So, where do you keep your stress? For me, it depends on what kind of stress we're talking about. I have both IBD (colitis) and IBS and while I don't think stress contributes too much to my colitis it does affect my IBS especially when I'm feeling nervous. Other stress, like from being physically cold (which I always am), or a hard work day, or an argument with a friend or family member I always seem to carry that type of stress in my neck, my shoulders, and my lower back. I can feel my muscles in those areas tightening and getting more and more painful. Sometimes I don't really realize that it's 'stress' making my shoulders hurt until the stressor is gone and my muscles losen and the pain goes away.
But, my IBS stress, that stress that comes from my nerves, goes straight to my gut - other people only get butterflies in their stomach, well I get those flutters, but I also get that urge to go usually preceded by a nauseous feeling and clammy hands. There's no getting around it when I feel this way, I'm stressed and my gut knows it.
Thankfully, though, I've learned that the whole concept of the mind/body connection isn't just a bunch of woo-woo stuff. I am now able to control a certain amount of my stress and/or the gut reaction I have associated with stress by using breathing techniques, and mind techniques to reprogam my thinking.
Here's an example: Every year I have a brain MRI to follow-up on a tumor I had treated 4 years ago. I found out early on when the tumor was initially detected that MRI machines make me feel claustrophic, so I typically take a Valium before having an MRI done. Last week was my yearly scan and I just couldn't afford feeling wigged out and tired from a Valium for a whole day so I took the chance of doing the MRI without sedation. I felt a bit nervous, but nothing that made me feel fearful, until they moved me into the MRI tube - they got me in, I freaked out - my gut jumped, my body temperature sky-rocketed, my hands got clammy - and they got me back out within seconds. The tech was pretty convinced we'd have to reschedule for a time when I could take the Valium. "No," I said, "I have to get this done today. Give me two minutes and I'll be ready to go." She looked at me a little oddly but left me alone for a few minutes. I sat there, not looking at the machine but out the window at the Rocky Mountains towering the foreground (I live in Colorado), and I took a few deep, rhythmic breaths, repeated silently to myself that I was in control, I could do, and I had to do this. When the tech came back in I laid down, closed my eyes (they remained closed for the next 35 minutes of the scan), and gave her the a-okay to put me back in. I kept my eyes closed and focused on my breathing - In, Out, In, Out, In, Out - then came the tech's voice over the earphones she put on my head. She asked how I was doing, and I told her fine. The first scan would take 2 1/2 minutes she said. As the machine began to whir and pulse around me I kept breathing -In, Out, In, Out, In, Out - and I counted down the seconds in my head - 1 minute, kept counting, 2 minutes, kept counting and breathing, and at 2 1/2 minutes the machine stopped. I kept this pattern up through the rest of the scans - 45 minutes all told. When we were done the tech said she was amazed I got control and was able to do it. She said usually about 98% of people who initially freak out have to reschedule and come back sedated.
These techniques don't ALWAYS work perfectly, but they usually do and even when they dont' they usually take away some of my stress/nervousness/anxiousness. But the first part for me is to discern what kind of stress am I experiencing and where am I putting it. I have to know what it is and where it is before I can get some control over it.
So, where do you put your stress? And, how do you work through it?
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Author, Living with IBD & IBS
www.ibdandibs.com
First of all, well done Elizabeth on conquering your fear and taking control of your stress. You really should give yourself a pat on the back having got through that MRI scan.
Like you, there are times when stress can certainly take hold of me and I find it pretty difficult to put it back in the box. There is no question that stress amplifies how I react to my gut when it's not behaving. I learned recently, while having some blood work taken, that the reason for my blood refusing to flow into the test tube was because I was holding my breath while they were drawing the blood. I typically asked to lie down while they take the blood because I thought that would relax me; however, what a very observant technician noticed was that I was holding my breath, despite lying down, and hence my blood stopping flowing! She said, BREATH... sure enough when I started breathing the blood was flowing just fine. Breating is such an enormous help in relieving stress for me. I wonder how many others would feel enormously better if they didn't hold their breath everytime they felt bloated or while having an episode of abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. Sometimes we work ourselves up with stress that we forget the obvious and simple things.
Thanks for sharing.
J*
You're right, Jeff.
Breathing, it's so simple, yet we can so easily forget to do it - I never would have thought that holding your breath would make your blood flow slow down - I may have to experiment and try it next time I get blood drawn - tee hee.
Back in the day when severe gut pain was a daily occurence my first reaction was to hold my breath, my second reaction was to freak out and I third reaction was to wait it out. When I was learning rhythmic breathing I had an attack of gut cramps and my teacher taught me various techniques to get through the pain - one was taking short, panting-like breaths - similar to those taught in child birth classes, the other was to inhale through the pain and then quickly force the breath out taking some of the pain with it. It's a technique that takes time to perfect and even if it doesn't take away the pain at first it allows me to get through the pain without freaking out or holding my breath or running from the house screaming will-nilly (just joking on that one (IMG:http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ). And sometimes the breathing techniques simply give my brain something else to focus on rather than the pain in my gut - kind of like counting the minutes while I was in the MRI scanner.
Hope you're well.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Powered by IP.Blog (http://www.invisionblog.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)