Stress can greatly impact your quality of life. While conventional medicine concentrates on the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, The Functional Medicine approach is to find the root of the problem.
Modern medical practices aren’t always the most effective option when it comes to treating chronic stress-related ailments such as sleep disorders, chronic pain.
Integrative medicine is the best option for those who suffer from stress-related illnesses, as it is designed to treat the entire patient rather than merely dealing with the issue. Much more than traditional Western medical practices, integrative medicine is about addressing the root cause of health issues.
Do you start your day feeling tired and depleted?
Are you aware that the smallest moments in your day are able to “set you off” and could cause your heart to beat faster or feel anxious?
Do you feel like you have more colds than usual and feel as if you’re striving to “get through” your day.
Do you notice your mind racing late at night?
All of these are signs of stress and anxiety that usually point to more serious health problems .
What is Chronic Stress?
The term “chronic stress” refers to a continuous and continuous feeling of stress that could adversely affect your health when it is untreated. It could be caused by daily stresses of family and work or even by trauma.
Chronic stress is when the body encounters stressors in such a way or in such a way that the autonomic nerve system is not given enough time to trigger the relaxation response regularly. The body is always in a state of physiological stimulation.
It affects almost every body system in a way, whether directly or indirectly. The body was designed to deal with extreme stress that lasts only a few minutes however, not chronic stress that remains constant for a prolonged period of
time. To be able to manage chronic stress, it’s essential to comprehend what causes it and what could be causing it and how it impacts the body in general.
Functional Medicine Approach To Stress
In the context of the stressful cycle of stress, functional medicine recognizes the many causes, ranging due to lifestyle issues, such as poor diet and food sensitivities, to systemic imbalances such as hormones and gut and other triggers like traumas that aren’t healing. Environmental toxins and even infections that stealth are two additional factors which are usually overlooked by traditional practitioners.
According to the traditional understanding of depression and anxiety, it is believed that depression and anxiety are due to an imbalance in neurotransmitters within the brain, and then treatment includes medication that increases the amount of these neurotransmitters, or have at least some influence on the neurotransmitters within the brain. Thus, for instance when someone suffers from depression, they will take SSRIs which alter the supply of specific neurotransmitters within the brain.
For anxiety, it’s more about decreasing the production of certain chemicals or raising the production of other substances which can cause a decrease in anxiety. In my opinion, there are instances where these drugs could be beneficial and even life-saving. Also, I’m not saying that they play no function at all.
In the field of functional medicine we’re constantly seeking to determine the root of the issue and treat it at that level, not just blocking symptoms. Therefore, one of the analogies I’ve employed frequently in the past and probably encountered it many times when you’ve been following the work I do for any amount of time, is that if have a stone inside your shoe that is making your foot hurt it’s possible to use Advil or some other painkiller, and it will certainly alleviate the pain however, it’s not a long-term solution. The most effective option is to remove your shoe and take the rock out in the first place, which is exactly what we’re looking for in functional medicine.
As human beings, anxiety isn’t our default condition. Yes, anxiety in certain circumstances is acceptable from an evolutionary point of view. It helps us live and keeps us safe from danger, and is the right reaction. However, chronic anxiety that’s present that isn’t really specific to the circumstances or the current moment isn’t normal for humans. So, what’s driving these neurotransmitters out of equilibrium in the first place is the main question we must answer when one is experiencing anxiety.
Solutions for chronic stress
If you’re dealing with ongoing stress issues, it’s essential to find a practitioner of functional medicine who uses a holistic approach and is inclusive while performing the appropriate tests to pinpoint the exact location of your imbalances.
After you’ve received the results of your thorough examination, we match this with a customized healing program that includes the essential lifestyle adjustments necessary to break the stress cycle.
