Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

I'd like to talk about a specific type of stress in this blog entry, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a stress disorder that develops after being exposed to a traumatic event or situation that could have caused great physical harm or danger. PTSD first became apparent when it related to war veterans, but it is now known to be related to any traumatic event such as rape, kid napping, child abuse, car accidents, plane crashes, natural disaster, etc.

Most people with PTSD suffer from the symptoms of flashback, in which they continuously relive the situations that terrify them. They become frightened easily, have a loss of interest in things, have trouble showing emotions and feeling affectionate. They become irritable, more violent and aggressive.

The range in which symptoms appear and disappear ranges from individual to individual. Symptoms can appear 3 month after the incident but also show up years after the incident. People have shown to recover within 6 months but treatment can also last a very long time.

Some facts about PTSD:

-PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults.

-PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood.

-Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.

-Some evidence shows that it can be hereditary.

-PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.

Nutrition and Stress

During times of stress, it is easy to forget about maintaining physical health but it is at this very time when your body needs sufficient amounts of nutrients. Some vitamins such as B vitamins are important because they affect the nervous system as well as calcium because it is necessary to help with the tense muscles produced during stress. Without these nutrients and others, your body is not well equipt to fight off stress.

To learn about which vitamins are essential on an everyday basis and which ones are important during the damaging effects of stress, visit this web site: http://www.holisticonline.com/Stress/stress_vitamins.htm.

Here is a list of things to avoid during stressful situations because even though you might want to feel better at times like these, it will be hard to fight off the things that are increasing your stress when you unintentionally consume foods that are more harmful:

Artificial Sweeteners
Processed / Refined Foods
Additives / Preservatives
Caffeine
Alcohol
Drugs / Nicotine
Sugar

Not only are they un-nutrious, they also rob your body of the nutrients it has stored. These substances effect your heart rate, mood, behaviors and brain chemistry. They also start to make you dependent on them.

The above substances are both nutrient deficient and depleting (meaning they actually rob your body of its stores of nutrients). They also stimulate heart rate, affect mood, behaviors and brain chemistry, and can lead to dependence. These are all things that will only compound the health issues associated with stress.

Here is a list of substances to increase when under stress:

B-vitamins-This helps the entire nervous system, and helps produce energy and supports the immune system.
Vitamin C- boosts health, and reduces blood pressure and symptoms of stress.
Amino Acids- help build proteins and supports brain functioning.
Magnesium- relaxes tense muscles and regulates heartbeats.