Thursday, April 10, 2014

dealing with stress

Karen, over at the Garden Girl blog, has a post up about stress.  I found her observations head-and-shoulders above what I usually see written on the subject.

She used to find that stress motivated her to binge on comfort foods.  I find that acute stress causes a knee-jerk reaction to want a drink, but that a "stress formula" B-vitamin-complex also answers the drive.  It sure sounds as though the unpleasant-emotion aspect of an acute stressor depletes SOMETHING that any of these responses has an ameliorating action....

I seem to over-secrete adrenaline in response to a lot of things which can reasonably be described as stressors.  Always have -- when I was four years old, and a neighborhood bully was picking on the neighborhood "developmentally challenged" girl, I sent him home with a bloody nose.  DON'T piss off mini-Tess....  For the most part, my reactions got more civilized as I grew older, but I never have believed in tolerance to assholes -- treating them like reasonable human beings is a waste of time and effort!  ;-)

Reading things on "how to deal with stress" is usually another time/effort waste.  Meditate -- bullshit!  If I could relax to the point of being able to meditate with the flood of epinephrine coursing through my veins, would I have a stress problem at all?  No:  what is needed is an EMT-quality intervention, not an ideal-world wispy little panacea....

I suspect that popping that B-vitamin may be the best initial response -- our bodies are screaming "eat!" or "drink!" for some reason, after all.  After that, it will of course depend on the nature of the stressor and our own neurotransmitter status and personalities.  Dealing with a real-world problem will (with any kind of luck) make that problem a thing of the past.  Other relaxing activities, particular to each of us (hot bath with a good book, here) will help once the acute phase is over.  After THAT, meditation should be possible. 

But I don't know -- punching out a bully still has its attractions!

11 comments:

  1. It's interesting that B vitamins relax you. The times when I've had a vitamin drink or pill with a lot of B vitamins, I've gotten depressed and lethargic. Caffeine, video games and exercise (i.e., stimulants) relax me.

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    1. video games are good for me, too -- fits into the "distraction" category, and probably encourages the brain to burn the glucose which adrenaline causes the body to secrete!

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  2. Maybe I'll go wrest that XBox controller away from my son ;-)
    It's really hard for me to keep up w/supplements, but I still have over have a bottle of high-potency B complex on my desk...
    Disappointed to find NO BEEF LIVER at local grocery when I was all geared up to make that "liver loaf" today - ho hum we'll have to suffer through marinated sirloin ;-)

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  3. "Half" a bottle - damn you autocorrect !

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    1. when shopping for liver in a strange town, I asked at the meat counter and they sent me to the frozen section....

      and YES "damn autocorrect"!!! ;-)

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  4. Thanks for the shout out... hmmmm B vitamins. I think there is a reason I feel euphoric after I eat grass feed beef. I'll bet it has to do with the vitamin profile in the tallow. Good to have another tool in the tool box, Tess. Meditation = relaxing, I haven't found it yet either. For me, food, sleep, and a walk come first.

    I'm behind on blog reading, but hope to catch up soon. Thanks again, Tess.

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    1. my pleasure! :-) your experiences and observations (like Wooo's) -- from someone who actually SOLVED your problem, not just read on the subject or experimented with mice -- is what the still-struggling should be listening to!

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  5. Hi Tess ...yes Karen wrote a great post ..one that is helpful to all.

    I do think a walk can sometimes help reduce stress, it takes you out of the situation. We all have to do whatever suits us best to deal with/reduce our stress levels.

    Take Care

    All the best Jan

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    1. being outdoors helps, when the weather's reasonably nice! a walk, or some gardening ... unless one is stuck in a situation where it's not possible, like at work. ... it's SO nice being retired! :-)

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