Stress Management

People tend to think of stress in terms of categories such as work stress, or family stress, or emotional stress, i.e. coming our way from "out there." However stress can come in many other forms. Chemical stress, nutritional stress, the stress of infection from viral, bacterial or fungal organisms, dehydration – to name but a few.

If the causes of stress aren't dealt with, in the longer term it can have serious consequences on health. This can be a directly stress related illness, or by stress impacting on an existing chronic health condition in a less obvious way.

Just one example, dehydration is a major stress on the body, and many of us are chronically dehydrated. Barely adequate (i.e. less than optimum) hydration can be a contributing factor to many conditions including:

  • Frequent headaches
  • Insomnia
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Neuralgia
  • Slow wound healing
  • Bladder problems
  • Arthritic conditions
  • Muscle pain
  • Weight problems
  • Poor assimilation of nutrition

There are many other possibilities – and practitioner experience has shown that symptom treating is much less effective if the stress related causes of a particular condition aren't looked at. Think of it as peeling the layers of an onion. Whilst not every cause may be resolved, the practitioner and client can first focus on the layers of stress they can easily influence now, to enable the client to move forward, and then move on to other issues.

Many people believe that because of their family history, that it is inevitable that they will develop certain conditions. Whilst this may be true for some cases, what science is now finding is that many of our genes interact with the environment throughout our lives, which makes managing our stress a valuable tool in avoiding, delaying or lessening the impact of seemingly inevitable conditions. There is even a saying that genetics may load the gun, but it can be the environment the pulls the trigger. This means not only the sometimes stressful environment "out there" in which we live, but also the internal environment of the body. Effective stress management can stop us continually triggering metabolic stress responses that don't support us.

The Stress Management Therapist

A lifestyle that encourages excessive long term secretion of stress hormones can not only damage the organs and systems of the body, but also encourages metabolic aging. A stress management therapist can look at all aspects of a client's life, taking into account family history, and their current commitments. Even if this includes stress that may be unavoidable at this time (for example the stress of sleep deprivation from caring for a family member) the therapist can often introduce simple lifestyle changes or strategies that can sometimes have an almost immediate beneficial effect, paying dividends in terms of long term health.

Terms like "Adrenal fatigue" are becoming better known, and depending on their training, the stress management therapist may also look at supporting the client in nourishing the organs and glands of the body, particularly the adrenal glands.

It doesn't have to be complicated, a stress management therapist can show you simply how certain lifestyle choices or ongoing health issues are affecting you physically, mentally and emotionally, and what options are available to either eliminate the stress, or reduce the impact of any stressors that are unavoidable at the moment.

Within The Therapy Network our aim is to support a client to manage their stress more effectively, either to avoid contracting stress related conditions, or to support their goals in effectively treating and managing existing chronic conditions.

Conditions Treated
Subject to GP diagnosis and supervision. Please also see our disclaimer.

  • Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Allergies
  • Eczema
  • Dermatitis
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Psoriasis
  • Migraine
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Pre menstrual tension