Monday, November 16, 2009

HOW STRESS CAN AFFECT FERTILITY

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body's defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response, or the stress response.

The "fight-or-flight response", also called the "fight, flight-or-freeze response", the "fright, fight or flight response", "hyperarousal" or the "acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in 1929.

His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing. This response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.

Normally, when a person is in a serene, unstimulated state, the "firing" of neurons in the locus coeruleus, a nucleus in the brain stem involved with physiological responses to stress and panic is minimal.

A novel stimulus (which could include a perception of danger or an environmental stressor such as elevated sound levels or over-illumination), once known, is relayed from the sensory cortex of the brain through the hypothalamus to the brainstem.

Now the brain stem is very important. The brain stem provides the main motor and sensory innervations to the face and neck via the cranial nerves. Though small, this is an extremely important part of the brain as the nerve connections of the motor and sensory systems from the main part of the brain to the rest of the body pass through the brain stem. Immediately you can start to see how a little bit of stress can affect the body.

That route of signalling increases the rate of noradrenergic activity in the locus coeruleus, and the person becomes alert and attentive to the environment. As a stress hormone nor epinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine (adrenaline), nor epinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle. If a stimulus is perceived as a threat, a more intense and prolonged discharge of the locus ceruleus is activated.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning kick, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV.
But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the aging process and of course contribute to infertility. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

The body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When you’re stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, your body reacts just as strongly as if you were facing a life-or-death situation. If you have a lot of responsibilities and worries, your emergency stress response may be “on” most of the time. The more your body’s stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off. In the same way a woman’s perception of herself as “failing” to conceive, unresolved guilt over a previous abortion or other traumatic incident or even experience with numerous invasive infertility-related procedures can have the same result as your body sees this as an actual threat – just as it would a lion charging towards you!

With the release of “emergency” hormones throughout the body, the body is on alarm, and energy is directed toward the areas needed for actual “fight” or “flight” such as the arms and legs, and away from areas the brain considers less important. Unfortunately, the reproductive system is the most expendable. Once a chronic imbalance of the autonomic nervous system is created, only the regular and consistent practice of relaxation will facilitate the restoration of the parasympathetic nervous system. Hypnotherapy provides an effective means of establishing that restoration and enables women to create the level of safety essential for reproduction to occur.

Monday, November 9, 2009

NOTE FROM www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk

Hypnotherapy has helped many people overcome personal problems and issues, and is now widely recognised as an effective treatment. Some of the more common issues hypnotherapy can deal with are anger management, anxiety, phobias, smoking and weight loss. Hypnotherapy uses the power of suggestion to achieve these results; the hypnotherapist puts their clients into a deep state of relaxation, it is then they deal with the problems.
Hypnotherapy for issues such as stopping smoking or to cure a fear of flying can often be dealt with using 'suggestion hypnotherapy'. The unconscious mind is given 'suggestions' by the hypnotherapist. This type of hypnotherapy can deal with issues that do not have a root cause, or have a time-constraint, and may help the client achieve certain things such as better self esteem or stop certain habits such as smoking.
Analytical hypnotherapy is the other method hypnotherapists use. It is used when the client has deeper issues, phobias are commonly dealt with using analytical hypnotherapy. As they commonly have a root cause, it is this deep rooted problem the hypnotherapist will help a client deal with.
If you are living with a problem or if you are unhappy with an issue in your life hypnotherapy may be the answer. Hypnotherapy Directory is a directory of UK based hypnotherapists who are here to help you. The site boasts a variety of articles posted my their members, information on hypnotherapy and a vast list of hypnotherapists. Each hypnotherapist has a profile, with information on their experience, training, areas of expertise, fees and contact details. Hypnotherapy Directory has a strict policy that hypnotherapists must provide proof of qualifications and insurance details, or proof of registration with a professional body before they can be listed.
To find a hypnotherapist near you visit www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk , this is a free and confidential service.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

So I went to the talk on Quantum Field Healing with David Hamilton - www.drdavidhamilton.com what a fantastic guy. He has a phd in chemistry and worked for Astrazenica in the lab making drugs for four years. He then started to realise that the placebo effect may not be just the shrug of a shoulder his colleagues were saying it was so he left to research this. He has since written books on the subject and developed ideas on how he believes we can use our minds to heal our bodies using the theories of quantum physics. It really was fascinating and I would recommend seeing him speak if you ever get the opportunity. I have bought his three books so I will let you know how I get on!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Just got back from a week in Turkey. Had a fantastic time. Lovely people and lovely weather. Really gave the feel good factor.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Just registered to go to a presentation with David Hamilton http://www.drdavidhamilton.com/ on 'How your mind can heal your body and quantum field healing'. Very much looking forward to this, I think it will be extremely valuable.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

What a lovely Sunday it has been, perfect weather to get outside and feel positive about life :-)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

My New Website

My new website has gone live last week at http://www.juliethollingsworth.com/ please have a look at let me know what you think?