Managing Stress

7E

Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

© Creatas/age fotostock

“By comprehending that human beings are energy, one can begin to comprehend new ways

of viewing health and illness.” – Richard Gerber, M.D.

Stress and DiseaseAccording to the American Institute of Stress:

• 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress

Stress and DiseaseAccording to the American Institute of Stress:

• 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress

• 75–90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders

The association

between stress and

disease

is HUGE.

Stress and Disease• It is estimated that between 75–85% of all health-related problems are either precipitated or aggravated by stress.

Stress and Disease• It is estimated that between 75–85% of all health-related problems are either precipitated or aggravated by stress.

• The term “psychoneuroimmunology” was coined in the early 1980s to link the fields of psychology, neurology, and immunology to better understand the relationship between stress and disease.

Figure 4.8. The association between stress and disease is very real! Source: © Peter Mueller/The New Yorker

Collection/www.cartoonbank.com

Theoretical Models of

Psychoneuroimmunology

The Borysenko Model

The Borysenko Model

This model classifies disease using a matrix (or quadrant) with the nervous system and

immune system as the variables

The Pert Model

Candace Pert’s Research Findings• Academic stress lowers saliva immunoglobulin which is the first line of defense against upper respiratory diseases!• Academic stress lowers lymphocytes (white blood cells that help fight off disease!• Stress slows the healing process of wounds! • Stress (bereavement) lowers lymphocyte response!• Chronic stress accelerates the aging process!• Some emotions suppress the function of white blood cells and some emotions enhance their function!

The Lipton Model

The Lipton Model

Lipton’s research at Stanford University revealed that cells have the ability to promote growth as well as the protection of their own integrity.

The Lipton Model

Lipton’s research at Stanford University revealed that cells have the ability to promote growth as well as the protection of their own integrity.

They CANNOT do both functions at once!

The Lipton Model

A biological environment of stress negates time and energy for cell growth and integrity.

A state of constant stress will ultimately compromise the integrity and vitality of not only the cell, but the entire biological system.

Bruce Lipton, Lynn McTaggert, Fritz-Allen Popp, and several others were featured in the critically acclaimed movieThe Living Matrix, about the new science of mind-body-spirit healing. Source: Courtesy of The Living Matrix, LTD and

Becker Massey LLC.

The Gerber Model

The Gerber Model

The mind, as conscious and unconscious thoughts, exists as “subtle energy” that surrounds and permeates the body.

The Gerber Model

The mind, as conscious and unconscious thoughts, exist as “subtle energy” that surrounds and permeates the body.

Stress-related symptoms that appear in the physical body are the manifestations of “problems” that have occurred earlier as disturbances at a “higher energy level.”

Subtle Anatomy

Subtle Anatomy• The Meridian System• The Chakra System

The Meridian System

The Chakra System

The word “chakra” is a Sanskrit term meaning

spinning wheel

There are seven primary chakras. Each chakra is associated with a specific level of consciousness.

The Chakra System

Crown Chakra: Spiritual growth Brow Chakra: Intuition, insights, wisdom Throat Chakra: Communication, purpose in lifeHeart Chakra: Love (ability to express love)Solar Plexus Chakra: Self-confidence, gut feelingsNavel Chakra: Personal power, sexual power Root Chakra: Safety and security needs

The crown chakra is called the halo in the Judeo-Christian culture.

Figure 4.4. The Human Energy Field.Source: Courtesy of Inner Traditions

A Kirlian photograph displaying the electromagnetic energy surrounding an aspen leaf.

Source: Courtesy of Lynn Gerber

A Kirlian photograph displaying the

electromagnetic energy surrounding the hand

of renowned healer Olga Worrell.

Source: Courtesy of Lynn Gerber

Each layer of subtle energy around the body vibrates at a specific oscillation. If one layer is out of tune, like a guitar string, then the entire energy field is affected.

“Thoughts are particles of energy. (Negative) thoughts are accompanied by emotions which also begin at the energy levels. As these particles of energy filter through, from the etheric level to the physical level, the end result Is immuno-incompetence.” —Richard Gerber, M.D.

The Pelletier Pre-Model

Ken Pelletier has been studying the relationship between stress and disease for decades. He believes that no model is complete until certain questions are answered; specifically, the topic of consciousness…also known as the “Ghost in the Machine.”

The Ghost in the Machine!

• Multiple Personality Disorder• Spontaneous Remission• Hypnosis• Placebos and Nocebos• Cell Memory• Immunoenhancement

Figure 4.12. The balance between the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system is quite delicate

when repeatedly affected by chronic stress.

Nervous System-Related Disorders• Bronchial Asthma

• Tension Headaches• Migraine Headaches

• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome• Coronary Heart Disease

Immune System-Related Disorders• The Common Cold• Influenza• Allergies• Rheumatoid Arthritis• Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s Disease• Ulcers• Cancer

Effective coping skills and relaxation techniques for stress management offer a means to return to “homeostasis” for

optimal health.