Effects of Chronic Stress on the Body

Hi All,

I was just reading an interview with Dr.Herbert Benson, author of "the Relaxation Response", talks about the effects of chronic stress on the body, on Web M.D.
I think this is something to be shared since very often, as you know, hypnosis really can help to deal with individual stresses.


"Stress evokes the fight-or-flight response. The fight-or-flight response is characterized by increased metabolism, increased heart Integrative Medicine
rate, increased breathing, increased blood pressure, a 300 to 400 hundred percent increase in the amount of blood flowing to our muscles, which prepare us to run or to fight.

Obviously, in today's world, when under stress we don't run, we don't fight. Yet we have adrenaline coursing through our blood system, and this is what leads to a number of stress-related symptoms, including:

Anxiety
Depression
Excessive anger and hostility
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Insomnia
Heart irregularities
Recently it has been demonstrated that stress is a risk factor for heart attacks
And there are a number of gender issues directly related to stress.

In men: decreased sperm count, decreased sexual performance
In women: PMS, infertility, and menopausal hot flashes made worse by stress "

To get to the whole article here is the link http://www.webmd.com/content/chat_transcripts/1/104877.htm

Happy Reading,
Seth-Deborah