Stress. A question and a theory.

chic

chic

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I've been toying with the idea lately, what if stress CAUSES all disease. What if it's not just a contributing factor as is usually believed but the primary cause. What would you have to say about that? Do you or have you had any stress/illness stories you'd be willing to share? I'd be very interested to hear what you have to say about this.
 

I do have some health conditions that are specifically caused by stress. I don't know, though if all health conditions are caused by stress but surely can contribute. I think researchers would have discovered that already if it were so.
 

Stress doesnā€™t directly cause all diseases, but it makes existing conditions worse. Chronic stress contributes to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.
Stress worsens symptoms of acid reflux, ulcers, and IBS.
Anxiety and depression impact overall well-being.
Stress may trigger flares in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
 
Paco Dennis said:
Stress doesnā€™t directly cause all diseases, but it makes existing conditions worse. Chronic stress contributes to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.
Stress worsens symptoms of acid reflux, ulcers, and IBS.
Anxiety and depression impact overall well-being.
Stress may trigger flares in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
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IDK Paco. Thanks for sharing. I know it's a revolutionary thought but what if stress is the number 1 cause and not just a contributor? I ask this because I work in an alternative health establishment and hear so much from clients who suffer from illness now that all began from a stressful event in their past and it's a conclusion no one else favors.

I'm sure there could not be testing for this as it would be unethical. But recently I have been considering the possibility of stress as a cause of disease.
 
Alizerine said:
This subject is of great interest to me. Right now I am dealing with an ulcer and a painful stiff neck. The past few years have been very stressful. Although stress may not cause all disease it could be a factor in our vulnerability to many.
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I'm very sorry to hear this and hope you will experience some relief from your pain.

Hugs.
cute cat and dog 4.jpg
 
chic said:
IDK Paco. Thanks for sharing. I know it's a revolutionary thought but what if stress is the number 1 cause and not just a contributor? I ask this because I work in an alternative health establishment and hear so much from clients who suffer from illness now that all began from a stressful event in their past and it's a conclusion no one else favors.

I'm sure there could not be testing for this as it would be unethical. But recently I have been considering the possibility of stress as a cause of disease.
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I tend to agree with your assessment that there is stress almost always in the beginning of disease. Now a broken bone happens. The pain is a big stressor though. I tend to think of life as being constantly in a stressful clime. We have to survive, and that takes effort and struggle. So yes, in most cases I would agree that stress is always a part of the illness process, and it should be understood by each of us as much as possible. I know from personal experience that I can become so stressed about "something", that I make myself sick. It is very complex, on how illness invades us. Stress is a factor, most always.
 
C50 said:
Stress can cause all sorts of issues but it's certainly not cause or factor in every disease.
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I feel the same way. Everyone has stress at one time or another, some people seem to be stressed all the time. It is not a good thing and should not be ignored. It is not the cause of every disease. If you're suffering from a specific disease, stress will likely be present and it won't help the situation.
 
I had an uncle that had terminal liver cancer. The Oncologist told the family that when we went to his house to visit him not to give him any depressing or stressful news. Keep your conversations upbeat and positive. Your uncle has 8-12 months. If you want to shorten that time, just give him stressful news.

I truly loved that uncle, so I was at his side as much as possible and would show him pictures of the family during the good times. His wife had died from cancer a few years prior, so I made sure some of her pictures were included. He lived that woman to death. Just the year before, he calls me up and asks if I can go for a ride with him.I said sure. We went to a Mercedes dealership to pick up his wifeā€™s Christmas gift. A beautiful white, 2 seat Mercedes. The dealership threw in a huge red bow to go with it.
 
some seem to handle stress more effectively than others - could be built into our genes - there has been some limited research done on genetic links to our ancestors. then again it could be simple how we were raised ourselves from birth??
 
Well I was very worried about something in 2012. I actually could not eat and was nauseous 24/7. I lost 7 pounds at the time. It lasted about 2 months. I was put on seroquel (quetiapine) and this drug saved me as it calmed me down and made me hungry again. It's actually used for schizophrenia (which I do not suffer from. ) So I would say stress made me ill at that time of life.
 
LoveTulips said:
Well I was very worried about something in 2012. I actually could not eat and was nauseous 24/7. I lost 7 pounds at the time. It lasted about 2 months. I was put on seroquel (quetiapine) and this drug saved me as it calmed me down and made me hungry again. It's actually used for schizophrenia (which I do not suffer from. ) So I would say stress made me ill at that time of life.
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Stress is a huge factor in making me ill... absolutely 100 %.....
 
Paco Dennis said:
I tend to agree with your assessment that there is stress almost always in the beginning of disease. Now a broken bone happens. The pain is a big stressor though. I tend to think of life as being constantly in a stressful clime. We have to survive, and that takes effort and struggle. So yes, in most cases I would agree that stress is always a part of the illness process, and it should be understood by each of us as much as possible. I know from personal experience that I can become so stressed about "something", that I make myself sick. It is very complex, on how illness invades us. Stress is a factor, most always.
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Thank you. This is the point I have been focused on. Then we must not allow a bad day/experience to become a bad life. This much is within our control. I believe. Anybody else think so?
 
I have a story to share. When I was working my systolic blood pressure was consistently above 160. I would sometimes reach near 170. I used to dread going to the doctor or the pharmacy and having my blood pressure checked. Now that I'm retired when I go for physicals it is consistently around 120. I do exercise more now but I also have very little stress in my life.
 
Alizerine said:
This subject is of great interest to me. Right now I am dealing with an ulcer and a painful stiff neck. The past few years have been very stressful. Although stress may not cause all disease it could be a factor in our vulnerability to many.
Click to expand...
I also have a painful, stiff neck that I didn't have when I was working so it is not due to stress. Mine is caused by Cervical Spondylosis, which could be thinning disks or just plain old arthritis. My physical therapist prescribed specific (mostly Isometric) exercises to strengthen the shoulder and neck area. Most involve stretching the neck. I practice them religiously and now there are days when I'm pain-free.
 
If we know that placebos and positive thinking can change the way we feel, even make us healthier, then it's reasonable to think that the opposite is also true, though to what degree we just don't know. I know that stress has made me ill, and that the relief of that stress, whether through changing circumstances or positive thinking, has made me healthier. This is just a fact which I'm sure many of you have experienced with or without realization. For me it's not been just about feelings, but actual health issues, and now that I find myself no longer dealing with those stressful issues, I am healthy.
 
There is a widely held belief among fitness members that I know, that hold emotional tension to be responsible for pain held in parts of the body.
 

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