Question:
I am in constant stress, does fibro cause us to feel stress more, or does
stress cause us to feel fibro more?
I can't seem to get rid of either stress or fibro, it sure feels progressive
to me although things that I read say it is not so.
Misery loves company, how do you handle things that come along and stress
you to chest pain?
Answer:
Stress causes you to feel pain more, which causes more stress, and it does
become a spiralling cycle. There are several ways you can deal with this. One
is to use meds and supplements to help reduce anxiety. When your stress is
out of control, and you can't reduce the situations that are causing you
stress, you may need some meds to break the cycle, even if only temporary.
Supplements can be of some help (my pet supplement is magnesium, your body
needs it for stress, but when you are stressed and cortisol rises, your body
excretes more magnesium, which can not only cause you more stress, but causes
you to have more real physical symptoms). Another way is to change your
perception of stressful situations. Read a book like "Full Catastrophic
Living". This is a long term solution, as habits are real hard to break. The
3rd way is through diet, try a low carb high protein diet that might keep your
neurochemicals at a more even level.
It might be worth getting something from your doc, even if it's only
temporary to help you deal with the stress but you can also help yourself by
trying to make time each day to de-stress. If your stress is mostly on a
day time, i.e. as with work, then try to relax as much as possible on a
evening. Once you've got chores out of the way, have a nice hot bath, watch
a nice movie, read, do something you enjoy and keep telling yourself that
there is no point worrying because there's nothing you can do about the
problems now, you'll deal with things as and a when you can.
Try to minimise as much in your life as you can, avoid taking on any further
responsibilities, organise things like shopping or housework to cause as
less stress as possible, talk to those you trust about the problems and how
you are feeling.
Once you feel yourself getting stressed, take 5 mins time out from things to
do some breathing and/or stretching exercises as it will help the chest
pains to try to get some more oxygen in your body plus constant de-stressing
throughout the day and taking a couple of mins frequently to stretch will
prevent spasms. Even while you are sat down, roll your shoulders around in
circles, sit up straight and pull your shoulders and head back at the same
time to loosen the neck and shoulder joints and stretch the back muscles.
There are many other things that work for other people like supplements
(which can take weeks to work), herbal teas, Bach's "rescue remedies", hot
chocolate drink but try to resolve the stress issues anyway you can by
action or acceptance.
