THE STRESS LOOP

When we get stressed we develop the physical symptoms mentioned previously. These cause more psychological stress (as we get stressed about our symptoms) which increases our physical symptoms and so on. We get caught in a negative spiral of increasing stress and decreasing wellbeing.

This is why chronic stress is so dangerous to our health. With all those symptoms going on, we lose sleep, we weaken our immune system and digestion and allow colds, flu and more serious diseases to take effect. (Though actually, going down with the flu can work out if it forces us to stop and relax!)

As well as the physical effects of the stress loop, after some time our bodies become desensitised to the stress biochemicals they produce. The more stressed you become, the harder it is to turn off the mechanism. It becomes normal to operate at a particular level of stress so you don’t notice it. However, you will still have the same physical symptoms. Think of the number of people who live with an elevated blood pressure, aches and pains and frequent indigestion as if it were normal. After all a trip to the pharmacy to get some medication will take care of those symptoms.