How to Deal with OVERSTRESS
Depression, anxiety attacks, hypochondriasis, alcoholism, compulsive gambling, insomnia, stress-o-holism, these are all names given to SYMPTOMS of OVERSTRESS; or to the major Pick-Me-Up that the person is using for self-medication. In the past, each of these has been thought to be a disease in and-of-itself. We now know that each of these is not a disease in-and-of itself but may be a result of Happy Messenger malfunction, and the person's largely futile efforts to self-medicate with Pick-Me-Up's or Put Me-Down's. The great breakthrough of the 1990's is our understanding of how all this works. We now have tools that can help a person suffering from OVERSTRESS to feel healthy again, sleep well, and be rid ofaches, pains, anxiety, and depression.
The Treatment of OVERSTRESS
The BIGGEST MISTAKE you can make in handling stress is...
Using Pick-Me-Up's to boost your Happy Messengers, while continuing to pile on the stress.
When you do this, you "Ride the Wild Rollercoaster": Sometimes feeling well, mostly feeling ill, never achieving balance.
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What you should do is...
Stop using the Pick-Me-Up's, lower your stress level, and give your body a chance to re-balance itself.
Then you can achieve balance, feel well, and STAY well.
OVERSTRESS IS TREATED BY
REDUCING YOUR STRESS LOAD
Add up your Stress Scale points for the past twelve months. If it is above 250, you should be keenly alert for the early signs of OVERSTRESS. Even a level of 150 will OVERSTRESS ten percent of persons. For this reason, it is best to aim for a continuing stress load of below 150 on the Stress Scale.
Here are TEN SIMPLE WAYS TO to REDUCE YOUR STRESS LOAD....
1. MAKE YOUR LIFE REGULAR... as "clock work"
If you suffer from OVERSTRESS, you have disrupted the function of your Body Clock. Re-setting your Body Clock is vital if you are to feel well, sleep soundly, and awake refreshed. Give yourself a definite wake up and sleep time. This sets a frame of reference for your Body Clock. It will take two or three weeks to synchronize your Body Clock to your schedule. So, stick to your schedule!
But what if I try to go to sleep at 10 p.m. and I can't fall asleep? Or what if I fall asleep but keep waking up during the night?
Sleep difficulty is the hallmark of OVERSTRESS. When your Body Clock stops working, you may have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Or conversely, you may feel sleepy all the time. Either symptom may be produced when the Body Clock stops working. It all depends on which "position" the Clock was in when it stops: wakefulness, or sleepiness.
So, do not expect to have your sleep problems go away until your Body Clock is working again. Go ahead and set yourself a reasonable wake up time and bed time. Do the best you can to stick to these times. As you lower your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin to work. It will then match its cycle ofwakefulness and sleep to the times that you have set for it. Remember, this process will take at least three weeks, so stick firmly to your time schedule.
But what if I put myself to bed at my bed time, and I just lie there without falling asleep?
If, after 45 minutes, you have not fallen asleep, get up and read a book or do something around the house. Sooner or later, you will feel sleepy and fall asleep. Keep putting yourself to bed at your bed time every night. As you reduce your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin working. Your Body Clock will gradually match your chosen sleep schedule. In the meantime, be patient and work to reduce your stress levels as much as possible.
If You Must do "Shift Work":
Your Body Clock will always try and synchronize itself with your daily schedule. If your job requires you to work varying shifts, however, you may have difficulty in getting your Body Clock to match your shift. When properly synchronized, your Body Clock tells you to be awake for your work, and tells you to go to sleep after your work. If you do evening work, your Body Clock will shift itself so that you will be awake for your evening work, and be able to sleep during the day. But this change requires two or three weeks to occur. If your employer rotates your shift more often than every two or three weeks, your Body Clock will always be mis-matched with your work requirements. You will be trying to work when your body wants to sleep, and trying to sleep when your body wants to work. This will make it practically impossible to restore the proper functioning of your Body Clock.
If you are OVERSTRESSED, you should avoid "shift work". If you MUST do "shift work", try and work at least three weeks at each shift before rotating to a new one. And always make sure the direction of shift rotation to is "morning to evening to night to morning again".
Do you remember that the untrained cycle of your body clock is 25 hours? Because of this, it is always easier to stay up later, than to try and force yourself to go to bed early. So never try to rotate shifts from "night to evening to morning". Your Body Clock will blow a fuse.
If Your Work Involves Air Travel to Different Time Zones:
Those of you who do frequent long distance air traveling will be familiar with the condition known as "Jet Lag". Jet Lag occurs when you board an airplane and rapidly move to an area where the local time is more than three to four hours different than the time on your Body Clock. You might, for instance, board a jet in Hawaii and fly to New York. When you arrive in NewYork, it might be midnight New York Time, but only 6 p.m. on your Body Clock.
All you body rhythms: temperature, stress fighting hormone, sleep cycles are now out of synchronization with your local time zone. Now you are trying to go to sleep when your body is still awake, and trying to work when your body expects you to be in bed. It will take two or three weeks for your Body Clock to harmonize with your new surroundings. During that time it is not unusual to be fatigued and to feel "not with it". We call this feeling "Jet Lag".
If you are OVERSTRESSED, you should avoid inter-time zone traveling. But if you MUST change time zones, try to wait at least three weeks between trips. And when you do take that trip, and you arrive in a new time zone, it will be easier for you to adjust if you stay up later, rather than trying to force yourself to sleep when your body wants to be awake.
If You Work Indoors:
Your body Clock requires exposure to daylight during the day in order to remain synchronized with your local time zone. Normal fluorescent lighting does not have the same light spectrum as daylight, hence it will NOT help your Body Clock to properly set itself. If you are a person who arises when it is dark, works indoors all day, and goes home when it is dark, your BodyClock may become out of phase with the world around you - giving you a case of permanent "Jet Lag". Because of this problem, manufacturers of fluorescent lights have begun producing "daylight spectrum" fluorescent lights. These lights will allow your Body Clock to synchronize itself with your work schedule.
If you work indoors, try to work by a window. If you cannot, then see if you can have "daylight spectrum" fluorescent light bulbs installed. It really helps.
As an alternative for people who never seen the sun, one can sit facing 600 watts of daylight spectrum fluorescent lights, three feet in front of you, for one hour. Do this at the time that you wish your Body Clock to learn to wake you up. You may eat breakfast, read a book, or watch television, but the light must be facing you. (Caution is required with light therapy in people with manic depressive disorders, skin that is sensitive to light, or medical conditions that make the eyes vulnerable to light damage - consult physician first.)
Note that persons living in northern climates lacking in sunshine may have the same problem of permanent "Jet Lag". It is so common it has been named "Seasonal Affective Disorder" or "SAD" for short. For these people the above suggestion will be equally helpful.
2. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK TODAY
You must give your body adequate time to repair itself, and to regenerate Happy Messengers. If you are having symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
Fatigue
Aches and pains
Anxiety
Problems sleeping
Lack of enjoyment of life
Depression
Give your body a chance to heal itself.
Every morning make a list of things that you want to ge done...
THEN, CUT OFF THE BOTTOM HALF OF THIS LIST!
3. LIGHTEN UP YOUR LOAD OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS
Let someone else do the holiday dinner for the family, or make it a pot luck on paper plates. Only go out once this week. Tell your visitors from out of town (who always expect to stay at your house) to call you "just as soon as they get settled in a hotel room".
SAY "NO" A LOT MORE OFTEN TO REQUESTS FROM OTHERS OF YOUR TIME.
4. POSTPONE MAKING ANY CHANGES IN YOUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT
Remember, CHANGE IS STRESS. So relax, postpone any big moves or changes for awhile.
Postpone remodeling your home or apartment.
Postpone moving to a new house or apartment.
Making a change in your living environment, even if it is a change that you are excited about, is a major stress. It will add a minimum of 25 stress points to your life; and, if it is a financial strain, may add as much as 65 stress points!
When you consider that you would like to reduce your stress level to 150 or below, you will see why postponing a change in your living environment will be very helpful in obtaining that goal.
5. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS YOU SPEND AT WORK OR SCHOOL
If you are a "workaholic", or a "school-a-holic", you need to reduce the energy drain you are placing on your body. Work or school more than 40 hours per week adds 40 stress points to your life.
TAKE SOME TIME OFF
6. THE OVERSTRESS DIET
Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
People who are OVERSTRESSED almost always begin to use sugar as a Pick-Me-Up. Their blood sugar goes up and down wildly. Thus, the most important dietary consideration is to keep your blood sugar from swinging high, or swinging low. In order to feel well, you must level out your blood sugar, avoiding the"sugar highs", and "sugar lows". Take your sugar in the form of complex carbohydrates, such as cereals, rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. These foods, comprised of tightly interlinked sugars, are broken down slowly by the body, releasing their sugar over a long period of time. Eating frequent small meals, instead of a few large ones, also helps keep your blood sugar stable.
Eat More Vegetables
Your brain's production of one of the Happy Messengers, Serotonin, is sensitive to your diet. Eating more vegetables, can increase your brain's Serotonin production. This increase is due to improved absorption of the amino acid L-Tryptophan. (Vegetables contain the natural, safe, form of L Tryptophan. At the present writing, synthetic L-Tryptophan has been removed from health food stores due to probable impurities that were, in some cases, causing severe and even fatal illness). Meats contain natural L-Tryptophan also, but when you eat meat, the L-Tryptophan has to compete with so many other amino acids for absorption that the L-Tryptophan loses out. The net result is that you get better absorption of L-Tryptophan when you eat vegetables.
In other words -- eat a salad for lunch.
You should also take a good multi-vitamin and mineral preparation.
Here is a formula which is representative of such a vitamin. Such a vitamin is available at most any drug store. It is best to take such a vitamin once each day.
Vitamin A 5000 I.U.
Vitamin E 30 I.U.
Vitamin C up to: 250 mg
Folic Acid 400 mcg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 2.25 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin 2.6 mg
Niacinamide 20 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 3 mg
Vitamin B12 9 mcg
Vitamin D 400 I.U.
Biotin 45 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 10 mg
Calcium 162 mg
Phosphorus 125 mg
Iodine 150 mcg
Iron 27 mg
Magnesium 100 mg
Copper 2 mg
Manganese 5 mg
Potassium 30 mg
Chloride 27.2 mg
Chromium 25 mcg
Molybdenum 25 mcg
Selenium 25 mcg
Zinc 15 mg
Vitamin K 125 mcg
7. REDUCE YOUR USE OF PICK-ME-UP'S
Beware of Cue Reactions
To cut down on your intake of Pick-Me-Up's, remove them from the house, and any other place that is within easy reach. Do not forget to clear your desk drawer at work, and the glove compartment of the car. Even though you want to reduce your sugar, caffeine, tobacco or alcohol consumption, just the sight of a cookie can lead you to eat it; just the sight of a beer might lead you to drink it -- before you even have a chance to stop yourself.
8. AVOID ALLERGIES
Allergy is a major source of stress for some of us. If there are certain things that trigger YOUR allergies, you should avoid them.
9. START AN ENJOYABLE EXERCISE - REST YOUR MIND
Begin an exercise that you enjoy, Preferably, do something that brings you into contact with other people. The value of such exercise, three times a week for 20 minutes to two hours, can not be over emphasized. Enjoyable exercise, in moderation, boosts your HAPPY MESSENGERS in a smooth sustained fashion. It will make you feel better right away!
Exercise has another beneficial effect. Most people, when exercising, do not worry. They are actually resting the nerve cells in the brain that worry, giving those cells time to renew their stores of HAPPY MESSENGERS, so they can function normally the next time they are needed.
There are other ways of "resting your mind". Dancing, listening to music, reading, working on a craft, playing a musical instrument, meditation, self relaxation, and biofeedback also relieve stress. Any activity which concentrates your attention on a subject other than life's problems will help rest your mind. This rests the "Problem Solving" part of your brain, allowing it to regenerate HAPPY MESSENGERS and renew itself.
10. STOP YOUR PUT-ME-DOWN'S
Tranquilizers and calmatives will prevent your body from restoring its Happy Messengers. Unlike Pick-Me-Up's, which can usually be taken in modest amounts without harm, Put-Me-Down's should be avoided altogether.
By reducing your stress load, stabilizing your blood sugar, improving your diet, avoiding allergies, and getting some exercise, you will find you will not want tranquilizers and calmatives.
Before stopping any prescription medicine, however, always, check with your doctor. We do not want you to accidentally stop a heart medicine or anti-epilepsy medication. Also, many of the Put-Me-Down's must be tapered down slowly, rather than stopped abruptly. Ask your doctor before you make any change in medication.
(If someone has given you Put-Me-Down's to help you sleep, particularly the ones in the Valium family, you may have a real problem stopping them. They are best tapered off very slowly, and under medical supervision. Even then, the withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are very unpleasant. The chief withdrawal symptoms is inability to sleep, and vivid disturbing dreams. If you try to stop them on your own, you may experience sleeplessness that is worse than ever! Then you may erroneously conclude that you need more, not less of the Put-Me-Down! It is very easy to be trapped by Put-Me-Down's.)
If the Ten Simple Steps are Not Enough
If you have done all of the preceding and still have significant symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
Fatigue
Aches and pains
Anxiety
Problems sleeping
Lack of enjoyment of life
Depression
THEN IT IS TIME YOU OBTAINED SOME ASSISTANCE...
VISIT YOUR DOCTOR
OVERSTRESS that you can not clear up yourself may be the earliest warning sign of some hidden illness.
Thyroid disease
Calcium imbalance (too much or too little)
Anemia
Diabetes
Manic-depression (Bi-polar disorder)
Liver disease
Kidney malfunction
Vitamin deficiency
Hormone deficiency
These are examples of physical illnesses that you might not be aware of - but which cause enough stress on your body to create OVERSTRESS.
Your doctor should do a thorough history, and a complete physical examination, including tests on blood and urine. The automated blood testing machines can do a complete blood count, as well as measure your thyroid function, liver enzymes, kidney function, calcium and phosphorus, iron and blood sugar for a very reasonable price.
So, if your symptoms are not getting better with the TEN SIMPLE STEPS -- be sure to see your doctor.
ELIMINATE YOUR PICK-ME-UP'S ENTIRELY
If cutting down your Pick-Me-Up's did not get you off the"roller coaster" of Pick-Me-Up high and Pick-Me-Up low, then you need to ELIMINATE Pick-Me-Up's entirely. You need to get off the"roller coaster" in order to start feeling well.
If you have a heavy intake of Pick-Me-Ups, do not despair. Today, physicians have many ways to help you stop your Pick-Me-Up's. A brain chemical rebalancer can support your Happy Messengers while you eliminate the Pick-Me-Ups from your system. Also, your doctor has other medications that can specifically block the craving for most Pick-Me-Up's. These medicines must be prescribed by a physician after evaluating whether they are safe for you. If you are a heavy user of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, cigarettes, cocaine, heroin or ANY of the Pick-Me-Up's, lower your stress level, re-balance your Happy Messengers, and enjoy life again.
ELIMINATE FOODS WHICH CAUSE BAD REACTIONS
If a certain food makes you wheeze, or gives you a stuffy nose, or diarrhea, or red itchy bumps on your skin, you should obviously avoid that food. Any allergic reaction of this type is a stress on your body which will contribute to your OVERSTRESS.
There is another type of food reaction you should avoid. ANY FOOD THAT YOU CRAVE OR BINGE is a brain active food. You are craving or binging it because it is directly affecting your brain. Most of the time these are foods which contain the Pick-Me-Up's, sugar or caffeine. But sometimes the substance in the food is corn, milk, or yeast protein. Many people have sensitivity reactions to corn, milk, or yeast containing products. The protein in these substances directly affect brain messenger function. If, by this point in the book, you are STILL not feeling well, try a corn-free, milk-free and/or yeast-free diet. (Consult a dietician, or your doctor for a source of recipes).
VISIT A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
An experienced counselor can be of great help! It is often possible for a counselor to pinpoint stressors which you may have overlooked. Counselors can help you handle general life problems in ways that produce less stress. You should specifically seek instruction in cognitive therapy, assertiveness training,self-relaxation, biofeedback, and meditation. These techniques are very useful in reducing stress by teaching you how to "rest your mind." (For more information on types of counseling consult these links to some excellent web sites.)
Places where you might find an experienced counselor: Referral from your doctor, your church, local hospital, community mental health program, or local college health service.
DISCUSS "BRAIN CHEMICAL RE-BALANCERS" WITH YOUR DOCTOR
If, try as you might, you can not lower your stress levels enough to feel well, and if your doctor has found no hidden illness, then you might benefit from the use of a "brain chemical re-balancer". Over the last ten years, a type of medicine has been developed which is not a sleeping pill --yet it will help you sleep. It is not a stimulant -- yet it will give you energy. It is not a pain reliever -- yet it will diminish aches and increase your enjoyment of life. This family of non-addictive, prescription medicines works by re-balancing your brain's chemical messages.
Now, at this point you may be thinking, "But, Dr. Burns, you have pointed out the dangers of Pick-Me-Up's and Put-Me-Down's, how can you now recommend that we use a medication?" The answer is that these new brain chemical re-balancers, unlike the Pick-Me-Up's and Put-Me-Down's that we have mentioned, do not cause rebound (you don't have a quick upswing followed by a big crash), nor does one develop tolerance to them (you don't have to take more and more just to achieve the desired effect). They can be used to boost your Happy Messengers while you are in the process of lowering your stress load. And, if you are one of the persons who has inherited a very low stress tolerance, you may safely stay on these medications for a very long time.
You can view these medications the way we view insulin for the diabetic. The type I diabetic, try as he might, does not make enough insulin to handle his daily carbohydrate load. So he has to take insulin as a long term replacement medicine. If you have lowered your stress levels as much as you can, and if you have no hidden physical illness that is adding hidden stress to your life, and if you are still suffering from OVERSTRESS, you just may be an individual whose genetic inheritance does not allow you to make enough Happy Messengers to handle your daily stress load. You may indeed benefit from taking these brain chemical re-balancers as a long term replacement medicine, just as the diabetic benefits from insulin.
At present, there are quite a few of these medications that doctors can prescribe. They fall into two general categories, the "tricyclics" which variably boost serotonin, dopamine and noradrenalin; and the "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI's" which act mainly to boost serotonin function. Both groups are equally effective, but they have different side effect profiles.Whether the doctor prescribes one group or the other depends mainly on what symptoms of overstress you are having.
Tricyclics
Among the tricyclics are Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Imipramine, Desipramine, Clomipramine, Doxepin, and Trazodone (these are generic names). Some boost all the Happy Messengers, others boost Serotonin more than Dopamine or Noradrenalin. These rebalances will help you to sleep well, feel refreshed, and enjoy life. All the medicines have some side effects, but usually your doctor can help you select one that has very little in the way of side effects. (Usually the brain chemical re-balancers have much less side effects than the Pick-Me-Up's and Put-Me-Down's you may be presently using!)
To illustrate the way one uses tricyclic re-balancers, I will describe the use of Nortriptyline. Nortriptyline boosts all the Happy Messengers. (Brain chemical re-balancers MUST BE PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN after a careful medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests and EKG. PLEASE do not start or stop any prescription medicine without consulting your physician. The following information is intended to help you understand your doctor's instructions). Nortriptyline comes in a 25 mg pill. Most people should take one, two, or three pills of Nortriptyline, all together at bedtime. Each person requires a slightly different dose of Nortriptyline. Here is how to determine which dose is right for you.
The first night, you take 25mg of Nortriptyline at bedtime. If you have at least five to six hours of sound sleep and feel rested in the morning, then the dose needed to rebalance your brain chemistry is ONE Nortriptyline pill at bedtime. If you do not have at least five or six hours sound sleep, increase your dose to 50mg Nortriptyline the following night. If this gives you a restful sleep, then the dose necessary to balance your brain chemistry is TWO Nortriptyline at bedtime.
If two does not result in a restful sleep, then the next night take 75mg at bedtime. Whether you need one, two, or three depends on how badly out of balance your brain messengers are. Obviously, the more you can reduce your stress load, the less Nortriptyline you will need to re-balance your brain chemistry.
PRECAUTIONS IN THE USE OF NORTRIPTYLINE
Most people will feel somewhat DROWSY, or slowed down the FIRST WEEK that they are on Nortriptyline. THIS WILL PASS. But be careful when you drive a car, or operate machinery during this first week. From our discussion of shift work and jet lag, you will recall that it takes about three weeks to reset body rhythms. While they are resetting, you may feel somewhat lethargic. This is why we have you take the Nortriptyline at bedtime. After your body rhythms are reset, the Nortriptyline no longer causes drowsiness, but it continues to help keep your brain chemistry in balance.
By the way, if you are taking TOO MUCH Nortriptyline, you may have a very dry mouth, blurred vision, difficulty starting your urine stream, or rapid heartbeat. The very elderly may become confused. If any of these symptoms do occur, decrease your dosage and tell your doctor right away. Nortriptyline should not be used if you have a seizure disorder, glaucoma, certain heart diseases or thyroid disease. IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, OR LIKELY TO BECOME PREGNANT while takingthe Nortriptyline, do not take the Nortriptyline. It is not known if Nortriptyline, taken during pregnancy, causes adverse effects. Nortrityline can also stimulate appetite and lead to weight gain. Tricyclics can be dangerous if taken in massive overdose, so they are generally used with great caution in anyone that might have a tendency toward attempting suicide.
SSRI'S
Fluoxetine (Prozac) is an example of an SSRI. It is a very effective re-balancer. Treatment with fluoxetine is begun with 20mg once in the morning. (10mg in elderly or frail individuals). In contrast to the tricyclics, fluoxetine tends to be energizing, cause weight loss, and stimulate the intestines. It may cause diarrhea or headache. It does not affect the heart conduction system, which makes it safer than tricyclics if a patient were to ingest a massive amount.
From the different side effect profile, you can see fluoxetine is useful in someone who is depressed, lethargic, and out of energy. Nortriptyline is ideal for someone who can not fall asleep, wakes frequently, has panic attacks and diarrhea.
Your doctor has many different re-balancers that can be prescribed. All are equally effective; each has a slightly different side effect profile. Work with your doctor. A little bit of patience, and you will find the one that re-balances you without any significant side effects.
Checklist for Handling Overstress
REDUCE YOUR STRESS LOAD:
-----Reduce the pace of change in your life.
-----Reduce the social obligations.
-----Reduce work or school obligations.
-----Postpone changes in your living situation
-----Say "No" more often.
-----Eliminate possible food or environmental allergens.
-----Reduce environmental toxins.
GET OFF THE "ROLLER COASTER":
-----Diet: Take a multivitamin, mineral, trace element preparation; stabilize your blood sugar; eat more vegetables.
-----Exercise: Twenty minutes to two hours, three times a week.
-----Stop Your Pick-Me-Up's (consult your physician)
-----Stop Your Put-Me-Down's (consult your physician)
DO A "REST FOR YOUR MIND" ACTIVITY:
-----Exercise
-----Recreational reading, arts, crafts, music,
-----Dance
-----Meditation
-----Yoga
-----Biofeedback
-----Self-Hypnosis
-----Religious counseling
HELP YOUR BODY CLOCK RE-SET ITSELF:
-----Set regular sleep times
-----Avoid time zone shifts or rapid changes in your work shift
-----Use daylight spectrum fluorescent lights to set your body clock's "awake time".
VISIT A PHYSICIAN
-----Check for hidden illness
VISIT A COUNSELOR
-----Obtain help with self relaxation and general psychological counseling.
IF YOU JUST CAN NOT MAKE ENOUGH HAPPY MESSENGERS:
-----Have your doctor prescribe for you a brain chemical re-balancer
THREE RULES TO PERMANENTLY CONQUER OVERSTRESS
RULE ONE: LEARN TO READ YOUR BODY SIGNS
Learn to check your body frequently for signs of OVERSTRESS. Watch for the telltale disturbances in your sleep pattern, as this is usually the earliest sign of OVERSTRESS.
You must learn to read your body signs in much the same way as the diabetic learns the early warning signs of abnormal blood sugar. In order to cope successfully with diabetes, the diabetic has to learn to read his body's signals. If he has a constant thirst, fatigue and excessive urination, that means the sugar is too high. If he has shakiness, irritability, and perspiration that means the blood sugar is too low. In order to live with diabetes, the diabetic must understand what these signals mean.
Likewise, if you are a person who is prone to OVERSTRESS, you must learn to look for its earliest warning signs. As soon as your sleep patterns change, or you experience fatigue, lack of enjoyment of life, anxiety, multiple aches and pains -- that is the time to go through the OVERSTRESS checklist.
RULE TWO: EXCHANGE YOUR STRESSES
Keep your stress level below your individual OVERSTRESS point by "exchanging stresses". If a new stress comes into your life, then make room for it by eliminating or postponing another stress. This way, your TOTAL stress level remains low.
The natural tendency is for people to let their stresses pile up rather than exchanging them. In this fashion, OVERSTRESS gradually occurs. With the development of OVERSTRESS, the person starts using more and more Pick-Me-Up's, taking off on the wild roller coaster of ill health.
IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY LEARN TO EXCHANGE YOUR STRESSES
RULE THREE: USE YOUR TOOL BOX
You now have a "TOOL BOX" full of ways to deal with your OVERSTRESS. Whenever your body shows signs of OVERSTRESS, you can use the tools from this book to help set yourself back on the path of well being.
If you are feeling ill from OVERSTRESS, remember that the troubled sleep, fatigue, aches, lack of enjoyment of life, and panic attacks are caused by chemical changes in your brain. Effective treatment is available now.
BEGIN TODAY!
EPILOGUE
HERE COMES ANOTHER PLAGUE
Throughout history, mankind has had periodic episodes of illness which have decimated our population. The Bubonic Plague ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages. Syphilis killed one in four Europeans when it was introduced to Europe in the 1500's. Every other Hawaiian was killed by measles in the 1700's. Meanwhile, the Native Americans were slain by smallpox and other imported diseases.
Today, one in ten persons is falling victim to OVERSTRESS. Those who are becoming chemically dependent are walking a fatal path. Others "drop out" at an early age, to join the ranks of society's "marginal survivors".
The cost to society is immense. The effects of OVERSTRESS cost our society at least 60 billion dollars a year. Our society loses through: lost productivity, medical care for the complications of OVERSTRESS, job accidents, and traffic fatalities (half of which are related to driving while usingPick-Me-Up's).
How can it be that one in every ten persons cannot physically adjust to the stress levels found in today's world? The answer lies in our society's pace of CHANGE.
FROM CARRIAGE TO ROCKET SHIP
We certainly live in a society whose hallmark is rapid change. Our broader definition of stress tells us that this rapid change means high stress levels. Most of the human experience on Earth has not involved such a rapid pace of change. Most of the human experience has not prepared us to handle the demands of 20th Century life. That is why one in ten persons is constantly fighting OVERSTRESS.
Let us step outside our present time to see this more clearly. In the state of Utah, near the Great Salt Lake, is an archeological site known as "Danger Cave". Excavation at this site shows a record of human habitation extending back ten thousand years. This record shows that four hundred generations of persons lived basically the same life style and used basically the same tools. Generation upon generation faced similar life conditions, made subtle changes from season to season, and from year to year.
Ways of solving each of life's problems were accumulated in the knowledge of the village elders and religious leaders. This knowledge was then passed from generation to generation. Change, when it did come, occurred over millennia.
A people who hunted with spears learned to use spearthrowers to increase their accuracy -- time elapsed: perhaps 5,000 years.
Bows and arrows greatly increased the accuracy and ease of hunting -- time elapsed: perhaps 4,000 more years.
Agriculture was developed. In this case, the growing of maize as a crop -- time elapsed: perhaps 2,000 more years.
A future archeological excavation of Salt Lake City would show a gigantic upheaval occurring around 1900 A.D. After ten thousand years of snail paced change, the future arrived precipitously.
During the course of a single lifetime, a person born in 1900 A.D. has seen the advent of radio, television, computers, automobiles, motorcycles, propeller airplanes, jet aircraft, space ships, a moon landing, test tube babies, two wars which involved the entire Earth in conflict, nuclear power generation, and nuclear weapons.
In this environment, the elder generation can no longer be assured of having the "right answer" to every problem. Life is changing radically within the space of even one generation. Today's society has shifted from being elder dominated, where the solutions to life's problems are passed down by the elders, to a "youth culture", where flexibility and adaptability to change are vital if one is to "stay on top of" a continuously changing life. Survival in society today requires more flexibility and adaptability than every before in human history.
All the preceding years of human existence have not prepared us physically for such a grueling pace of change. One in ten persons is already dropping by the wayside, yet the pace accelerates unabated. Twenty First Century humans will have to maintain physiologic balance in an increasingly stressful sea of technological and cultural changes.
Luckily, an understanding of the problem is emerging which is enabling us to help those with Low Stress Tolerance. As society stress levels continue to rise, we will all need to recognize and counter the effects of -- OVERSTRESS.
Source ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Steve and Kim Burns
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-85241
Published by the I-MED Press, 1835A S. Centre City Pkwy #118, Escondido, CA, 92025
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