STRESS RELATED PROBLEMS, ORGAN CHANGES & BIOFEEDBACK

Print out and do the checklist on stress related problems.

Identify reasons why you might have been bothered by a particular problem:

• Difficulty sleeping because "I worry too much."
• Timid, shy because "I was horribly embarrassed at the prom."

Fight or Flight response to stress situations causes:

• Pupils to dilate to see better.
• The pancreas to increase glucose production. This facilitates energy and active coping but it also depletes reserves. This can often lead to stress related diabetes.
• Digestion to slow down or stop leading to constipation.

What is Biofeedback (a clinical procedure): To increase awareness of body changes under stress, to enhance personal control,and to speed up recovery from stress reactions. Biofeedback is obtained using instruments that give you information about what is happening to your body and how you react to stressors. This information helps you gain control over your body for conscious relaxation to be more effective. For example, palmar sweating increases during stressful times This reaction can be measured by a biofeedback instrument that detects the increase. The person can then consciously try to relax the next time they face a similar situation.