Stress...

[Clearwater AL]

(To address a Thread in one of the sub-forums above concerning stress. It had fallen down the list so I thought here would work better... rather than pull it up to the top again.)

I seldom chime in here but… stress is insidious and undoubtedly will amplify any disorder… physical or mental. There are facts out there that it may actually cause some disorders and diseases… but well hidden. There will never be a accredited link. (Even though there may actually be several that “secretly” exist. PTSD is an exception, entirely different… it is trauma related.)

Here’s why… Workers Compensation lawyers would have a field day. Here is a true short story to prove that scenario,

A major airline, years ago, urged their employees to recognize stress, learn to cope with it and seek professional help if they felt it may be interfering with their performance on the job. The company put up posters concerning stress in the halls of their offices, break rooms and even rest rooms. One poster (or more) said “Stress can kill!” Well… employees who suffered heart attacks, or had, suffered break downs, emotional problems, smoking issues, drinking problems, addiction and whatever began to file work related claims. I think there were even some lawsuits.

Within a very short time every one of those office, hall, break room and rest room posters came down. 

Going with the coming Holiday, “stress” will never be wrapping paper and an “accredited link” the bow… stress will always be kept just fluffy packing material.

 

[Atsugi]

I don't get stress--I give it.

 

[Clearwater AL]

Hey Mike, long time, I've heard and I think mine may have too... kids are carriers.

PS... my pages are not showing anybody's avatar. ? Ooops... now they are.

 

[Atsugi]

PS... my pages are not showing anybody's avatar. ?

When you're browsing and reading you should see avatars. When you're composing a reply, the avatars go away.

 

[tripete]

I have believed for a long time that physical and mental stress both play a part in this illness. I believe it is why military and endurance athletes have higher than normal incidences of ALS, per their population size. We poison our bodies with poor nutrition then stress them with extreme physical activity and excessive mental stress. Something has to give.

 

[ShiftKicker]

I had a very interesting discussion with an internist who specializes in systemic inflammatory diseases. He's on top of (and participating in) studies that look at the connection of stress and inflammation and the effects of a particular stress hormone (cortisol) on glial cells in the brain.

Doctors in his same field of study are focusing more and more on glial cells (the cells that are the "filler" between neurons in the brain) and their function in the body. Apparently they have been discovered to be essential in the clearing of debris that otherwise would prevent proper synaptic connections. If glial cells don't work properly, all sorts of things happen- glutamine build up being one of them. They are discovering that inflammation interferes with glial function. Inflammation can be caused by a few things- disease, injury and stress hormones.

So, yep, stress is definitely a contributor to MND. They're in the process of studying how right now within a broader range of diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Firomyalgia, MS and a variety of others.

 

[Clearwater AL]

(Hey Fiona)

Everyone above has presented “what so many of us know” however… Compensation Board lawyers, big corporation lawyers, right wing political lobbyists representing the previous will never let stress become an accredited link to any disease.

I agree about stress… I was a petroleum equipment Project Manager. When companies like Exxon, Texaco, Citgo and others said a project would be completed by a certain date two things may change that date… a hurricane or an earthquake. Dealing with the EPA, State regulations, County regulations, City regulations, even local Fire Departments, water concerns, drawing permits and my installation crews (a bunch of hard drinking rock n rollers) had me chewing Tums by the handful.

Here’s proof I support the relationship between stress and the onset of health issues and disease… I was 46 years old when I had my first heart attack. Didn’t smoke, wasn’t over weight and was a just a social drinker. A year later had another… by-pass surgery and all. I had to take a lesser position in the office rather than being in the field, which I loved. Then starting seven years ago… here I am.

So, my opinion, (refer to first paragraph)… there will never be an “accredited link” of stress to health issues and or disease. It’s a subject I’ve had numerous discussions over with many people so that’s why I chimed in here. I don’t talk too much about myself but… I’m on board for what it’s worth. 

 

[ShiftKicker]

Nope, Al, you're right- Stress, as it's defined now, could never be used. As you say. It's too subjective of a word and experience. What is stressful to one person may be no problem at all for others. As in, I never minded organizing and cooking a Christmas dinner for 14 to 20 people. In fact, I enjoyed it immensely. My sister, on the other hand, finds it absolutely paralyzing to even try to figure out a shopping list for a meal for 6- and it would ruin her entire Christmas with fretting about the planning. However, she can ride her bike through rush hour traffic in the pouring rain and dark and be exhilarated.

If you are only looking within the scope of what workplace and insurance companies view as acceptable definitions or causes for a work place claim, then yep. It took 30 years for Dow Chemical to accept (OK, the courts made them) that maaaaybe exposure to PCBs and exposure to other airborn and surface chemical agents for his entire working career could have "contributed" to my father in law's mesothelioma cancer.

I'm hoping that the important work the researchers are doing now will have real applications in the future to reduce the damage stress causes- once they understand the process of how "stress" affects the brain- and will be able to head off the cascade of cell death that is neurodegenerative disease.

 

[Atsugi]

Are the other 319,995,000 Americans not stressed?

I think the analysis is a little wanting.

Certainly one of the geniuses in medical research would have thought of stress as a possible contributing factor, and tested for it.

Last I heard, years ago, they were thinking the military connection involved all the chemicals we're exposed to. They give a dozen vaccinations, then--without anyone knowing it--they transport secret chemicals around the world.

Plus, the services have been known to experiment on people, sometimes whole shiploads of us, without telling us. Look up Project 212.

 

[Clearwater AL]

Mike, I can add to that. I am on the Agent Orange Registry (I'm telling too much about myself here) When I came back from Viet Nam I had the Chloracne and my daughter born after my return was born with birth defects. (Got a Vasectomy after that).

I was at a newly established Fire Base close to the Tri Border (that's why my unit was called "1st Field Forces" (IFFV) and a buddy said, "At least they are spraying for these damned mosquitoes."

PS. My son born before I deployed was fine.

 

[Clearwater AL]

Oh yea, to those relatively new to the Forum. Take what I post with a grain of salt... I only have one little green square, some with less than a couple hundred posts have two or three. Maybe when I get over 1,000 posts maybe I'll get another little green square. I'll probably be dead before I would have thousands like some others and have achieved 3, 4 or 5 little green squares. Maybe I need to hit the "Thank You" after every post I read.

Sorry Mods and Administrators... had to get that one in.

Whatever... I occasionally try to contribute for what it's worth.

 

[scaredwifetx]

Its nice to see you back Clearwater. I had a good chuckle reading your last post. By the way, I have more green dots than you.