We’ve all likely experienced stress at some point or another. For some there are highly stressful events, perhaps that can even be considered trauma and for others, stress lies within the day-to-day overwhelm of life. Stress can be physical, like a surgery, infection or chronic illness, but I’m referring more to the mental/emotional stresses that we perceive in our environments. We often think of stress as something abstract and an experience that isn’t tangible, however it is actually quite a physical experience.
When we experience something that our brain or our nervous system deem as stressful, it engages the sympathetic nervous system, also known as fight, flight or freeze. We release hormones to help our body adapt like cortisol and adrenaline from our adrenal glands. In acute moments, this is a really helpful response! However, if this continues day in and day out, there are very real impacts on our physical body as a result:
- Hormonal Imbalance: Cortisol (stress hormone) and sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) are all derived from the same starting product: cholesterol. When there is a significant demand on cortisol, that can change the balance of other sex hormones. Our body’s primary drive is to survive. So when we are in a state of fight or flight, reproduction is no longer a priority and we can see hormonal imbalances come up.
- In PCOS, we can see adrenally-driven symptoms of testosterone like acne, hair loss etc. Which means that the stress response is involved in how PCOS is presenting. We can test hormones like DHEAs and cortisol to confirm.
- In perimenopause and menopause, ensuring that stress response is supported is a primary way to reduce unwanted symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia.
- Digestion: For every person who is dealing with chronic digestive issues, the nervous system and stress response must be addressed. Whether that’s a diagnosis of IBS, food sensitivities/intolerances, SIBO etc., a foundational treatment intervention is stress support. The nervous system is responsible for motility, secretions like stomach acid and enzymes and even bacterial balance.
- Metabolism: There is a thermostat in your body called the thyroid that controls how quickly your body should/can use energy. An under functioning thyroid might show up as fatigue, weight gain/inability to lose weight, constipation, hair loss etc. Given that our primary drive is to survive, if our body is getting the sense it is under threat due to chronic stress, it will send messages to the thyroid to slow down to preserve energy. Resulting in a stress driven reduction in metabolism.
So, you can see how something ‘invisible’ and seemingly mental/emotional, is actually very physiological in nature and that its effects go far beyond the feeling of overwhelm, anxiety, and burnout. They extend to other systems of the body. Now, the accumulation of stress and dysregulation of the nervous system didn’t happen overnight (it’s probably been years, if not decades in the making!). Which means that healing that stress response takes some time and patience. But, it’s completely doable.
We are offering a unique program at Sage, The Holistic Stress Solution, that walks you through, step-by-step, the process of healing your stress response and nervous system in a foundational way. Not only to improve your energy, sense of contentment and to help reduce anxiety, but to harmony all of the other systems of the body. This is truly root cause healing. Here is more information about the program.
For the month of September, we will be offering buy one, get one free ($250 per person) for lifetime access to the 12 week course. Or if you’d like to be able to claim it through insurance, you can see Dr. Heather for consultations and you’ll get the program as part of your treatment plan. You can book a Holistic Stress Solution Discovery Call to chat with her and learn more.
Dr. Heather Robinson, ND