Lyme disease and Stress

March 11, 2014

Lyme disease and Stress-Negative Emotions

Stress and Lyme disease put together brings more harm to human

All of us at some point go through some stressful moments and have high emotions. From a personal experience I want to share with you about the happenings in my work place and my life having been a victim of Lyme disease. In my work routine I interact with many clients of different types, I have always found common links/threads in the emotional patterns with the clients I attend to.

Because I had chronic Lyme disease and about half of my clients have it too, I will outline some of the common emotional denominators I see with this disease. The same is also common with other chronic physical manifestations that involve the immune system. However, they are always part of what I work with when seeing a client with chronic Lyme disease who hasn’t been making any progress in their treatment.

Lyme disease and Stress-How These Affect Us

Unresolved emotional issues and negative emotional patterns can put a huge stress on the immune system, which can allow a disease to take over. Our immune systems are our bodies’ greatest protection. Stress hormones have been found to inhibit the production of cytokines, the agents of the immune system that responds to danger. This response causes these cells to overreact and create an inflammatory response that is over the top, often creating a greater problem than the original danger.

Our systems cannot distinguish the difference between a negative emotional pattern, trauma or wound; or a real threat to our physical health. If the emotional issue or trauma does not get released, our bodies can remain in a perpetual state of stress. Clearing these emotional issues can be highly beneficial in releasing the immune system from suppression.

In my opinion, a disease always serves a purpose that is to keep us safe, to allow us justification to not be perfect, to force us to care for ourselves when we’d otherwise feel too guilty, to make us re-assess how we live, our relationships, and the list goes on.

The only way our body has to communicate with us is with symptoms, and it does a very good job using them to get our attention. Once you take away the body’s reason to try to get your attention, it is amazing how the symptoms can start to fall away because they have no purpose anymore. Ask yourself what is your body trying to tell you?

Lyme disease and Stress-Common Emotional Patterns Leading to Stress

Self-criticism or fear of not being perfect: This is a huge one. My Lyme disease clients are some of the ones that beat themselves up the most about everything. I can attest to having been one of the best examples of these people (and still have to work on it to this day). This process is so unconscious that many people don’t realize it until we start to break down what’s really going on. Some ways this shows up are fear and guilt. If these are themes in your life, chances are that you’re probably a highly self-critical person.

I often recall something a friend used to tell me when I was struggling with chronic health issues: “The mind leads and the body follows” If we are constantly telling ourselves, we aren’t good enough, or criticizing every little thing why do we think the body has any reason to feel deserving of health, and ever come into line with that? What messages are you giving to yourself? Once that you deserve to be healthy, or ones that allow your mind and body to justify that you’re in exactly the right place with deserving the punishment of an illness. Our bodies listen to us – make sure you’re not sending the wrong messages.

Lyme disease and Stress-Inability to trust yourself and/or the flow of life (has to be in control)
Another one I always see is inability to trust – which leads to a feeling of being unsafe in the world. This is the person who tries to control everything. This one is not only completely exhausting, but never works either. We always tend to think that our analytic selves know better than anything or anyone how to run our lives. But, it’s not always true. We over-plan, over research, kill ourselves getting every perspective from every doctor everywhere. But the sheer amount of energy this consumes, takes an unbelievable toll on the body and mind.

How would things be different if you followed the flow of where life was trying to take you? For those of you who believe in the Universe and God, how would things be different if just for a while, we considered they knew more than us? And also considered that our inner selves know what feels right for us? What if we stopped over-researching, over controlling, over analyzing everything and just followed what felt right?

I believe there is an absolute flow to life and by trying to control the path precisely using logic, you may be steering yourself away from the very place you’re meant to go.

I saw a massive shift in my health when I was finally able to just let go…stop holding myself to unrealistic treatment rules I made for myself….trust that if I was feeling something wasn’t the right road for me despite what others’ said, it would be ok. You can’t imagine the strain on your body that’s released when you get to this point of trusting and letting go.

Lyme disease and Stress-Lyme disease and Stress-Taking on too much responsibility
This one is a pattern of taking on everything! I find these clients to be highly energetically sensitive which can be a gift; but the downfall is it’s too easy to take on everyone else’s crap. Once someone has a chronic illness, this can become exacerbated as they suddenly feel like they have to save everyone from going through these themselves. It perpetuates the problem.

This can show up in a few ways: feeling responsible for other people’s feelings, feeling like you have the responsibility to make sure other’s lives are going right, thinking you know better for someone else than they do, and feeling like you have to save people from their own pain or possible mistakes.

This is dangerous as not only are you draining your own energy, but no one has a right to impede on another’s journey. We each walk on our own and you are interfering when you can’t allow someone else to fully be themselves. This attempt at ‘helping’ other people hurts both parties.

Once someone can work through their need to take responsibility, it can release so much healing energy for their own body.

Lyme disease and Stress-Do Any of These Resonate With You?

If any of these resonate with you, it is a good idea to start watching out for this pattern and even watching for how it might correlate with symptoms. Your body is a messenger and it’s trying to tell you something. How would it change your life if for a while, you tried to really, really listen?

Lyme disease and Stress-Negative Emotions

Lyme disease

March 3, 2014

Lyme disease-What is it?

Some of the diseases you can get from a tick bite are Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted

To understand this disease better, it will be important that we trace its causes, treatment and prevention. By the way what is this disease? Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.

Scientific laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

Lyme disease-Natural treatment of Lyme disease

It is a common misconception that Lyme disease is primarily an “East Coast” problem. Within the last 10 years, however, the ticks that are known to carry Lyme disease have been found in all 50 states in the US and in other countries around the globe. We are now facing a nationwide epidemic of Lyme disease.

Uncovering some of the myths about Lyme disease is an important step in both prevention and treatment. Efforts are being made to spreading awareness and education about this illness. One of the biggest challenges with Lyme disease is that it can be difficult to get a confirmed diagnosis without a known tick bite or the appearance of the classic “bull’s eye” rash. There are many different skin rashes that are associated with Lyme disease, however, and some are easily mistaken for skin infections or other insect bites.

It is important not to make assumptions that you don’t have Lyme disease if you don’t have a rash. Some of the symptoms associated with this infection include fatigue, poor memory and concentration, irritability, anxiety or depression, muscle and joint aches and pains, palpitations, headaches, insomnia, and numbness and tingling.

Lyme disease is now commonly referred to as “the great imitator” because the similarities of symptoms with other illnesses. This can be frustrating for patients in search of answers to explain how they are feeling. Getting a good clinical evaluation of symptoms by a physician is crucial in diagnosing Lyme disease.

The conventional treatment of Lyme disease includes antibiotics in the early stages of infection. At the later stages, it may become more complicated and difficult to treat as multiple systems are often involved and immunity is suppressed. A holistic approach to treatment is very effective in restoring the body back to health by targeting the multiple infections associated with Lyme and simultaneously strengthening the immune system.

The natural approach incorporates a unique variety of different modalities to treat infection while supporting the immune system and decreasing symptoms. Many herbal protocols including Chinese herbs have proven effective clinically in the treatment of Lyme disease. Acupuncture can be used to stimulate circulation and decrease pain. Adequate nutrition and a good detox protocol can minimize the symptoms that occur as a result of “die-off” of the infection.

Lyme disease-Pain, Stress and Addiction

People who struggle with stressful medical conditions such as Lyme disease are more vulnerable to addiction say scientists at the National Institute of Health (NIH). In fact statistics supplied by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) show that individuals with chronic pain experience substance abuse rates at two-to-four times that of the general population. Several factors that explain their susceptibility include the following:

Ongoing need for medication
Ongoing health problems
Societal enabling
Lack of identification of potential problems

Stress is another factor that can predispose individuals who live with chronic pain to addiction. Researchers have long identified a correlation between stress and substance abuse. Important facts about this link include the following:

Stress is a major contributor to the initiation and continuation of substance abuse.
Children who are exposed to severe stress are more vulnerable to substance abuse in adulthood.
30-60% of individuals with substance use disorders meet the criteria for comorbid PTSD.
Patients with substance use disorders tend to suffer from more severe PTSD symptoms than PTSD patients without substance use disorders.
Animals that are not previously exposed to illicit substances become more vulnerable to drug self-administration when stressed.
Many of the same neurocircuits that respond to drugs also respond to stress.

Stress increases the release of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), a hormone that catalyzes biological responses to stressors such as increased heart rate and metabolism. Abusing drugs also increases CRF levels and thereby heightens danger of relapse.

Stress also triggers the fight-or-flight moderating amygdala. When the amygdala perceives threats, it responds irrationally and hijacks the individual’s ability to think clearly. For people in recovery who stay sober by making wise choices, this emotional takeover can impair judgment and make resisting drugs harder.

There is yet another way that stress packs a double punch for people who suffer from Lyme disease. It exacerbates pain. A research team from Carnegie Mellon University found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the ability to regulate the body’s inflammatory response. This can lead to the development or progression of disease.

Lyme disease-New Ways to Cope

Mastering stress reduction skills is an important part of overall health and sobriety. In treatment many people find ways to incorporate relaxation strategies into daily life. Several include the following:

Singing
Massage
Spending time outdoors
Journaling
Yoga
Adopting a dog
Listening to music
Taking a walk
Drawing
Soaking in a hot bath

Other stress-management skills and techniques frequently taught in recovery programs include the following:

Avoiding hunger, anger, loneliness and fatigue
Engaging in community service
Journaling thoughts and feelings
Practicing positive thinking

Experts at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [OB1] also advise active self-monitoring of mood changes by keeping a list of personal warning signs. Additionally they suggest identifying enjoyable activities that generate positive feelings and could serve as a way to neutralize a craving or negative mood. The key is to pay attention to changes. Sleep disturbances, hopeless thoughts and appetite fluctuations are sometimes early relapse warning signs.

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