Stress

I am a stress junkie.  I have lived under extreme amounts of stress since birth and my body does not understand relaxation.  Reactions produced by my OCD tendencies elevate my stress levels.  Disorganization aggravates my symptoms.  My body’s natural inflammatory response to stress is formidable. 

My back, neck and shoulders are sources of continuous torture.  I frequently endure muscles spasms and sharp pain.  Most of the time, when it is reduced to a dull ache, it is tolerable but the best therapy seems to be strenuous exercise and this is the only time I feel really whole.  Exercise combats inflammation.  I love the gym but it is tough to fit into my unusual work schedule.  My husband likes to go for long walks and I go with him as often as possible.   For about a year I was suffering from a debilitating case of plantar fasciitis which prevented me from walking as much as I wanted to but more recently my symptoms have improved.  much of the improvement can be attributed to wearing "Shape-Ups" athletic shoes by Sketchers.  The round bottomed shape of the sole, rocks the foot forward taking pressure off the heels.   I seek treatment from a chiropractor for my musculo-skeletal conditions and am extremely grateful for the relief he provides.  If not for his expertise, I would be a chronic pain patient with very limited mobility.

I suspect that learning better meditation techniques would be extremely beneficial.  I need to research that.  Put it on the list.  Better nutrition is huge when it comes to stress relief as well.  Food additives and artificial sweeteners aggravate depression and inflammatory disorders.  My husband and I have been trying to eliminate processed foods and food additives along with cutting back drastically on animal products.  Both of us have noticed drastic improvement in how we feel when we successfully avoid these food-like products.

Secrets cause stress.  I hate secrets because they were forced upon me as a child.  Secrets protected the guilty and prevented healing for the victims.  Because of this I have struggled to live a transparent life.  I try to always tell the truth but because that is not realistically possible, the times I am forced to tell untruths or be evasive, cause great distress.  I try not to have any secrets from my husband who is my soul-mate and best friend.  It just feels better not to.

Stress

So far the best therapy I have ever found for stress, is writing.  It restores the soul.  I understand it is not for everyone, but it is definitely for me.  I seem to have been born to write.  I crave it like the air.