Are you a Stress Junkie? If you are very competitive, obsessed with finishing
tasks quickly, have a strong need for control, impatient, time-conscious,
hostile, aggressive, or have a hard time just relaxing, then you may just be a stress
junkie. Other names for you could be: Type A personality, workaholic, or just
plain stressed.
The Type A personality was first described in 1950 by two cardiologists who
hypothesized that people with certain personality traits would be more likely to
suffer from heart disease. Their research in over 3000 men proved that there
were indeed links between being competitive, needing control, feeling impatient,
stressed, or anxious and certain diseases. They found that Type A personalities
had double the risk of coronary heart disease.
It turns out that health risks don’t just stop at the heart; your gut can be
affected as well. Some fascinating new research is beginning to show that the
gut and the brain are more closely related than anyone ever imagined, and that
stress junkies have a much higher risk for
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) .
A Gut Feeling
The rise of the scientific method in the last century has led us all to
believe that we have individual and separate systems in our bodies. We have a
cardiovascular system, a nevous system, a gastrointestinal system and so on.
While this makes a handy tool to be able to study the body, our bodies act more
as a whole than a collection of separate systems. One part of the body affects
the other; they are all in communication.
We have known for a while that the brain influences organs such as the heart
(remember: scientists discovered the relationship between Type A personalities
and heart disease in 1950). However, no one ever thought that there would be
such a relationship with the gut, or if there were a relationship it would be a
minor one. It is now known that the brain and the gut are intricately entwined.
Research on the brain-gut connection has spawned a new branch of medicine called
neurogastroenterology. Having a “gut feeling” may not just be a phrase, but a
true representation of gut intelligence.
Scientists have begun calling the gut “the second brain”. While it is tiny
compared to the big brain, the gut performs many of the same functions. The
brain has chemical messengers called neurotransmitters; so does the gut. In
fact, 95% of the body’s serotonin (the brain chemical that many popular
antidepressants increase) is located in the gut. The gut, in a very real way,
thinks and feels. There are more nerve cells in the gut than there are in the
entire spinal column. And the gut carries on many of its functions without ever
checking in with the big brain upstairs. This isn’t to say, however, that they
act independantly.
In fact, how you think dramatically affects what goes on in your bowels.
Remember the last time you had to do something very stressful? Didn’t your
bowels feel the effects of that stress? This relationship between brain and gut
is dramatic in people with IBS. People who have IBS are much more likely to say
that they have stress and anxiety on a daily basis than people who don’t have
IBS.
There is no treatment for the Type A personality, but there is much you can do
to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with being a stress junkie.
Stress and Anxiety Reduction Program
The first thing you need to do is put some mileage on. Exercise is one of the
most powerful medicines you have. When you exercise, a whole series of chemicals
are released (such as endorphins) that make you feel good and calm. These
chemical “medicines” are delivered at exactly the right dose, in the right
amount, at the right time. Clinical research studies support that a regular
exercise routine will reduce the amount of stress and anxiety you are feeling.
Start slow and choose an exercise that will increase your heart rate for a
sustained amount of time like walking, swimming, biking or jogging. Work your
way up to 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week.
The next best treatment is deep breathing. While it sounds silly to a lot of
people to try deep breathing (heck, we breathe all the time), it is actually a
powerful treatment for both stress and anxiety.
Normally when you relax, your breathing gets deeper and longer, but you can turn
this reaction around and make it work for you. If you consciously start deep and
slow breathing, you are telling your brain that you are in a relaxed state.
Remember, everything is interconnected. You are relaxed and you deep breathe, or
you can deep breathe and tell your body you are relaxed. It works both ways. Try
taking a breath-break at the top of every hour. Let the clock in your room
remind you. If you are near the changing of an hour, take 3 to 5 minutes to
relax and breathe.
While exercise and breathing can go a long way, we all need a little more help
sometimes. There are many powerful supplements that can help you on your way to
a healthier you.
-
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP): 5-HTP is great for reducing stress and
anxiety. It provides the brain with the basic building blocks for brain-calming
hormones.
-
Magnesium and Calcium: Why do people drink a glass of milk before going
to sleep? It is the calcium in the milk that is relaxing and calming. Magnesium
is a mineral we all don’t get enough of and has been used for a long time as a
relaxing agent.
- B-vitamins:
If you are a type A individual, you are burning up B-vitamins. The B vitamins
play an essential role in all parts of the stress response, including acting as
co-factors in the creation of the brain chemicals that return you to a relaxed
state.
- Amino acids: L- Theanine is an amino acid that helps to reduce both mental and physical stress without making your feel tired. This makes L – Theanine the perfect supplement for the Type A personality. L-Tyrosine is another amino acid that can help the body to restore the neurotransmitters that produce a calming reaction.
A Good Thing?
While being a stress junkie places you at a higher risk for certain conditions, it can also be looked at as a good thing. People who are Type A are some of the most successful people in the world. A lot of what gets done in the world can be contributed to these driven people. The key is to balance your competitive nature so that you can still get done what you want to get done and not do any harm to yourself. Exercising, doing breathing exercises and taking supplements can help you to create the balance you need.
Cited Sources:
[1] Spence MJ, Moss-Morris R: The cognitive behavioural model of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective investigation of gastroenteritis patients. Gut. 2007 Feb 26
[2] Mulak A, Bonaz B: Irritable bowel syndrome: a model of the brain-gut interactions. Med Sci Monit. 2004 Apr;10(4):RA55-62.
[3] Zoccali R, Muscatello MR, et al: Anger and ego-defence mechanisms in non-psychiatric patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Dig Liver Dis. 2006 Mar;38(3):195-200.
Related Information:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Overview, Symptoms, Causes, Natural Treatments, and Medicine
10 Tips for Combating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
5-HTP: Up Your Serotonin, Down with Anxiety
