, and every caregiver in our nation.

The best way to maintain health is to preserve it through a healthful lifestyle rather than waiting until sickness or to address health problems.

Hoping today’s newsletter has helped you understand the truth about the dangers of STRESS in America, and what you can do to help yourself, family and friends. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a doctor to make a difference. Many times it’s just spreading the word, or setting an example, or even making a phone call to someone that will help make a change in their world.

As you dedicate yourself to educating this generation, you can affect positive health impacts, by helping to prevent a multitude of chronic illness, including PREVENTABLE diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Thank you for joining me in making a huge difference in our children’s future and Making America HEALTHY again!

Please remember the (5) Essentials we talk about at Ferguson Life Health Centers…

  • MINDSET

  • NERVE SUPPLY

  • NUTRITION

  • EXERCISE

  • MINIMIZING TOXINS

and follow along with me over the next few weeks, to discover what we can do for our children, families and communities to Make America Healthy Again!

Dr Derek Ferguson