Psychological therapies. Discussion thread.

richie · Feb 8, 2021

Woolie said: ↑

@richie, in case this is useful to you in the future:

If you want to quote someone, you type this text at the beginning of the quoted string:
View attachment 13260
And then this text at the end of the string:
View attachment 13261
Sorry for misreading your point about allopecia!
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Thanks

richie · Feb 8, 2021

Woolie said: ↑

Not at all off-topic, @Mithriel.

I thought the general view was the opposite - that stress compromises the immune system, leaving one more vulnerable to infections. If we are responding to a major threat to our body or life, it would make sense to divert resources from the immune system to the central and autonomic nervous systems to gear up for that "fight or flight". A few people here have talked about how a large acute physical stressor, like moving house or taking a long haul flight, relieves their symptoms. I have experienced this myself following sleep loss related to long haul flights, and my condition is definitely immune-related (I've been diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease).

I also worry about the word "stress", because it is such a general word. It can slide from grief and despair from the loss of a relationship or loved one, to the experience of being under intense performance pressure, to physical "stressors" such as contracting an infection, incurring an injury, undergoing surgery, etc. These things may challenge - or enhance - the immune system in the same way, but it is also very possible that they do so in very different - and possibly even opposite - ways.

It makes me particularly uncomfortable when people cite evidence from the effects of physical stressors (like surgery, shock therapy, injury, acute overexertion or infection) to argue for a role of psychological stress in illness. There's really no reason to think those two categories are anything the same.
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I don't go along with your "no reason....same" . How would you account for relief of symptoms by stressors mentioned? Don't the testimonies support a role? - maybe raised cortisol suppressing inflammation and/or creating a high, maybe endorphins.

There is a lot of support for your points on stressors differing and differences in immune response..

Invisible Woman · Feb 8, 2021

arewenearlythereyet said: ↑

Recently though adrenalin-driven sharpness of mind is something that I have to avoid else I become more foggy due to the raised heart rate (which is ironic no?). I’ve had to learn to say “no” more and spend much more time managing expectations/negotiating deadlines whereas before I would just fit it in. If I got rid of ME tomorrow I would be back to it like a shot though ...makes you feel alive etc. I might take some learnings though.
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I found this one of the hardest lessons to learn.

I thought if I couldn't work harder or for longer hours then I just needed to "work smarter" and adjust my approach. Looking back I think there was some unconscious arrogance that I was in control.

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Psychological therapies. Discussion thread.

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Psychological therapies. Discussion thread.

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