IS STRESS STOPPING YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE?

Is it weighing you down – literally?

 

Stress is the pre-cursor to many illnesses, both mentally and physically.  Stress will always find a way to impact on you, your life and health; even more so if the cause of stress has not been identified and dealt with.

What if you do not actually know the cause of your stress?  What if you have been living a stressful life for so long you cannot even remember what started the stress in the first place?  What if you have never known the cause of your stress? How do you deal with it?

To deal with stress you have to first recognise it, and it can materialise in many differing forms.  For example, irritability, mood swings, sleepless nights, palpitations, memory problems, loss of appetite, an increase in appetite, aches and pains, procrastination, too much sleep, weight problems……….the list goes on.

The thing about stress is that it can be missed completely when deciding what is causing an illness or pain, or even why someone is overweight. How come?

Stress of any kind gets a reaction from the body by way of the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. It is triggered automatically when faced with stress of any kind.  Now the fight mode is easy to recognise as you are agitated, jumpy, angry and ready for whatever – even a fight!

The flight mode however is completely different. In this mode you pull away, you withdraw and this is often accompanied by little or no emotion.   If you have lived your life this way (probably because at some deep rooted psychological level at some time, you perceived that it was ‘easier’ to live your life like this than to face conflict), you may not appear stressed to others or indeed yourself.  Now to deal with stress of any kind it is quite common at a sub-conscious level to turn to ‘substances’ to help you cope such as smoking, alcohol or food.

I would like to address those who use food as a comfort during times of recognised and unrecognised stress.

It may be stress that is causing you to have a weight problem.  Now all of this is more than likely happening at a sub-conscious level.  Herein lies the danger.  Why?  Because the process will continue – almost unnoticed.

Stress is becoming more and more recognised as a key factor to being overweight.  Once that IS recognised and the stress is dealt with, excess weight can and often does seemingly disappear. (Especially with the right guidance).

Identifying and letting go of your stress triggers, is easier than you think.  By using a very simple method that is equally as easy to learn, they can be identified and you can set yourself free from the burden of being overweight.

 

Drew Ryder is a Personal Wellness Practitioner and Transformational Coach of Note with many years experience and own amazing story. Known to many as the Therapist's Therapist he is a leader in his field.

 

http://drewryder.com/stress-stopping-living-life/

DEPRESSION

Depression is a “whole-body” illness that affects a person’s mood by affecting your thoughts, feelings, behavior, and overall health. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. Normal feelings lie along a continuum from mild to intense, and the same is true of depression. It’s normal to respond to losses in ones life with sadness and gloom. However, when these feelings block a person from performing their everyday activities or are out of line with the reality of a person’s life, they are considered symptoms of a ‘depressive disorder’. It causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better. It is not a sign of personal weakness, nor is it a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.

Depression can affect anybody. Most people with depression can be helped with treatment, but many depressed people never get the help they need. When depression isn’t treated, it can get worse, last longer, and prevent you from getting the most out of your life.

The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes changes in thinking, feeling, behavior, and physical well-being. How does depression manifest itself?

In general the symptoms of depression include:

Changes in Thinking – You may experience problems with concentration and decision making. Some people report difficulty with short term memory, forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are characteristic of depression. Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self-criticism are all common. Some people have self-destructive thoughts during a more serious depression.

Changes in Feelings – You may feel sad for no reason at all. Some people report that they no longer enjoy activities that they once found pleasurable. You might lack motivation, and become more apathetic. You might feel “slowed down” and tired all the time. Sometimes irritability is a problem, and you may have more difficulty controlling your temper. In the extreme, depression is characterized by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

Changes in Behavior – Changes in behavior during depression are reflective of the negative emotions being experienced. You might act more apathetically, because that’s how you feel. Some people do not feel comfortable with other people, so social withdrawal is common. You may experience a dramatic change in appetite, either eating more or less. Also because of the chronic sadness, excessive crying is common. Some people complain about everything, and act out their anger with temper outbursts. Sexual desire may disappear, resulting in lack of sexual activity. In the extreme, people may neglect their personal appearance, even neglecting basic hygiene. Needless to say, someone who is this depressed does not do very much, so work and household responsibilities suffer. Some people even have trouble getting out of bed.

 

 

http://drewryder.com/depression/