Any traumatic situation affects the functioning of the body. The stomach suffers, hair may fall out, and general health worsens. One of the consequences of stress is weight problems. Moreover, some suffer from gaining extra pounds, while others experience loss of appetite and weight loss to a critical level. Some people begin to have health problems due to weakened immunity as a result of malnutrition; they cannot gain weight even by a few grams. What do doctors say, what actions to take in such a difficult situation?

Physiology of weight loss

Why do people lose weight under stress? A person loses calories even with short-term intense stress. Doctors have calculated that at the moment of a parachute jump, the body spends about 200 kilocalories and only a day after the shock returns to normal. What can we say about..., daily experiences have an even more negative impact on metabolism.

Psychotherapist R. Gould, who specializes in eating disorders, came up with a pattern. Stress and weight loss lead to chronic fatigue and depression. Weight loss is a signal from the body that it needs to reduce the intensity of its experiences. Gould notes that the body perceives stress as a disease. Such a state is unnatural for a person. And nature arranges it in such a way that during illness there is no need to eat intensely, so appetite disappears - this is a reaction to nervous experiences.

Causes of weight loss due to nervous tension

What happens during stress? A person cannot relax, he is tormented by thoughts about problems, emotions do not allow him to concentrate on important things. Stress is often accompanied by overexertion and spasm of the body's muscles, including gastrointestinal tract. Many people feel that during times of stress, thoughts about food recede, and it is almost impossible to gain weight in such a situation.

What causes such a situation as weight loss during stressful situations? The main reasons are as follows:

1. Instability and weakness of the nervous system leads to an eating disorder against the background of nervous experiences. A person cannot get better and experiences constant worries about this.
2. Hereditary factor: one or more relatives suffered or have nutritional problems.
3. Frequent illnesses, weakened immune system. If they are added to this, then the person loses his appetite. In severe cases, vomiting begins after eating.
4. Asthenic physique. A person has a narrow chest, shoulders, thin arms and legs, and underdeveloped muscles. Usually, asthenics have an increased metabolism, it is difficult for them to gain weight even with regular nutrition. When under stress, asthenics quickly lose weight; after long experiences, it is most problematic for them to gain weight.

The effect of stress on appetite

Appetite is a physiological reaction that provides a set of nutrients. Loss of appetite due to stress is the main cause of weight loss. If you have a long-term lack of desire to eat, you should consult a doctor, since the body, after a long hunger strike, uses the entire accumulated supply of useful elements and is in a state of exhaustion.

Depression, hard work, quarrels, any experiences contribute to changes in taste preferences and can reduce appetite. Here's what people suffering from lack of appetite write on forums:

“I lost eight kilograms in three years. It all started with entering college. I was very worried about the exams; studying was not easy. I have lost my appetite, I literally force myself to eat. I feel bad, I have stomach problems, and I often catch colds. How can I gain weight? — Lena, 21 years old

“I have already lost 10 kilograms after divorcing my husband, I have no desire to eat. Before going to bed I think about how I will finally eat tomorrow, but in the morning my thoughts are busy with worries. I look like a skeleton, I have lost the incentive to live, I have no appetite, I dream of getting better...” - Vika, 25 years old

Loss of appetite due to anxiety occurs very quickly; often a person realizes that something is wrong when the weight has already dropped catastrophically.

Consequences of malnutrition during stress

What does weight loss lead to? The consequences of severe weight loss due to stress lead to the development of diseases and exhaustion of the body. Main possible problems:

1. A person cannot gain weight, as a result, body weight becomes critical.
2. Sleep problems. As a rule, insomnia torments, there are difficulties falling asleep, and shallow sleep.
3. Exhaustion leads to lethargy, dizziness, and drowsiness.
4. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted. In severe cases, sometimes there is no menstruation for several months.
5. Due to a lack of nutrients, the functions of the musculoskeletal system are disrupted.

How to gain weight

How to recover after exhaustion due to nervous experiences? After all, critical weight loss has a detrimental effect on health. The main goal is to eliminate the stress factor. If you can’t do this on your own, then you definitely need to visit a psychotherapist. Only after visiting a doctor and eliminating the problem can the nutrition process be established.

What else can you do to gain weight?

1. The main recommendation is healthy sleep. If you can’t improve your sleep on your own, you can try herbal sedatives. Stronger medications are prescribed by your doctor.
2. Don't get carried away with coffee. Caffeine increases cortisol - .
3. Eat small and varied meals. Meals should be at least five to six times a day.
4. Visit an endocrinologist and get the necessary tests.
5. Take vitamin complexes regularly. Some vitamins increase appetite and can help you gain weight.

It is important to eliminate the source of stress. You can cope with tension with the help of yoga, relaxation in nature, and incorporating hobbies into your life. Increase your resistance to stress, take stock of your life, try not to be offended by trifles, look for good moments and be healthy!

An important addition: if you cannot cope with the problem on your own and gain weight, you should definitely consult a doctor. Severe weight loss leads to serious illness.

Video: psychologist and hypnotherapist Nikolay Nikitenko “Insomnia, anxiety and weight loss”

The process of maintaining optimal weight - so important, complex, confusing and sometimes even dramatic - ultimately comes down to to the synthesis of certain hormones and their effect on the body.

The activity of some hormones helps our body get rid of extra pounds, while other hormones, playing as a team against us, constantly add unwanted centimeters to the waist and hips. For example, thyroid hormones, such as progesterone, adrenaline and glucagon, control appetite, stimulate metabolism and, with normal activity, help the body shed extra pounds and maintain an optimal weight. But an imbalance of cortisol, insulin and estrogen leads to increased appetite, disruption of the fat burning process and weight gain. Chronic stress (excess cortisol), metabolic syndrome (cell insensitivity to the action of insulin) and estrogen dominance are the main obstacles encountered on the way to achieving an ideal weight.

How to Avoid Physical Reactions to Stress

The main topic of our conversation today is cortisol, the main stress hormone. In addition, we will talk about the hormonal labyrinth “cortisol - blood sugar - insulin - fat - cortisol”, which does excess weight stubborn, and also try to figure out how to find a way out of this maze.

Cortisol and adrenaline are hormones that are released by the adrenal glands in large quantities when the body is under stress. This is a normal physiological response that mobilizes all body systems for an instant response aimed at preserving life. Physiologically, our body is designed for a short-term reaction of this kind, after which a phase of relaxation and recovery begins, all processes return to normal functioning and balance.

now let's see what's happening in real life with many of us? The human brain is capable of operating with images using imagination, which in case of stress can play a cruel joke on us. For example, you came home, sat down in your favorite chair and are trying to relax and unwind after working day. But for some reason it doesn't work. Your mind keeps returning to the unpleasant conversation you had with your boss this morning. The event has long passed, but negative thoughts and emotions continue to bother you. As a result, the body again and again triggers a physiological response to stress: heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and blood rushes to the extremities as if you were in physical danger. Real threat has long passed (was it real?), and the organs and cells of your body are attacked for hours by the stress hormone (cortisol), leading the entire body into a state of chronic imbalance!

Run and defend!

When the body is under chronic stress (minutes, hours, weeks, months, years), persistently elevated cortisol levels increase blood sugar (the body's physiological "flight and defense" response to stress), which in turn increases insulin levels. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, acts like a key to an apartment - it allows glucose to enter the cell.

When the level of insulin in the blood is constantly high, most cells stop responding to its action (a kind of protective reaction of body cells to a glut of glucose), causing cell insensitivity to insulin, which subsequently leads to metabolic syndrome and diabetes. What happens to excess glucose that cannot enter muscle cells? Any excess glucose that is not used by muscle mass and brain cells is stored in fat, especially around the waist, where fat cells have four times more receptors more sensitive to cortisol than in other areas of the body.

Now let's see how the numerous cells of the body feel when you constantly experience anxiety, fear, endlessly remember unsuccessful relationships, or paint pictures of hopelessness in your imagination? Unlike adrenaline, which stimulates fat cells to release stored energy during stress, cortisol causes muscle cells to lose stored energy, using it to meet the body's needs in times of danger. Chronic stress leads to muscle wasting and high blood pressure. Cortisol is continuously produced in the adrenal glands and blocks the receptors of body cells, thereby preventing other hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, oxytocin, thyroidin, growth hormone) from transmitting their messages to the cells to ensure their normal functioning. Over time, the entire endocrine system stops working smoothly, and as a result, stubborn excess weight, high blood pressure, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression, unstable blood sugar levels, increased appetite, menstrual irregularities, decreased libido, exhausted adrenal glands and reduced immunity .

Appetite and neuropeptide

Another stress agent, neuropeptide Y, affects taste sensations, stimulating the corresponding centers in the cerebral cortex.

Produced in large quantities during stress, the neuropeptide sharply reduces metabolism and stimulates cravings for sweets and starchy foods, which also adds extra centimeters to your waist. Eating fatty foods and sweets causes a temporary feeling of comfort that lasts only as long as you consume these foods, but at the same time it stimulates sharp changes in blood sugar levels and causes increased appetite. Feeling low on energy and constantly under stress, you start drinking more coffee to somehow make it through the evening. This in turn causes the already exhausted adrenal glands to produce even more cortisol.

You experience a sharp rise in energy, then an equally sharp decline and again reach for another portion of coffee and sweets. The circle is closed.

How to get your hormones under control

Now let's summarize: when you are under stress, your cortisol levels increase, you start to overeat, drink more coffee, this increases your cortisol levels even more - and your metabolic rate decreases, fat deposits in the waist area increase, and muscle tone, as well as muscle mass, are depleted. In other words, stress makes the body bloated, weak and shapeless. If you want to have a healthy and beautiful body, then you just need to learn how to control the level of cortisol, and therefore stress.

· Try not to take everything to heart and learn to quickly forget the negative. Choose for yourself several methods of psychological defense and use it when meeting unpleasant people or getting into trouble. conflict situation. Smile and laugh more!

· Meditate every day for 10–15 minutes. During meditation, balancing and restorative processes occur in the cerebral cortex and the amount of dopamine and serotonin - neurotransmitters that are responsible for a good mood and reduce the level of cortisol in the blood - increases significantly.

· Visit a massage therapist several times a month. Exposure through skin receptors stimulates the activity of the vagus nerve, which innervates most organs. The vagus nerve carries signals from the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a relaxing and restorative effect on the organs and systems of the body. In addition to reducing cortisol levels, regular massage restores the functioning of the immune system and the production of the pleasure hormone - oxytocin.

· Try to get eight to nine hours of sleep. Healthy sleep has a relaxing effect on the sympathetic nervous system, reduces cortisol levels, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and deep restoration of organs and systems. In addition, sleep regulates metabolism and controls the activity of hormones that stimulate appetite.

· Reduce your consumption of alcohol and coffee. Alcohol causes a persistent increase in cortisol levels over a 24-hour period. Coffee also stimulates the release of cortisol by adrenal cells. Simple arithmetic: more coffee - more cortisol - more potential fat deposits.

· Exercise regularly (three to four times a week). This will regulate your hormonal balance, increase gas exchange in tissues, burn excess calories, flush out excess cortisol from the blood, and improve your mood. Several short, intense sessions of 15–20 minutes throughout the week are much more effective than a couple of hours once a week.

· Always keep something with you that you can quickly snack on - an apple, a handful of nuts or dried fruits. The body interprets sudden changes in blood sugar as stress and triggers a physiological response, increasing cortisol levels.

· Add to your diet the necessary dietary supplements that will support the adrenal glands and help get rid of excess fat.

· Chronic stress literally robs the body, depriving it of vitamins and microelements and leading to vitamin deficiency.

For example, reserves of vitamin C, the maximum content of which is concentrated in the adrenal glands, are quickly depleted and require regular replenishment for the normal functioning of the immune system.

Update: October 2018

Stress can be called such a reaction when, after processing by consciousness some external or internal circumstance, a special state of the nervous system arose, which changed the functioning of all internal organs. Each person may have their own such factor: external - moving, changing jobs or death of a loved one, internal - some kind of personal illness that spoils the quality of life. Stress occurs only when the impact of this circumstance has exceeded the personal stress tolerance threshold.

Stress can be acute, developing as a single impact, the consequences of which in some cases can disappear spontaneously. It is programmed by nature to fight or run away from danger. More often in the modern world, chronic stress occurs when traumatic circumstances are “layered” on top of one another. This process is the cause of many chronic diseases.

Why is stress dangerous?

Scientists say: more than 150 thousand people from 142 countries now have health problems precisely because of stress. The most common of them are heart diseases (angina pectoris, hypertension, myocardial infarction). So, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences, after it ceased to exist Soviet Union, over 13 years the number of patients with cardiovascular diseases increased from 617 to 900 people per 100 thousand population.

At the same time, the number of smokers, people who regularly drink alcohol, people with obesity and high cholesterol levels - that is, those reasons due to which pathologies of the heart and blood vessels develop - remained within the previous values. Then scientists seriously thought about the influence of psycho-emotional state on health.

In second place are the consequences of living in constant stress are mental illnesses, and in third place is obesity. Chronic stress does not bypass the organs of the digestive and genitourinary systems, but the changes occurring in them are not so fatal. In addition, a person living in constant psycho-emotional stress greatly reduces his own immunity, becoming defenseless in the face of many diseases.

How stress develops

For the first time, the processes that occur after a person encounters a psychotraumatic situation were described by psychologist Cannon in 1932. A broad discussion of this issue, as well as the term “stress” itself, appeared only in 1936, after an article by the previously unknown physiologist Hans Selye, who called stress “a syndrome that develops as a result of exposure to various damaging agents.”

Selye found that when the psyche is affected by an agent that exceeds the adaptive resources of the body of this person (in other words, exceeding the stress resistance threshold), the following reactions develop:

1. the adrenal cortex increases, where the “stress hormone” is produced, the main glucocorticoid hormone cortisol;
2. the number of lipid granules in the adrenal medulla decreases, the main task of which is to release adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood;
3. the volume of lymphatic tissue, which is responsible for immunity, decreases: reverse development of the thymus (the central organ of immunity), spleen, and lymph nodes occurs;
4. The mucous membranes of the stomach and duodenum are damaged until ulcers form on them (stress ulcers).

Under the influence of the hormones cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine, not only stress ulcers occur on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, but also:

• the level of glucose in the blood increases and at the same time the sensitivity of tissues to insulin decreases (that is, due to chronic stress, you can “earn” type 2 diabetes);
• blood pressure increases;
• heartbeat becomes more frequent;
• the deposition of adipose tissue in the subcutaneous tissue increases;
• tissue proteins break down and glucose is formed from them;
• sodium is retained, and with it water in the tissues, and potassium, necessary for the functioning of the heart and nerves, is excreted faster than necessary;

Due to a decrease in the volume of lymphatic tissue, overall immunity decreases. As a result, the body's resistance to infections decreases, and any virus can cause severe illness and be complicated by bacterial infections.

The threshold for stress resistance is individual for each person. It depends on:

• the type of nervous system (is it one of two strong or two weak), which is determined by the speed of reactions and decision-making, the severity and nature of a person’s emotions;
• a person's life experience;
• mental stability to the influence of unfavorable factors.

Thus, choleric and melancholic people are easily exposed to stress, a balanced sanguine person - less, a phlegmatic person - even less (he needs a greater strength of the stress factor).

Classification

Stress is the general name for the reactions described above, when the adrenal glands are activated under the influence of the psyche. He can be:

• positive. This is eustress. It is caused by sudden joy, for example, from meeting an old friend or from an unexpected gift, inspiration, or a thirst for competition. Does not have a negative impact on health. It was in a state of eustress that records were set, discoveries and exploits were made;
• negative, which is called distress. We will talk about it further, as it can destroy health.

According to the nature of the impact, stress, or more precisely, distress, can be:

1. Neuropsychic or psychological. This is the main type, which is divided into 2 types:
   • information stress, which occurs due to an overabundance of information. Typically develops in people whose work involves constantly processing large amounts of information;
   • psycho-emotional stress that occurs due to intense anger, resentment or hatred.
2. Physical, which is divided into:
   • temperature (for example, in response to exposure to heat or cold);
   • food (during hunger or forced feeding on foods that cause disgust;
   • painful (due to pain, injury);
   • light (if a person is forced to be in an illuminated space all the time: at work, while lying in a hospital, if he finds himself in polar day conditions).

Distress can be caused by extreme conditions (war, hurricanes, floods, landslides) or extremely strong psychological events (the death of a relative, a breakup, passing an exam).

There is also a classification of stress factor (stressor). It may include:

1. Life Event– a long-term event: moving, business trip, divorce, death of a loved one.
2. Catastrophe. These include trauma, accident, war, death of a friend.
3. Chronic emotional stress. It arises as a result of unresolved constant conflicts with family members or colleagues.
4. Minor life difficulties, which, accumulating like a “snowball”, can destroy normal relationships in the family.

These stressors are the causes of distress.

How stress occurs

Hans Selye identified three stages in the body's response to any stress. The speed of their occurrence depends on the strength of the stressor and the state of the central nervous system of a particular person:

1. Alarm stage. A person ceases to control his thoughts and actions, and the preconditions are created for the weakening of the body. Behavior becomes the opposite of that which is characteristic of this person.
2. Resistance stage. The body's resistance increases so that a person can make a decision and cope with the situation that has arisen.
3. Exhaustion stage. It develops under prolonged stress, when the body is “no longer able” to maintain the stage of resistance. It is at this stage that damage to internal organs develops - it is different for everyone.

There is also a more extended description of the stages, made after Selye’s work. There are 4 stages here:

• Mobilization: a person’s attention and activity increases; energy is still spent sparingly. If at this stage the process fades, then it only hardens and does not destroy the person.
• Stenic (active) negative emotion. Anger, aggression, rage arise. To achieve the goal, forces begin to be spent uneconomically, and the body takes the path of exhaustion
• Asthenic (i.e. passive) negative emotion. It occurs due to excessive spending own strength at the previous stage. The person is sad, does not believe in his own strength and in the fact that this situation may be resolved. He may become depressed.
• Complete demoralization. It occurs when the stressor continues to affect the body. The person resigns himself to defeat, becomes indifferent, and does not want to solve either the stressor task or any others. A person at this stage of distress is said to be “broken.”

What can cause stress

What causes stress in an adult has already been discussed above. These include injuries, moving, separation/divorce, death of a loved one, money problems, constant lack of time to complete work on time, and illness - your own or a loved one's. Women experience stress during the birth of a child, even if they thought that they had prepared for this in 9 months (women in labor who had a difficult pregnancy, suffered a breakup with a loved one, or had constant conflicts during this period) are especially vulnerable to stress.

Factors that increase the chance of developing stress are chronic illnesses, lack of sleep, lack of a friendly environment or friends. People who are true to their beliefs and their word are more vulnerable to stress.

The causes of stress in children may not be so obvious:

• hypothermia;
• problem with contacting kindergarten;
• problem communicating with peers;
• change of place of residence;
• increased workload at school or in the last year of kindergarten;
• communication problems;
• parents imposing hobbies;
• lack of someone with whom you can discuss your problems;
• sending to sanatoriums or pioneer camps without parents;
• frequent stays in the hospital without parents;
• initial sexual experience;
• dysfunctional family situation;
• loss of a pet;
• sudden change in daily routine;
• time zone change;
• content of a cartoon, film, computer game (scenes of murders, violence, erotic nature);
• accidental observation of intimate communication between parents or strangers;
• sudden change in weather conditions.

How to tell if someone is stressed

There are acute and chronic stress. They manifest themselves in different ways, and we will examine them in detail later.

There is also a diagnosis of Acute Stress Reaction. This is the name of a disorder that occurs in a mentally healthy person in response to a very strong psychological and/or physical stressor, when there was a direct threat to the life of this person or a loved one. It can be noted after:

• natural disaster (hurricane, tsunami, flood);
• fire in the house;
• rape, especially if it was particularly brutal;
• death of children;
• car accidents;
• how a person was taken hostage in a terrorist attack;
• participation in hostilities, especially bloody ones.

Such severe stress is a short-term disorder, lasting several hours or 1-2 days. After it, urgent help (within the first 48 hours) from a competent psychiatrist or psychotherapist is necessary, otherwise the stress will either end in a suicide attempt or become chronic with all the ensuing consequences.

People are at higher risk of developing a reaction to severe stress:

• exhausted after illness or hard work;
• having a brain disease;
• who are over 50 years old;
• who do not see outside help;
• for whom what happened was a complete surprise;
• when other people are dying around.

An acute reaction to stress is indicated by symptoms that begin a few minutes after the event (less often, tens of minutes):

• Such a clouding of consciousness when a person ceases to navigate what is happening, but can pay attention to small parts around. Because of this, a person can perform strange, senseless actions, as a result of which others may think that he has gone crazy.
• The person may express delusional ideas, talk about non-existent events, or talk to someone who is not nearby. This behavior lasts a short period of time and can end abruptly.
• A person with an acute reaction does not understand or poorly understands speech addressed to him, does not fulfill requests or does it incorrectly.
• Extreme inhibition of both speech and movement. It can be expressed to such an extent that a person freezes in one position and answers questions only with some kind of sound. Less commonly, there may be a reverse reaction: a stream of words that is difficult to stop, as well as severe motor restlessness. There may even be a stampede or attempts to seriously injure oneself.
• Reactions from the autonomic nervous system: dilated pupils, pale or reddened skin, vomiting, diarrhea. There may even be such a sharp drop in blood pressure that a person dies.
• Often there are symptoms of stress such as: confusion, inability to answer (with full understanding of speech), aggressiveness, despair.

If in similar situation If a person is mentally ill (but not mentally ill), the body’s acute reaction to stress may not be the same as described above.

If these symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days, it is not an acute stress reaction. You need to urgently contact a neurologist, infectious disease specialist, psychiatrist or narcologist to find the real cause of this condition.

After suffering an acute reaction, the memory of such behavior disappears partially or completely. At the same time, the person remains tense for some time, his sleep and behavior are disturbed. For 2-3 weeks he is exhausted, he has no desire to do anything, and even the will to live. He can go to work and do it mechanically.

Acute stress

The fact that there has been stress in a person’s life is indicated by the following symptoms that occur immediately or a short time after encountering a stressor:

• emotional “explosion”, which is combined either with a feeling of uncontrollable anxiety or fear, or with excitement close to aggression;
• nausea, maybe one-time vomiting (we are often shown this in films);
• feeling of tightness, discomfort in the chest;
• cardiopalmus;
• sweating;
• rapid breathing, which may be accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath;
• chills or feeling hot;
• abdominal pain;
• numbness, feeling of “cotton” limbs; stress urinary incontinence.

If the stress was strong, but did not reach a critical level (when there was a threat to life, after which an acute reaction to stress usually develops), in addition to the signs listed above, a person may have:

• convulsions (muscle contractions) without loss of consciousness;
• skin rash identical to urticaria, which occurs in response to the entry of an allergen into the body;
• headache;
• painful urge to have a bowel movement, followed by loose stools;
• pronounced feeling of hopelessness, despair

Chronic stress

This is the state of modern people with the fast pace of life is much more common. The symptoms of chronic stress are not as pronounced as those of an acute stress response, so it is often attributed to fatigue and ignored until it leads to the development of various diseases. When the latter appear, a person turns to doctors and begins treatment, which does not lead to proper results because the cause - living in chronic stress - remains unresolved.

The fact that a person suffers from chronic stress will be indicated by signs that can be divided into several groups:

Associated with changes in human physiology

Due to stress, a person can experience quite physical suffering, which forces him to look for the cause, visit doctors of various specialties, and take a large number of medications. But the presence of the following symptoms, when they develop in a person experiencing frequent or constant stress, does not mean that he does not have a peptic ulcer or angina. Therefore, we will list them, and you will know that if you find some of them in yourself, you are examined, but the doctor says that he finds nothing in you, these are signs of a stress disorder, and they should be treated accordingly.

Physiological symptoms of chronic stress include:

• heartburn;
• belching;
• nausea;
• pain in the stomach;
• bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep);
• chest pain;
• frequent urination;
• stuttering;
• tinnitus;
• dry mouth;
• cold hands;
• difficulty swallowing;
• periodic muscle spasms: arm muscle spasms, incomprehensible and moving muscle pain;
• “twisting” of joints;
• hot flashes, facial redness;
• frequent infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, accompanied by cough, runny nose;
• decreased appetite;
• weight loss or gain;
• headache;
• backache;
• during the next stress, the temperature may rise by several tens;
• "jumps" in blood pressure;
• increased sweating;
• severe trembling of the upper extremities;
• tics and obsessive movements;
• a rash in the form of red spots or blisters that appeared “out of nowhere”;
• erectile dysfunction, decreased libido.

Symptoms related to emotions

The presence of chronic stress in a person is indicated by changes in a person’s character when a previously balanced person develops:

• low self-esteem;
• moodiness;
• irritability;
• anxiety;
• tearfulness;
• outbursts of anger;
• impulsive actions;
• hostility towards others;
• suspicion;
• deceit;
• disappearance of goals, incentives, interests in life;
• guilt;
• constant criticism of loved ones;
• pessimism;
• a feeling of unreality of what is happening;
• touchiness;
• concentration on unpleasant events;
• lowering the threshold for anxiety;
• tendency to shout commands;
• a feeling of loneliness, hopelessness, inexpressible melancholy;
• the appearance of thoughts of suicide;
• change in sleep length and disturbance in its quality (nightmares);
• increased sensitivity to loud noises, bright or flashing lights;
• memory impairment;
• Even the slightest trouble can cause panic, anxiety or aggression.

Social-behavioral symptoms

The fact that a person has chronic stress will be indicated by changes in his behavior and communication. This:

• inattention;
• loss of interest in appearance;
• loss of previous interests: work, hobbies;
• nervous laughter;
• tendency to use alcohol, drugs, medications;
• trying to be isolated;
• constant lack of time;
• workaholism and constant stress at work and at home as an independent attempt to “escape” the situation;
• the person becomes conflicted;
• makes many small mistakes in his usual work;
• while driving he often behaves inappropriately, speaking rudely towards surrounding drivers.

Intelligent traits

These include:

• memory impairment: a person remembers poorly and quickly forgets; there may be memory lapses;
• difficulties with analyzing new information;
• repeating what was said before;
• obsessive thoughts, often negative;
• viscosity of speech;
• difficulty making a decision.

Features of stress in women

Women are more vulnerable to stress. In addition, in an attempt to be an ideal wife and mother, they try not to talk about their experiences, but “accumulate” them within themselves. This causes the appearance of certain symptoms, most of which are described above, no different from “male” symptoms. Of these, if you do not pay attention to it in time, gynecological, cardiac, endocrine disease or obesity may “grow”.

Signs of stress in women, from which it is not always possible to guess that she is stressed, are:

• headache (most often felt in half of the head);
• joint pain;
• “failure” of the monthly cycle;
• sudden mood swings, not previously typical for a woman;
• eyelid twitching in one eye that lasts several minutes;
• back pain;
• the appearance of “incomprehensible” red elements of the rash and/or ulcers;
• spasms accompanied by pain, now in one or another part of the abdomen;
• panic attacks;
• stomach pain;
• deterioration of coordination;
• addiction to certain types of food (often sweets and dairy products) and alcohol;
• according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a sign of stress that develops under the influence of cortisol can be frequently recurring vaginal thrush;
• hair loss (it may not occur immediately, but 3-6 months after stress);
• “noise”, “whistle”, “clicking” in the ears;
• decreased performance;
• decreased instinct of self-preservation;
• thoughts of suicide;
• irritability;
• change in attitude towards yourself and loved ones (guilt, emotional coldness).

You especially need to pay attention to these (mainly the last 4) symptoms after childbirth. They indicate that postpartum depression or the more dangerous postpartum psychosis may begin.

Features of stress in children

Signs of stress in a child are also not particularly noticeable, especially if the baby is not yet of a conscious age.

If the child is less than 2 years old, refusal to eat, tearfulness and irritability will indicate that he has suffered stress. The same symptoms will develop with any inflammatory or non-inflammatory process, so they need to be excluded first.

A child 2-5 years old “declares” the shock he has suffered by the return of old habits: thumb sucking, pacifiers, refusal to feed himself, urinary or fecal incontinence. The baby may begin to cry under changing circumstances (for example, from being woken up to go to the toilet at night) or when new people appear. He may also start to stutter.

Stress in a 2-5 year old child will be indicated by hyperactivity or, conversely, decreased activity, causeless short-term increases in temperature, vomiting, frequent mood swings, and the appearance of many fears (darkness, loneliness, dogs or people of certain professions). A stressed baby has trouble falling asleep.

In a 5-9 year old child, stress manifests itself with the following symptoms:

• fatigue;
• decline in academic performance;
• nightmares;
• behavior similar to that of younger children (the child begins to lisp, cuddle, and become like a baby);
• aggression;
• unreasonable fears, anxieties;
• attempts to run away from home or, conversely, the child tries not to leave the house, avoids other children, does not want to attend school;
• increase or, conversely, decrease in appetite;
• nausea and even vomiting;
• headache;
• chest pain;
• seizures in the corners of the mouth;
• splitting of nails;
• the child may partially forget stressful events;
• nervous tics or the development of habits of biting nails or other objects (rulers, erasers, pens), pulling out hair, picking your nose, scratching your skin;
• challenging behavior for several days;
• if a child begins to lie, this may also be a sign of stress.

What symptoms indicate stress?

The main symptoms after stress indicate exhaustion of the body. This:

• the appearance of heat intolerance;
• causeless nausea;
• fatigue that appears faster than before may not go away even after a long rest;
• insomnia at night, drowsiness during the day, but the patient may be constantly drowsy;
• decreased appetite;
• decreased libido;
• indifference to one's own appearance;
• deterioration of attention, memory;
• indecision;
• difficulty concentrating;
• negative thoughts;
• the person becomes hot-tempered, irritable;
• pulse is increased, blood pressure is either increased or decreased, increased sweating, headaches, sweating.

But if the stimulus was strong enough, then, if an acute reaction to stress does not develop, then after a few weeks or months (up to six months) a person may develop post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome. It manifests itself:

1. alienation from others;
2. distrust of others;
3. aggressiveness;
4. anxiety;
5. inadequate (usually very weak or complete absence) reaction to current events;
6. a person “lives” in his problem: during the day he thinks about the stressor, at night he dreams about it in the form of nightmares;
7. if it seems to a person that a traumatic situation followed a combination of some phenomena, then when they reoccur in his life, he becomes aggressive and experiences a panic attack;
8. panic attacks can occur on their own, they decrease when communicating with other people, so at such moments the patient willingly makes contact even with strangers;
9. a person may experience pain in the stomach, heart, or head. For this reason, he is sometimes examined, but nothing is found. This forces him to look for a “competent” doctor and turn to many specialists. If none of the medical workers correlates the symptoms with the stress they have experienced, the patient may lose faith in medicine, begin treatment on their own, and take alcohol or drugs “to calm down.”

Thus, symptoms caused by stress are very similar to diseases of the internal organs. You can suspect that this is stress based on the fact that the symptoms affect several body systems at once (for example, joint pain and heartburn occur). The diagnosis can only be clarified with the help of an examination: then with the help of instrumental (fibrogastroscopy, cardiogram, ultrasound of the heart, X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract) and laboratory (these are tests) studies, no changes will be detected or they will be minimal. The presence of stress will be confirmed by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist based on a conversation with the person and some oral tests. The stress response will also be indicated by blood levels of cortisol and the hormone ACTH.

Stress is the body's response to negative emotions, increased stress, and monotonous bustle. During a period of such stress, the human body produces the hormone adrenaline, which promotes the activation of mental activity. However, such a “burst” of emotions during serious or numerous stresses is replaced by weakness, a feeling of apathy, the inability to think clearly and consistently, and ultimately the development of various painful conditions.

How to recognize

It is important to know the symptoms of stress in order to provide timely help to your body or support loved ones:

• a persistent feeling of depression, irritability, which often has no specific basis;
• restless sleep;
• physical weakness, lack of desire to do anything, depression, headache, apathy, fatigue;
• memory impairment, difficulty learning, decreased concentration, complicating work, inhibition of the thought process;
• weak interest in others and social sphere life, loss of interest in family and friends;
• inability to relax;
• tearfulness, bouts of sobbing, persistent feelings of melancholy, self-pity, pessimism;
• weak appetite or excessive absorption of food;
• Nervous tics may appear or obsessive habits may develop, for example, lip biting, nail biting, etc.;
• fussiness, lack of concentration, distrust of others.

Types of stress

Depending on the type of stimulus, there are different types of stress:

• Mental. Caused by strong negative or positive emotions.
• Physical. Formed under the influence of various adverse physical influences, such as extreme cold, changes atmospheric pressure, unbearable heat, etc.
• Chemical. Caused by exposure to toxic substances.
• Biological. They are formed due to the influence of viral diseases, injuries and excessive muscle strain.

Stress-related diseases

Considering the increased “stress” of modern times, caused by numerous factors, an entire branch of medicine has been created that studies various types of stress as a main or auxiliary factor in the development of various diseases. This branch is called psychosomatic medicine.

According to psychosomatic medicine negative impact stress on the human body is multifaceted and is not limited to damage to one organ or system. It is often a “provocateur” of the development of various diseases.

First of all, stressful situations negatively affect the condition and functioning of the cardiovascular system, resulting in the development of the following diseases: hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris. The gastrointestinal tract also suffers, this manifests itself in the form of diseases such as gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers.

With increased production of the stress hormone, insulin production in the body decreases (so-called “steroid” diabetes occurs), the growth and development of the child’s body is delayed, immunity decreases, and cells in the spinal cord and brain degenerate.

Having understood the mechanism of action of stress, we can roughly estimate the harm it causes to the human body:

• Under stress, biochemical reactions accelerate and energy potential increases, that is, the body mobilizes strength and prepares to respond to a difficult situation with double strength.
• The adrenal glands increase the release of adrenaline, which is a fast-acting stimulant. "Emotional think tank“The hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland and adrenal cortex, which in turn respond with an increased release of hormones.
• In standard doses, hormones ensure normal functioning of the body, but with their increased production, various undesirable reactions occur on the part of the body, which often leads to disorders in the functioning of internal systems and organs and to the development of diseases.

Increased doses of hormones can disrupt the water-salt balance of the blood, activate food digestion, increase blood pressure, increase the number of leukocytes in the blood, provoke the development of allergic reactions, and overload the immune system. During periods of stress, the pulse quickens, the blood sugar level increases, and a person breathes quickly and intermittently.

Due to lack physical activity biologically active substances produced in increased dosages during stress circulate in the blood for a long time, keeping the nervous system and the body as a whole in tension. For example, a high concentration of glucocorticoid hormones in muscles causes the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids, which can ultimately lead to muscle dystrophy.

Psychosomatics – illnesses caused by nerves

Our body is a unique world in which the body and psyche form a single whole. And psychosomatics is the language they speak. And if something goes wrong somewhere in the area of ​​emotions and experiences, you can feel it, say, in the area of ​​the heart. Or get some kind of nervous illness.

Having sat down to work on this difficult topic, I immediately fell ill: I woke up with a runny nose, sore throat and a developing fever. Most likely, it was a common cold. But everything has happened in my life. For example, at the school graduation, I was spinning in a room with a temperature of 39: almost immediately this pleasant event was followed by entrance exams, which I absolutely did not want to take.



They helped us:

Daria Suchilina
Psychologist, body-oriented psychotherapist

Victoria Chal-Boru
Psychologist, Gestalt therapist, researcher at the Center for Professional Education of ASOU, teacher

And now a whole flotilla of similar cases floats along the waves of my memory when I talk with our expert, psychologist Victoria Chal-Boru. But first, we are conducting an experiment on me. Vika presses her hand on my knee - and it moves a little to the side. He removes his hand - I return the limb to its original position. Vika asks if I had any feeling about this. “Yeah, I guess not, definitely not!” - “And with what joy did you move your leg back?” - “It was just uncomfortable to sit like that” - “Well, it’s uncomfortable - you, in fact, felt some irritation, dissatisfaction. The brain digested this signal and realized that everything should be returned to its place.”

Next, we consider a situation where I cannot move my leg back: physically (Vika presses too hard with her hand) or, for example, I pass in front of her because she threatened: “Well, sit like that!” Here my dissatisfaction again gives a signal for action, but an ambush is impossible. I find myself in a vicious circle.

“And what’s going on with your leg?” – asks Vika. And I understand that my limb is already getting used to being in this state and I, in principle, can continue to sit like this. “So, in fact, this is what happens, getting used to it and pretending not to notice costs nothing. But then, for some reason, suddenly, relatively speaking, varicose veins form on this leg. Or, for example, some joint falls out.” But what could I do? It turns out, for example, just to immediately hit Vika in the eye (or remove her hand from her knee/leave the room/say directly that I am indignant) - and then I would definitely have avoided varicose veins.

In two in simple words, psychosomatics are situations where the body takes on suppressed emotional experiences: they have accumulated, hidden, and they need to get out somehow. And you ultimately express them - through the somatic (that is, bodily) channel. How, why, why? - this is something that’s really worth delving into, even if everything is calm for you now.

Healthy psychosomatic reactions

Situations like temperature that accompany important events are so-called psychosomatic reactions. According to Daria Suchilina, they do not go beyond the norm and healthy functioning of the body (thank you - lucky). For example, remember how you fell in love, or rather, how your heart beat then. And nothing - alive and well. From the same series there are such things as dizziness after an accident, loss of appetite from sadness.

Often we ourselves are aware of these peculiarities of ours: if a sore throat means you didn’t say something important at the right time; head - overexerted, grinding the same problem over and over again. Daria and I are giving you conditional examples. Everything, as often happens, is individual. And the main thing here is to listen to your body, establish contact with it and learn to negotiate.

Psychosomatic disorders

Another thing is psychosomatic disorders. Our expert Daria Suchilina divides them into 3 large groups:

1. Conversion symptoms

Conversion is transformation. Here is the transformation of repressed mental conflict into somatic symptoms (calm, now you will understand everything). These symptoms, as a rule, are “talking” - hysterical blindness or deafness, the same paralysis (when your arms are taken away or you cannot walk).

It happens like this. A person finds himself in a traumatic situation that is unbearable for him, and for the purpose of self-preservation the body shuts down. For example, he thinks: “My eyes wouldn’t see this!” – and actually stops seeing. But if you suddenly put such a citizen in the face of real danger (if you don’t look at your feet, you can die!), your vision turns on again.

What else can I add here? Such cases are dealt with by minor psychiatry (the one that is in charge of mental disorders on the border between normal and pathological).

2. Functional syndromes

These are a variety of (and often vague) complaints about a disruption in the functioning of one of the body systems, such as difficulty breathing, a lump in the throat, strange sensations in the heart area. As a rule, no organic matter is found in the patient - in other words, tests show that everything is in order, there are no violations. But it still hurts and suffocates!

Often such symptoms occur in citizens with depressive symptoms, increased anxiety, sleep disorders and panic attacks (you’ll die on the spot from this lump in your throat, right now!). So for treatment, mild antidepressants and sedatives prescribed by a psychiatrist or neurologist can be used.

There is also the term “psychovegetative syndromes” - in essence, this is the same thing, however, here they often talk about some kind of general poor health, malaise. Victim No. 1 is a teenager. “During this period, the hormonal system undergoes a restructuring, new emotions appear, a lot of things irritate, falling in love is not allowed to sleep peacefully, children’s fairy tales lose their magical power, and dad turns out to be not omnipotent. In the end, a change in values ​​and life ideals is already a deep enough reason for a general malaise to begin in the body - psycho-vegetative dystonia,” Daria says with sincere sympathy for the youth.

And as if by chance he adds: “According to the same scheme, similar the disorder can begin in anyone who is having a hard time: hard work, family problems, angry boss, low self-esteem, an unstable political situation and the list goes on - everything around is bad, and all the gears in the body are also upset.”

3. Psychosomatic diseases = psychosomatosis

These are, in fact, real physical diseases, with morphological changes and pathological disorders in organs (in general, tests are not in order), only caused by the psyche. Various ailments are periodically included in this list, but six claim to be classics of the genre: bronchial asthma, ulcerative colitis, essential hypertension, neurodermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, duodenal ulcer.

The main provocateur here is mental stress. But here's what's interesting: citizens tormented by the same psychosomatosis are distinguished by common psychological traits, which determine predisposition to this particular disease. Let’s say a hypertensive patient comes to the doctor, and the doctor is a very good professional. Then the doctor will certainly ask the patient if he has difficulties with containing and expressing anger.

A competent dermatologist will talk a little with the unfortunate person who is sitting and itching from neurodermatitis about how his relationships with people develop. It would be useful to ask the ulcer sufferer if he feels deprived, if he envies anyone. And then – treat all these wonderful people together with a psychotherapist.

Diseases and psychosomatics

Some experts draw beautiful parallels between diseases and their probable psychological causes. The universality of such bindings is highly questionable. But guessing on these cards is a terribly exciting activity. Here, for example, is what Louise Hay, the author of books on popular psychology, tells us.

• Angina - You hold back from using harsh words. Feeling incapable
  express yourself.
• Phlebeurysm - Staying in a situation you hate. Disapproval. Feeling overloaded and overwhelmed by work.
• Gastritis – Prolonged uncertainty. Feeling of doom.
• Runny nose - Request for help. Internal crying.
• Obesity: hips (upper) – Lumps of stubbornness and anger at parents.
• Obesity: arms – Anger over rejected love.
• Scabies – Infected thinking. Allowing others to get on your nerves.
• Knee diseases – Stubbornness and pride. Inability to be a malleable person. Fear. Inflexibility. Reluctance to give in.

How psychosomatics works

You can, of course, sit down and grieve a little about how difficult it is for a modern person to live: various kinds stress, trauma and negative emotions only dream of attacking you. But here’s an interesting fact for you - we are able to suppress positive feelings - and then just as cleverly push them onto the poor body. “For example, the psyche generally prohibits the expression of very strong emotions - joy, euphoria, satisfaction,” says Victoria. – People often refuse pleasure - no, no, you can’t receive it, you can’t be happy, it’s better to suffer. That’s suffering—that’s what I allow myself.”



Understanding where all these prohibitions come from, the nature of possible internal conflicts and experienced traumas is a thankless task within the framework of this article. Everyone has their own life, family, and childhood experiences in their closet. Let's take a better look at how psychosomatics works and what you can do about it.

The good news is that, according to Victoria, those who know how to “psychosomatize” know their body very well and are great at managing it. Once - and here it hurts, that's it - I won't go to any school!

Another pleasant thing is that sometimes this method works to your advantage. Imagine this situation. The man Vasily (neurologists, by the way, claim that if previously they were mainly driven by psychosomatic complaints from women, now the stronger sex is not on the sidelines), so Vasily is damn tired, he is so overstressed at work that he wants to run from the office into the night and disappear from the country. But for some reason, Vasya can’t just go up to the boss and say: “Dionisy Petrovich, dear, give me a couple of days off.” Instead, our hero falls ill - and now he lies quietly at home and does nothing while his body gets the necessary rest.

It's not bad. The bad things start when Vasily does not have the opportunity to cope with his stress in another way (for example, take and afford a vacation) and continues to treat himself with the same inattention. Then the body may suffer seriously - Vasily will gradually turn into a disabled person. “If the stress is constant (that is, the emotional or intellectual sphere of the psyche is depleted) or very pronounced (there is psychological trauma), neurosis appears. With it, a functional disorder may appear: all organs and systems are in order, but they do not work well. “It’s like a failure of a computer’s operating system—software,” compares Daria Suchilina. –

If such a difficult life situation lasts for years and the malfunction persists all this time, the functional problem turns into an organic one - when the heart really wears out, the intestinal mucosa is burned with ulcers, and the lungs, all jokes, stop breathing. This is already a breakdown of computer parts, that is, hardware: let’s say the motherboard burned out.”

What to do with a nervous illness

It’s clear that if you develop an ulcer, you will not go to a psychologist with it, but to a specialized doctor. And with migraine too: of course, it is often suspected of having a psychosomatic nature, but the causes of headaches can be very different. And sometimes a runny nose is just a runny nose. In general, it is important to rule out organic disease. As we have already mentioned, good therapists and specialized specialists, having received a patient with psychosomatosis or a functional disorder, will work in conjunction with a neurologist or psychotherapist (and possibly a psychiatrist).

Yes, clients sometimes get offended and show distrust: “How is this possible, I’m suffering here, but your examinations don’t show anything! What other psychosomatics? Are you implying that I’m not right in the head?” – here again there is hope for the professionalism and competent approach of doctors. And some people are surprised. “The trick is that a person often lacks awareness of this somatic way of expressing emotions,” explains Victoria Chal-Boru. Suddenly, “out of the blue,” a symptom arises—for example, a monstrous headache in which you just want to lie down and die. And you don’t realize that you’re doing this to yourself.

Paying attention and becoming aware of this process is already a big deal. Then you can work with this (for example, with a psychologist). You may need to find a different way to express your emotions.. Here’s what else Victoria says: “When you feel something, the brain catches this signal and selects a strategy for action from a certain department. The latter already has a set of ready-made plans, but they do not always work. In general, it would be good for a mature organism to come up with a new strategy every time - this is the so-called system of creative adaptation. But the same psychosomatic manifestations in response to feelings (being sick!) is just an uncreative adaptation.”

Daria Suchilina draws attention to something else: “If you look at the question more esoterically and symbolically, then a bodily symptom is sometimes the only way available to the body to reach its inattentive owner, who otherwise does not see his problems.” The body screams: “Hey, look at me, you’re already having your third heart attack, isn’t it time to change something in your life?!”

Stress illnesses

Stress is the body's reaction to unplanned events in life. Some people take things so seriously that they start to get very sick.

What is stress

The concept of “stress” was introduced into the lexicon relatively recently – in 1936. Initially, the concept of “stress” meant the body’s reaction to any change in the environment. In other words, stress was considered an adaptation moment to any changes in order to maintain the normal functioning of body systems.

The concept of “stress” can cover a whole spectrum of events, and their polarity is absolutely not important in this definition. Both great grief and great joy can be safely considered a stressful event. Stress has accompanied humanity since its inception. Its sources vary depending on the level of civilization: from fear of predators to worries about exams or an interview with an employer.

Strong emotions caused by stress affect the body’s functioning, exacerbating inflammatory processes, causing exacerbation of chronic diseases and disruptions in the normal functioning of organs.

Doctors consider stress to be the cause of a number of serious and dangerous diseases:

Physiological reactions occur in response to stress. These are the moments when the brain is not able to fully control the situation.

The impact of stress on human health

The destructive effects of stress on the body have been proven repeatedly. The mutual influence of somatics and psyche is so great that no one will dispute the fact that stress is the cause of somatic diseases.

The mechanism of stress is as follows: stress causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline. The latter increases the heart rate. In the absence of an outside threat, the person’s condition softens, as the level of adrenaline in the blood decreases. Frequent stress causes a constant presence of adrenaline in the blood, which is dangerous for the body.

Cortisol performs several functions in the body, from regulating sugar levels to influencing metabolic processes. Cortisol can delay pain, weaken libido, and be involved in the development of some serious diseases.

Diseases caused by stress

Stress can cause serious physical illnesses.

1. Premature aging. Stress-induced changes in the body accelerate its aging. A person not only looks older, but also becomes susceptible to disease.
2. Early death. People in stressful situations die quite early. At the same time, at least a quarter of the population can be considered at risk. The higher the stress exposure, the greater the risk of early death.

Stress has a profound effect on the body. It is almost impossible to protect yourself from stressful situations. However, you can learn techniques to reduce the effects of stress on the body.

www.psyportal.net

Stress causes illness

Stress negatively affects both a person’s psychological and physical health. It disorganizes a person’s activity and behavior. It can lead to various psycho-emotional disorders (anxiety, depression, neuroses, emotional instability, low mood, or, conversely, overexcitation, anger, memory impairment, insomnia, increased fatigue, etc.). Stress is a major risk factor for the manifestation and exacerbation of numerous diseases, the most common of which are:

cardiovascular diseases (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, hypertension);

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract ( peptic ulcer, gastritis);

decreased immunity.

The effect of stress on the human body

Hormones produced during stress and necessary for the normal functioning of the body in physiological quantities, in large quantities can cause many unwanted reactions, which, in turn, can lead to a number of diseases and even death of a person. Their negative effect is aggravated by the fact that modern people rarely use muscle energy when stressed. In this regard, biologically active substances continue to circulate in the blood for a long time in elevated concentrations, preventing the nervous system from calming down and internal organs. In muscles, glucocorticoids in high concentrations cause the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids, which can lead to muscle dystrophy with prolonged exposure. In the skin, these hormones inhibit the growth and division of fibroblasts, as a result of which the skin can become thinner, become easily damaged, and wounds will heal poorly. In bone tissue, calcium absorption is suppressed due to stress. Ultimately, with prolonged exposure to these hormones, bone mass decreases and a very common disease, osteoporosis, can occur. And this list negative consequences we can continue ad infinitum. Reputable scientists even believe that stress is the main factor in the occurrence of cancer and other oncological diseases.

Such reactions can be caused not only by strong, acute, but also by small, but long-term stressful effects. In this regard, chronic stress, in particular the presence of prolonged psychological stress, depression can also lead to the diseases mentioned above. There is even a new direction in medicine called psychosomatic medicine. She considers all kinds of stress as the main or concomitant pathogenetic factor of most diseases.

Thus, stress and the occurrence of disease are very closely interrelated, and sometimes it happens that one can predict a disease by the strength of the stress suffered by a person. It has been noted that after suffering a strong emotional shock, patients not only experience an exacerbation of diseases directly related to the emotional impact, but also the body’s susceptibility to infections increases, the body becomes more prone to sciatica and accidents.

Stress leads to illness

Stress can accumulate and reach such a stage, be so strong that a person becomes unable to cope with it, as a result of which he gets sick. Typically, the relationship between stress and coping ability is more complex character. When analyzing the reasons why stress can lead to illness, the importance of individual response to it is noted. This is due to the fact that the body's activities, which are aimed at overcoming a stressful situation, can reduce resistance to disease, especially if the person chooses the wrong ways to cope with stress that do not correspond to the problems facing him. Thus, if external factors require a lot of energy, we may not have enough energy to overcome the disease. When the pace of life becomes too hectic, we do not have the strength to cope with the life situations that come before us and as a result, illness occurs.

Thus, we can conclude that you need to learn how to relieve stress before it causes a particular disease. To do this, you need to find out the causes of stress and try to understand how you can relieve stress, what actions to take against stress.

From stress to colds: why even ARVI starts from nerves and how the virus helps the body

All diseases come from nerves, says the old saying. Psychologists clarify that stress is the cause of everything. Even a common cold can be caused by anxiety, fear, and lack of attention. A tired and unloved man came down with the flu - and received the missing portion of rest and care. The child is afraid to go to school - and now fever and sore throat come to the rescue. Psychosomatic medicine sees a direct connection between the state of mind and body. How do negative emotions provoke the occurrence of seasonal viral diseases and is it possible good mood to scare away colds - in our material.

Anxiety and fear damage the immune system

At the end of January - beginning of February, there is a traditional rise in the incidence of ARVI. To avoid becoming a target for viruses, it's time to think about prevention. From a psychosomatic point of view, the best option is to restore order in the soul and free yourself from accumulated suppressed emotions. The first step is to pay attention to anxiety.

Fear and background anxiety reduce immunity because our adrenal glands produce stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Both hormones are needed by the body to cope with stress more easily. They pose a health hazard during chronic stress - when they are released in large quantities, explains medical psychologist Anna Topyuk. - If anxiety is situational, it is adequate stress. The order “fight” or “flight” appeared - the hormone was produced, the person did something to get rid of the threat that had arisen, and the level of cortisol decreased. But if a person simply suppressed stress, the hormone was produced and remained above normal. The immune system can't handle it.

A person who is constantly worried receives a powerful blow to the body. Moreover, if you do not like to drink water, this will aggravate the situation. “Hormones are removed from the body by water. If you don’t drink it, the effect of hormones will be long-lasting,” notes the specialist.

On a subconscious level, we ourselves allow ourselves to get sick in order to temporarily escape from any situation. The body says: “Stop!”

But you need to remember: stress is different from stress. If in chronic form it becomes fertile ground for disease, then a short-term shake-up, on the contrary, mobilizes and turns on the body’s defenses. “There is no life without stress, because in order for a healthy person to feel alive and fulfilled, he needs to feel the presence of problems that need to be solved as they arise,” says the psychologist. - If the level of stress has increased to a threshold when a person can no longer adapt and the tension is too high, then useful stress is transformed into dangerous. And this danger provokes not only the psyche, but also the somatics (body) to react.”

Dejection attracts a virus

Autumn despondency due to cold weather and aversion to frost - these experiences disturb the soul and become a trigger for chronic stress. As a result, the mood becomes even worse, because now the blues are accompanied by a cough, sore throat and other classic signs of ARVI.

We need to try to change the stereotypes that provoke anxiety, the psychologist suggests. “If you are convinced that summer is pleasant, but winter is not, learn to accept the unpleasant time of year as it is - with all the cold and the need to dress,” recommends Anna Topyuk.

In addition, a strong belief that you will get sick can result in a real cold. This setup makes you wait all the time possible problems with health and worry about it. As a result, stress affects the immune system, and the weakened body is unable to resist the virus.

We allow ourselves to get sick

Coming down with the flu, the body says it has reached its limits.

A person burdens himself with worries, works seven days a week, tries to get as much done as possible, and as a result gets sick. As a rule, on a subconscious level, we ourselves allow ourselves to get sick in order to temporarily escape from an insoluble situation,” the specialist states. - The body says: “Stop! Look, winter has just arrived, you have a reason to stop.” Everything happens subconsciously - a person may even wonder why he suddenly got sick. He will believe that he caught a cold because of the open window, the cold, and will not realize that it turns out that he took care of himself, showed tenderness to himself and thus gave himself the opportunity to rest.

If you have to work at a job you don’t like or there are problems in the team, this only adds to the blues. A tendency to despondency and a lack of zest for life begin to overcome. “It’s not surprising that adults get sick in unfulfilling jobs. After all, every day is stressful. And in winter and autumn there is a legitimate opportunity to get sick with ARVI and let the body relax. A person allows himself to do this, this is the so-called secondary benefit from the disease,” explains Anna Topyuk.

The psychologist warns: if you don’t know how to express and demonstrate your needs, defend your position, this will increase the likelihood of catching a cold. If an employee is afraid to ask his boss for a vacation, but he no longer has the strength to work from dawn to dusk, the body will find its way out. A sneezing and coughing employee with a high temperature will no longer have questions about an unplanned absence from strict management.

Among the emotional causes of respiratory infections, psychologists also name loss of joy in life, dislike of oneself, low self-esteem, and fear of the future. The cold will also attract those who want to know everything about everyone, control everyone and teach life.

Don't give SARS a chance

Showing your emotions will help you fight back against ARVI. Feeling joy and love, feeling comfortable at work and at home, adding rest and relaxation to your life (for example, a swimming pool and massage), you will help your body keep your immune system at a high level and resist viruses. Allow yourself to rest, realize that it is impossible to accomplish everything at the highest level. Don’t try to solve other people’s problems when no one asks you to, and take days off more often. “A person who accepts life as it is, treats himself and others with unconditional love, without guilt or blame, may not be afraid of viruses,” Anna Topyuk is sure. “I myself haven’t had a cold for several years now.” It happens that one day I sneeze, but the next there is nothing. Even if I take this virus, it doesn’t stay with me because it doesn’t resonate with me.”

People suffering from ARVI should think about what conflicts they carry within themselves. “You need to turn to yourself and a certain level of self-understanding to identify the causes of increased anxiety. Ask yourself: Am I satisfied with my life now? It is very important to understand whether there is internal well-being or not. Outwardly, everything may seem fine - a smile, kindness, an active lifestyle, but at the same time the cats are scratching at your soul,” the specialist describes a common situation.

A firm belief that you will get sick can result in a real illness. This attitude makes you constantly wait for possible health problems. Accumulated stress affects the immune system; as a result, the weakened body cannot resist the virus.

Two different people can react completely differently to the same problem. Some people retreat in the face of a difficult and unpleasant situation, while others constantly push themselves forward. Some, when faced with an insult, try to quickly forget about it, but others cannot calm down for a long time and thirst for revenge.

Anna Topyuk recommends changing your lifestyle through psychological work on yourself and self-analysis. It is useful to notice your true emotions and needs, learn to recognize and resolve your internal conflicts in a timely manner, so as not to trip up your immune system. Bringing order to your soul is an effective prevention not only against influenza and ARVI, but also good protection against other diseases.

How to bring order to your soul

Ask yourself what solution to the problem you are avoiding. It often happens that a problem is not noticed and is not solved, since it may affect some area of ​​life; a person may be latently afraid of what other people will say and think. Think about the secondary benefit: perhaps it is more convenient for you to get sick than to directly state something and defend your rights.

Ask yourself what you are afraid to admit to yourself. Alcoholics experience similar feelings: they know that they drink a lot, but they cannot admit to themselves their alcohol addiction. In the case of stress that provokes colds and other diseases, it’s about the same. Sometimes just awareness and recognition of the problem can alleviate the condition. When you admit that you have a specific problem, then the disease has served its purpose and is no longer needed.

Ask yourself: is everything in life going the way I would like? Is my life going as I dreamed?

Ask yourself whether I have endured in silence for too long and whether I am so satisfied with my life.

Sore throat as a gift for a schoolchild

If a child is emotionally more comfortable at home than at school or kindergarten, he is more likely to experience the blues. In this way he expresses his reluctance to be in an environment that is not the most pleasant for him. “Children use the opportunity to get sick as a gift to avoid being in a hostile environment. For the child, this becomes a way out; he gets sick and stays at home more often,” explains the specialist. - In this way, children also receive a secondary benefit - the attention of their parents. By the way, often psychological reasons Parents simply do not see the disease and look more at the medical aspect. Although in fact the child is stressed, his body has weakened. At the same time, note that not everyone catches a cold - those who have a favorable, comfortable environment both at home and at school or kindergarten are less susceptible to viruses.”