Last night, I started reading “The Ultimate Stress-Relief Plan for Women – So Stressed”by Stephanie McClellan, M.D., and Beth Hamilton, M.D. I battle with stress constantly , so I am really looking forward to learning from this book how to handle my stress, the long term effects of stress, the type of stress I have and how I can prevent it.
As I began to read, I noticed that there was a lot of useful information that many women could benefit from. I then decided to do something different for this book review. I will review a few chapters at a time and document my progress under Stress Journal.
The chapters I read so far are Chapter 1& 2. Here is what I gained from reading chapter 1.
It seems research has shown that stress affects more women then men, not only that but women are more likely to develop physical symptoms related to stress. The book identifies 2 kind of stresses chronic and acute. Chronic stress is the kind of stress that is long term, this type of stress wears down your body and mind. Acute stress is the type of stress that we can relate to events that are problematic in our lives and prove to be more of a challenge.
Everyone has a different reaction to stress, and that is the most important thing that I learned. The way you react to stress may not be the same way that someone else reacts to that same stress. The way each woman reacts to stress is based on many things.
Here are a few: (as outlined in the book)
- Age
- Health status
- Type of stressor
- Duration of exposure
- Genetics
- Nutritional status
- Alcohol, drugs and some medication
- Social support
- Beliefs
Stress can affect your skin, your hair and can even make you appear older. Now how insane is that. After reading all of this in detail, I decided that I should do something about it.
Below was a big wake up call for me because I experience more than half of these. The book also advises that if you have experienced or are experiencing some of the symptoms below that you should start a journal. Paying attention to how you feel or react in situations will help you figure out what type of stress you have.
Here are some warning signs and symptoms of High Stress you should look for: (as outlined in the book)
- Nervousness, or anxiety
- Sadness or depression
- Anger
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorder
- Lack of interest, motivation or energy
- Inability to concentrate
- Headaches
- Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders
- Upset stomach, bloating, appetite change
- Dizziness or faintness
- Tightness in chest
- Skin problems
- Aches and pains
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Hair loss or dullness
Something else that really shocked me was reading the list I will share with you below : The Consequences of Long-Term Stress for Women (as outlined in the book)
- Women are 2.7 times more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases, which are directly related to stress such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, thyroid disorders, arthritis, rheumatoid and inflammatory bowel disease.
- Stress induced heart disease is the number one killer of women, but only 12 percent of women consider heart disease a health threat
- Stroke kills more women than men
When you experience chronic stress, it is only a matter of time until you get sick. What I have learned in this chapter scared me because I didn’t know how critical it was. I do understand however that if you are committed to making some changes, you can escape the hands of stress to lead a better life and prevent dsiease.
This is what I learned so far, I will keep sharing with you so that hopefull I can eliminate this once and for all.
