by Dr. Lawrence Wilson
© August 2022, LD Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
I. INTRODUCTION
Stress, formerly only an engineering term, today is used often in the health care field. But just what is stress, and exactly how does it affect us? Let us begin with the definition of stress.
DEFINITION
Stress is a response of the body to stimuli. Noise, heat or cold are not stresses. They are stimuli. The response they cause in the body is called stress.
This means that if your neighbor is playing his stereo at full volume, but you have an excellent set of earplugs, there is no stress! There is stress only if you respond. The impact of any event or stimulus depends on how you respond (or don't respond) to it.
On a more general level, stress is the underlying response of an organism to its environment. This is a most important concept to understand, and it is the basis for the hair analysis patterns that are revealed on the hair mineral tests.
The minerals on the test have value in themselves. However, the levels, ratios and patterns also represent patterns of stress on the body. This is a great secret and key to understanding hair mineral analysis.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRESSORS
External stress responses. Our bodies are continuously having to respond to the world around us. This includes the ground we walk upon, the outer temperature, wind, rain, snow, sounds, sights, people, and hundreds of subtle factors such as smells, tension in the world, one’s financial and social situations and more.
Internal stress. The body also must respond to changes in the internal environment of the body. This includes too much warmth or cold, hunger, thirst, diseases in the body, strain and tension on muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints, the body’s position in space and how gravity is affecting the body, and thousands of other parameters or factors.
The body must continuously adjust the blood sugar level, the blood pressure level and the levels of all the minerals, vitamins, hormones, and hundreds of other nutrients and chemicals that we are made of. This is the continuously changing response to internal stress that keeps us alive. An important principle is that usually it is far easier to work with and control internal stress than it is to control external forces.
STRESS PRINCIPLES
Stress is not due to events themselves, but to one’s response to events. Many responses are conditioned. This is why you may feel trapped by stress. By reducing internal stressors (imbalances inside the body and mind) one will be more able to handle stress that comes from outside.
One tends to become like that to which one responds. Anyone can choose to respond to 'positive' physical, emotional and spiritual stressors that have powerful beneficial effects on both mind and body.
II. THE STRESS THEORY OF DISEASE
Non-specific nature of the stress response. Hans Selye, MD was the founder of the stress theory of disease. He discovered that the body’s overall response to stressors of all kinds is always similar, no matter the cause of the stress.
This means that the body’s response to a loud noise, extreme cold, a bacterial infection, a toxic metal, or worry can all cause the same stress response. It doesn't matter if the stressor comes from within the body (bacteria) or from outside the body (noise, for example). This is an important principle of the general adaptation syndrome or G.A.S. This is the term Dr. Selye used to describe the way the body responds to stress.
The stages of stress. Dr. Selye divided the response into three stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. He said that all organisms go through these three stages of stress, which are followed by death. One can go through all three stages in minutes, or it can take 100 years. The progression of the stages of stress are mediated through the adrenal and thyroid glands.
Knowing the stage of stress, one knows a lot about how a body is functioning. This allows one to move beyond symptoms and correct underlying body chemistry.
Knowing which stage of stress the body is in is most helpful to recommend diets, nutritional supplements and other procedures to gently and safely move the body to a healthier stage of stress. With a hair mineral analysis, this is done with mathematical accuracy.
Dr. Eck's research on hair analysis was greatly assisted by incorporating the stress theory into the interpretation of the hair analysis.
Identifying the stages of stress. Dr. Selye based the stages upon anatomical changes in animals. Dr. Paul Eck found a way to identify these stages with fair accuracy using tissue mineral analysis. Hair samples must not be washed at the laboratory and testing must be very accurate. Blood or other tests are not helpful, so far.
Correlation of the oxidation concept of Dr. George Watson with the stages of stress. The alarm stage of stress roughly correlates with fast oxidation.
The exhaustion stage of stress roughly corresponds to a very slow oxidation rate or a four lows mineral pattern.
The resistance stage of stress roughly corresponds to a mixed oxidation pattern. It may also correlate with a fast oxidation pattern with a low sodium/potassium ratio.
Mineral levels change in accord with the stage of stress. For instance, in the alarm stage, sodium rises. As the resistance stage begins, sodium begins to drop. It continues even lower in the exhaustion stage. One can determine the stage of stress with numerical accuracy from the tissue mineral levels and ratios.
COMMON CAUSES OF STRESS
Internal causes of stress include nutritional deficiencies, bacterial or viral infections, subluxated vertebrae, hardened arteries, weak muscles, toxic metals in enzyme binding sites, poor circulation, fatigue, energy imbalances, fear-based emotional patterns, neuroses or rigid ideas.
External stressors include family problems, financial struggles, school difficulties, interpersonal problems, extreme heat or cold, polluted air and water, improper diet, low-quality food, toxic medications, drugs and other poisons, and many other factors that appear 'external' to us. The internal and the external factors of stress combine to create stress responses.
Noise can be a potent stressor. This includes televisions, radios and even too much or too loud talking. The presence of other people, especially for babies and children, can be stressful. Some people are affected by even more subtle factors such as electromagnetic waves, colors, tone of voice, and even a person's 'aura'. We have all heard the phrase, "there was so much anger in the room you could cut it with a knife".
Spiritual stressors. Just telling the truth, or speaking up to a friend, can cause much stress. For innocent children, hearing false statements by parents like "you are a bad child" can be a horrendous stress.
WHO IS UNDER STRESS?
Everyone must respond to stress all of the time. If one is healthy, it means that one can cope and respond adequately to our internal and our external environments.
As the body weakens, or if stress is excessive, the body’s ability to respond correctly and appropriately to stress begins to decline. This can occur at any age.
In fact, it usually begins shortly after birth in some ways, because babies today are born quite deficient in some essential nutrients such as zinc. They are also often born with too much copper, lead, aluminum, and other toxic metals and toxic chemicals in their bodies due to these excesses in their mothers. These are important causes for infections, ADD, ADHD, other learning and developmental problems of infants and young children.
III. STRESS AND ENERGY
Each of the stages of stress is a lower energy state. The goal of a nutritional balancing program is to move the body from a lower energy and less healthful stage of stress to a more healthful stage of stress.
Another principle of stress is that coping or adapting to stress uses up energy. When energy improves on a nutrition program, it is because there is less biochemical stress on the body, and thus more adaptive energy is available. This is an important principle that helps explain 'healing reactions', and the success of nutritional balancing programs.
THE IDEAL STRESS RESPONSE
The ideal stress response is a minimally upsetting response. On a hair analysis it would be to maintain a balanced oxidation rate.
To do this one must be able to absorb or "digest" every experience without reacting to it. This can only occur if one is not attached to any physical or emotional state or condition, and if the body is quite healthy.
Of course, some types of stressors require a vigorous response, but even here, the most healthful response would be one that upsets the status quo of the body the least.
Emotional detachment. When an emotional upset occurs the body and mind should be able to handle it without becoming too unhappy, angry or upset. In philosophy, this is often called a state of 'emotional detachment', or “living in the world, but not being of the world”.
One can assist the body and mind to respond appropriately to all types of stress by balancing and strengthening body chemistry. This can help one to cope with everything from invading bacteria or viruses, to negative thoughts, fearful emotions and physical, social or financial hardship.
An important principle of development science is that reducing the internal stress on the body, one can handle or digest more external stress.
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE STRESS
Some people are under the misconception that all stress is bad. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dr. Selye wrote a small book entitled Stress Without Distress.
In this book, he explained that certain kinds of stress are essential for health. These range from physical exercise which keeps our bones and muscles strong, to mental stress or stimulation which keeps us mentally alert, and may help avoid senility.
There are many other types of positive or beneficial stressors. In fact, healing therapies including the development program sometimes intentionally apply a 'positive stressor' to the body in order to assist healing.
The 'good' stressor may be a chiropractic adjustment, a new diet, vitamin supplements or spoken words. These may be felt at first as stressful. However, if the act or information is applied correctly, it results in a positive or healing change in the body.
THE INDIVIDUALITY OF STRESS
Because stress is a response that depends on how one reacts, the same event may cause stress in one person, but cause no stress in another. For example, one person may adore being around cats, while another person is allergic to cat hair and feels miserable around cats.
This simplistic example illustrates the principle that the stress response is individual, depending upon each person's makeup and situation. One's physical or psychological makeup can protect or make one vulnerable to particular events.
Some stimuli affect everyone, such as starvation, atom bomb explosions or cyanide poisoning. However, individual variation exists to some extent even in these instances.
In a sense, we define ourselves by what we respond to: whether it be famine in Ethiopia, a stock market dip, sports scores, a bird singing, a sunny day, etc. Many times in order to achieve health and happiness, what must change are the events that we respond to.
We are shaped or influenced heavily by those stimuli or stressors to which we respond. The person who responds to the TV news tends to be shaped by that stimulus. Another is more shaped by what his friends tell him.
Becoming a mature person involves finding those situations which are healthful stressors for us, even though they may not be ideal for another. Much disease and unhappiness is produced because we either conform to or rebel against the dictates of parents and teachers as to how and to what we ought to respond.
V. SPIRITUAL STRESS
A type of stress that is not often discussed is what may be called spiritual stress. A spiritual stressor is one that causes us to change or adapt in a way that improves one’s character, causes mental or spiritual development, or perhaps makes one a nicer or more aware person.
For example, some people respond to truth. They seek the truth in their activities, and they guide their life by it as much as possible. Responding to the truth is a powerful positive stressor.
Seeking the truth can certainly cause some upset, as people and events are revealed for what they really are. But it leads to an enhancement and strengthening of character as long as one seeks and follows what is revealed as the truth.
Religion and the search for truth. Many religions recommend techniques such as prayer and meditation. If practiced correctly, these activities can act as spiritual stressors that increase self-discipline, awareness and receptiveness to the truth.
Taking responsibility. Another spiritual stressor is taking full and complete responsibility for all one’s actions, words, and thoughts. This means responding to one’s conscience, and doing what is correct in every situation no matter what the consequences.
This is an wonderful spiritual stressor that builds character and leads to mental and spiritual development in some people. Of course, one must be clear about what is right, because otherwise one may make errors of judgment and follow paths that are not healthful at all.
Harmful spiritual stressors are often called temptations or sins in some circles. They would include doing what is expedient or what 'feels good in the moment' rather than what is right or proper.
Another harmful spiritual stressor is making a decision to please others, no matter what the cost to you and your health. Others are to eat without thought of your health, to spend money without thought of the consequences, and loose sexual activity.
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