Newsletter #4: Stress and mental health
July 25, 2011
Human beings are unique among all creatures for our capacity to create unnecessary stress. In varying degrees, we all worry about events in the future which we have no control over and often replay past events in our life that are painful. We are also often so preoccupied with our thoughts and feelings that “our minds are elsewhere” even as we go about our busy days. Most of us would agree that this affects our quality of life but what does this have to do with preventive health care?
Plenty, it turns out. The good news is that there is a great deal you can do, irrespective of age or health, to dramatically improve brain/mind health and quality of life. As you will discover, learning how to lower the stress response and how to live more in the present moment is on par with diet and exercise in terms of its health care implications. Read on, and don’t get bogged down in the short science review; good practical information including video links and a resource guide will follow. I hope you keep your newsletters and are inspired to use this information.
Brain/Mind Health
In neuroscience it has been said that we are entering the century of the brain. In the last twenty years, with the use of pet scans and fmri, it has become possible to study human brain activity under a great many conditions. This has not only helped us understand how the brain is damaged from chronic stress, poor diet, drugs and trauma but how resilient the brain is, given appropriate care, in recovering function. Maybe you have heard the term “neuroplasticity.” “Neuroplasticity,” on the positive side, is simply the brain’s capacity to grow new neurons (brain cells) and, in effect, rewire itself in response to healthy inputs like a diet rich in “brain foods”, exercise, stress reduction and positive mental stimulation. It turns out (happily) that this capacity for improving brain functioning and our sense of mental well being is an open possibility for most people throughout their entire life and can radically improve health outcomes and quality of life.
Another area of brain/mind research that has grown exponentially over the last twenty years in “psychoneuroimmunology.” This area of research is concerned with how brain health and mental health affect our physical health. It has not been too many years ago that this relationship was not even considered mainstream science. Now it is cutting edge science that is changing the very definition of “health.”
As with our physical health, long before we develop a diagnosable disease, compromised brain/mind health can begin to have clinical effects like: mood disorder, high blood pressure, poor digestion, sexual dysfunction, hormone imbalance, compromised immune function, fatigue, sleep disturbance and abnormal pain perception, etc., as well as increase our risk for more serious problems down the road.
These functional changes in our health, insofar as they are related to stress and brain health, are also helped by acupuncture. There is a significant body of research that demonstrates the importance of acupuncture in regulating receptors and neurotransmitters that in turn, have effects on balancing the autonomic nervous system which can restore the delicate balance between the brain and physical health. But everything I do clinically in this area is more effective if the patient understands how to become a partner in this process.
Stress and the Relaxation Response
Although it is common knowledge that chronically elevated stress hormones affect many aspects of brain health and can predispose to health problems like those mentioned above, it is not so commonly known that there is an equally impressive amount of evidence that there is a great deal that we can do, beyond diet and exercise, to improve our mental and physical response to stress. With this comes improved mental and physical health and happiness, something we can all use a little more of.
Mindfulness and the Brain/Mind Connection
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, MBSR for short, helps us learn how to develop a more relaxed aware and present state of mind even in the face of life’s challenges. Enjoy this three minute introduction from Emory University to learn a little more about MBSR: Intro to the practice of mindfulness
To learn more and have access to a comprehensive resource guide including research, books and tapes, please click on the MBSR Website: http://www.mindfulnet.org/
We are very fortunate to have an 8 week MBSR program offered at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in the Wellness Center. This course is taught by Marty Coulter, PhD and information can be obtained by contacting Suzanne Koliche at suzannekoliche@gmail.com or calling (530) 265 5739, ex 227.
If this information is of interest to you, you might begin immediately to practice this core meditation technique. I provide this basic form of meditation to patients who are suffering from physical, and or, emotional pain but it is an excellent tool for resetting our autonomic nervous system, improving focus and awareness and bringing more peace and equanimity into our lives. It is also the primary form of meditation that I recommend for those of you who wish to integrate MBSR into your lives.
The Core Technique
Lie or sit in a comfortable position with no other distractions, partially close the eyes, focus on the inhalation of the breath as it “fills the belly” (abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing), continuously focus on the breath as you slowly and completely exhale while deeply relaxing the facial muscles first and then the rest of the body. It is normal for the mind to wander. Neither try to push thoughts or feelings aside nor get lost in them, simply keep returning your focus to the breath and the relaxation response. Practice for a minimum of 15 minutes once a day, but continue to use the basic breathing/relaxation technique for a minute of two throughout the day to keep resetting the relaxation response. If you are stuck in traffic or are circumstantially stressed, use these negative moments as prompts to use the focused relaxation on the breath to clear and recenter your awareness. The more you use it, the more proficient you will become. After awhile it will become reflexive. For patients who are under care and wish to integrate MBSR into their wellness program, I will help to coach you through the initial learning curve.
Gradually you will notice that you are having longer periods of sustained focus where thoughts recede into the background and there is a sense of becoming absorbed with the breath. This relaxed, clear awareness in the present moment is mindfulness. We can practice this mindful awareness, to some degree, whatever we are doing. With practice, this sense of “relaxed awareness in the moment” can deepen, giving us a deep, felt sense of connection with life and our everyday world of experience.
To reap the benefits of MBSR, it needs to become a daily part of your life. It’s well worth it.
Please note that these techniques are not intended to replace your conventional therapies or to suggest that you should stop any medications you are currently taking.
To Your Health and Wellbeing,
Dennis R Tucker, Ph.D., L. Ac.
