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| SERVICES Scientific Validation of KAVA |
NEW PRODUCTS Kava Root Retail Wholesale |
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Chapter Three: Stress and Disease: The Mind-Body Continuum |
| in "Kava:
Nature's Answer to Stress, Anxiety, and Insomnia" by Hyla Cass, M.D. and Terrence McNally |
| Reproduced with the permission of the Publisher |
[Table of Contents][Kava Library & Bookstore]
To help you navigate through this chapter click on one of the following topics:
| Western medicine, and Western
thought in general, has presumed a division between mind and body. The divisions are not
so clear-cut, however, and the body and mind actually work as an integrated whole. This
means that any trauma or stress, whether mental or physical, will affect all systems. This
chapter addresses the enormous impact of stress on our physical health, and then looks at
this relationship from the other side, examining the effects of medical problems and
metabolic imbalances on our mental health.
Regardless of the triggering factors, the underlying mechanism of anxiety or depression is a shift in brain chemistry. The brain is made up of nerve cells or neurons. Between the neurons are small gaps called synapses. In order for a message to pass from one neuron to its neighbor across the synapse, a chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter is released. The pre-synaptic neuron-the one that is sending the message-produces the neurotransmitter, which moves toward the post-synaptic neuron on the receiving end. The neurotransmitter molecule can be pictured as a key that will fit only a certain lock-called its receptor site-on the postsynaptic neuron. When the matching key slides into the lock, the message has been received, and the receptor is either activated or inhibited, depending on its function. Once its job is complete, the neurotransmitter molecule is released back into the synapse. It might return to the precursor neuron where it can be used again. Or, it might remain in the synapse along with other chemical messengers. The molecule may then continue the cycle by reconnecting with another receptor, or it may be inactivated by an enzyme, one of which is monoamine oxidase (MAO). Our moods arc affected by changes in the relative levels of various neurotransmitters. Shifts in the sensitivity level of the receptor site in relation to the neurotransmitter also play a role. The interaction of neurotransmitters and mood works both ways as well. Chemical influences or medications aside, we can actually alter the balance of our neurotransmitters with a change in mood. Serotonin and Other Mood-Affecting Substances Serotonin is one of the major neurotransmitters, influencing many physiological functions, including blood pressure, digestion, body temperature, and pain sensation. It also affects circadian rhythm (the body's response to the cycles of day and night) as well as mood. Low levels of serotonin are associated with: Depression obsessive thinking increased sensitivity to pain Emotional volatility, including violent behavior against self and others Alcohol and drug abuse Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) increased sexual desire Carbohydrate cravings Sleep disturbances On the other hand, healthy levels of serotonin are associated with emotional and social stability. The antidepressant effects of the Prozac-like drugs and, most likely, the herb St. John's Wort, are due to their ability to raise serotonin levels.
Endorphins: Our Internal Tranquilizers The brain produces hormones called endorphins to keep us tranquil and pain-free in the face of life's uncertainties. Endorphins are similar in structure to morphine and heroin, functioning like natural opiates in our brains and producing pleasurable feelings such as a "runner's high." Receptors in the brain receive these hormones and respond to their signals. Again, like locks and keys, when the right hormone is present, the receptor shuts off its signals, producing tranquility or pain relief. Stress can increase anxiety through two mechanisms that upset the brain's balance of these "natural tranquilizers." As stress levels rise and become protracted, the brain increases its production of these hormones to protect us during an emergency. If the stress continues, however, the brain begins to shut down the supply. There is a natural protective system at work. Both pain and anxiety increase as stress persists, as a way of telling us to quit doing that which damages us. If our bodies didn't do this, the more stress we created, the more peaceful we would feel, and that would probably interfere with our chances of survival. The second mechanism that can increase anxiety involves the stress hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands in almost direct proportion to adrenaline (see Chapter 2). When we're under stress, however, cortisol production in the brain increases to such an extent that it forms a barrier to the brain's natural tranquilizers, blocking them from reaching their receptors. Inability to access endorphins as a response to prolonged stress can result in high anxiety and eventually panic attacks, or even a downward spiral into depression. In addition, prolonged exposure to cortisol can actually destroy brain cells. If anxiety can be costly and dangerous, why isn't the regulatory mechanism adjusted so that it is expressed only when danger is actually present? Unfortunately, in many situations it is not clear whether or not anxiety is needed. Our bodies mobilize for danger far too often because even once, the cost of getting killed seems enormously higher than the cost of responding to a hundred false alarms. This was demonstrated by an experiment in which guppies were separated into timid, ordinary, and bold groups on the basis of their reactions when confronted by a smallmouth bass: hiding, swimming away, or eyeing the intruder. Each group of guppies was then left in a tank with a bass. After sixty hours, 40% of the timid guppies and 15% of the ordinary guppies were still there, but none of the bold guppies had survived.1 Perhaps the bold guppies could have used little more anxiety. The Effects of Stress on Our Health Since our bodies are designed to react to intermittent physical stress rather than constant mental or emotional stress, prolonged stress, with no relief in sight, places an enormous burden on all systems. Disease is the inevitable outcome. According to the American Heart Association, more than 25% of Americans suffer from essential hypertension (high blood pressure). One out of every two deaths in the United States is caused by some form of heart or vascular disease. In the 1980s, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that an important precursor to developing heart disease was "emotional toxicity"-or how we react emotionally to the events in our lives. Men who are incapable of relaxing after work have a risk of heart attack nearly three times greater than those who say they can relax and forget about their work. Those who are able to create a strong sense of belonging and connection with others have fewer diseases and less stress. Those who have altruistic beliefs and behavior are more resistant to stress and chronic disease.2
The Mind-Body Continuum: It Works Both Ways As we have seen, mental and emotional stress can have enormous repercussions on our physical health. Once we understand such interactions within the mind-body, it only makes sense that the reverse is true as well. While psychological symptoms can signify an unresolved emotional issue, they can also be the result of a brain chemistry imbalance, including one caused by a diagnosable medical illness. We can approach the biochemical causes of anxiety from two vantage points. One involves physical disorders and their effects on mental health, and the other involves the chemistry of the brain itself. Good health depends on both a healthy body and a healthy mind. Therefore, it is senseless to expect the brain to work correctly without the rest of the body being in proper balance. Every disorder or deficiency in the body affects the brain, which is extremely sensitive to metabolic imbalances caused by such physical problems as low blood sugar, water retention, or oxygen deprivation. Often, people who are not responding to psychotherapy show accelerated improvement once their metabolic conditions are properly diagnosed and treated. Table 3.1 The Effects of Stress on Systems in the Body Central Nervous System
Cardiovascular System
Digestive System
Respiratory System
Immune System
Endocrine System
Reproductive System
Skin
General
Body Knowledge Resolves "Mind" Illnesses The importance of the mind-body connection has not always been recognized, sometimes resulting in tragic consequences. Take, for example a disorder called cretinism, which is rare today. Severely retarded from birth, children born with cretinism were doomed to lives of miserable dependency, often in crowded institutions. Finally, it was discovered that they were deficient in thyroid hormone due to a lack of iodine intake by their mothers during pregnancy. Without this needed mineral during gestation, their thyroid glands could not develop normally, resulting in retardation. The solution was iodized salt, which is now a legislated dietary supplement. Rather than a genetic, irreversible illness, cretinism was simply an unrecognized mineral deficiency that could be treated once the dietary link was discovered. Another example of a physical illness masquerading as a mental illness is pellagra. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, mental institutions were filled with demented pellagra patients. Researchers eventually discovered that this severe mental illness could be reversed-or preventedthrough the administration of vitamin B 3 (Niacin). Although pellagra is a physical disease, the first and most prominent symptoms are mental in nature. Once doctors recognized the true origin of the disease, pellagra patients all but disappeared from mental hospitals. A continuation of this science of treating illnesses as an imbalance in body chemistry is found in the practice of "orthomolecular medicine." A term coined by Nobel Prize-winning researcher Linus Pauling, orthomolecular means the right molecule in the right place. The medical profession continues to make these important discoveries. In the 1950s, pioneers in the field of orthomolecular psychiatry, Dr. Abram Hoffer and Dr. Humphrey Osmond, noticed that many people with schizophrenia responded well to high doses of niacin. The psychiatric establishment, however, would not accept these remarkable findings, and soon the advent of the major tranquilizers left this discovery behind. While the pharmaceutical industry profited from these drugs, the root cause and simple solution to some schizophrenia cases were ignored. It is still a viable treatment for those fortunate enough to get help from orthomolecular physicians. There are many conditions like this, some certainly yet to be discovered.
Conventional medicine often fails to look at these factors. If the doctor is unaware of the deeper connection between body chemistry and illness, he or she will never test for these elements, and an opportunity for healing will be lost. Holistically oriented physicians, however, look further, aware that anxiety can be a signal of a malfunction in the mind-body continuum as we saw in Table 3.1. An acknowledged innovator in alternative medicine, endocrinologist and author Deepak Chopra writes, ". . . mind and body are like parallel universes, and the latest discoveries in neurobiology build an even stronger case.... Anything that happens in the mental universe must leave tracks in the physical one."3 In other words, human beings live as open systems . Open systems are characterized by options and creative expression. We constantly interact with our environment, change it, and in turn are changed by it. We have the capacity to create chaos or harmony, to be self-destructive, or to create wellness and fulfillment. We can choose to eat properly, drive carefully, balance our work with our leisure, and take control of our emotional lives. Table 3.2 Medical Causes of Anxiety Metabolic Disorders
Nutritional Deficiencies
Hormonal Imbalances
Toxins
Side Effects of Prescribed Medication (partial list)
Research on the Mind-Body Connection Researchers find that daily small pleasurable events, such as a pleasant family celebration or having friends over, strengthen the immune system for the next one or two days. On the other hand, unpleasant daily experiences, such as work pressures or an argument with your spouse, weaken the immune system on the day of the event.4
Medical Sources of Anxiety and Depression Medical illness causes anxiety and depression more often than many doctors think. It should be routinely suspected before assuming the symptoms are simply psychological. Anxiety is often an initial symptom of disorders such as hyperthyroidism, heart disease, anemia, and adrenal tumors, as we saw in Table 3.2 on page 38. Since the mind and body together form a complex interactive system, several of these biological factors may occur at once. Imbalance in one area often leads to imbalance in another, requiring a careful sifting through the various signs and symptoms to arrive at a correct diagnosis and treatment. (Nutritional supplementation will be covered in greater detail in Chapter 13.) Below the Surface In the next two chapters, we will look at the two primary conventional treatments for the complex problems of stress and anxiety: Psychotherapy and pharmaceutical drugs. The next chapter examines some of the underlying sources of these problems and introduces some therapeutic techniques I have found particularly effective. References: 1. Nesse, R., M.D., and Williams, G.,
Ph.D., Why We Get Sick. New York, NY. Vintage Books, (1996): 213. |
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