Ask Dr. Nancy

Stress Really CAN Make You Sick

Kendall Power makes a good case for the ubiquitous "stress" that lowers immunity causing "more pro-inflammatory cytokines to be produced with the flu virus.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/can-stress-really-make-us-sick/2014/05/05/a1af9dd2-d074-11e3-937f-d3026234b51c_story.html

Erwin Gelfand, an immunology expert, cited in this article, pooh-poohs the research of Kiecolt-Glaser,( http://faculty.psy.ohio-state.edu/1/kiecolt-glaser/ )which says, "chronic stress makes it more likely you become infected and that infections will last longer and be nastier." Yep, that's been my observation. But, Dr. Gelfand thinks differently.

Dr. Gelfand thinks that our immune systems manage our stress effectively. "Otherwise, he reasons, most Americans would be sick in bed most of the time."

Memo to Dr. Gelfand....a majority of Americans ARE sick in bed most of the time. And if they are not in bed with physical ailments, they are sick in the workplace and in their relationships with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. These are documented leading causes of disability in America.

An entire specialty within medicine called Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) (https://www.pnirs.org/ ) attests to the fact that stress and negative emotions make us sick.

The recent popularity of Positive Emotion Psychology pioneered by people including Martin Seligman and the studies of Barbara Fredrickson (www.positivityratio.com) , points to the evidence base that is building to support this concept.

My 33 years as an integrative healthcare practitioner has abundantly demonstrated both the etiology of stress induced pain and disability as well as efficacious treatment protocols.

Startlingly effective is the NEW collaborative care model of Classical Homeopathy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Emotions. This integrative practice has yielded positive solutions to the ubiquitous "stress" that manifests as anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD).
The case studies that my colleague and I have presented at several conferences this year met with much enthusiasm and hope for healing.

An "invest in yourself" strategy pulls the person-centered piece of integrative healthcare together. What makes you tick and what makes you sick is the disruptive innovator in person-centered healthcare.  Watch this TEDxTalk for illumination, inspiration and "how to"! www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6bZBwl636s.