Warning Signs of Unhealthy Stress

Dr. Cherry

In my last e-newsletter I talked about the types of stress - some good and some bad - that can affect us in different ways (acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress.) And as I said, it's important to identify what type of stress we are experiencing in order to deal effectively with it and to recognize when stress has reached an unhealthy level.

When stress is at a reasonable level, we're able to cope with it and often feel better within a few days or even just a few hours. But sometimes stress can become overwhelming. So how can you tell if your stress level has crossed the line into the area of being unhealthy?

According to the National Mental Health Association, there are certain warning signs. If you're experiencing any of the following, you should take steps to lower your stress level: * Becoming excessively upset over disappointments.
* Feeling overly tired.
* Suffering from headaches and backaches.
* Constant dwelling on worries.
* Feeling like the things that were once enjoyable are no longer worth the effort.

Fortunately, for these times, God has provided us with natural herbs and nutrients from His plant kingdom that can help us effectively cope with stress. Among them are chamomile, eleuthero (known as Siberian ginseng) gotu kola, passionflower and magnolia bark - all of which help promote calmness and well-being without the unwanted side effects that a prescription or over-the-counter medication might produce, such as drowsiness or disrupted memory.

If stress in your life has become so severe that it interferes with your daily activities or affects your health, see your physician. There may be an underlying medical condition that needs proper treatment. If your doctor finds there isn't a physical problem, then I recommend that you try a daily nutritional supplement that includes the herbs that I mentioned, along with B vitamins (vitamins B5 and B6 in particular) and the mineral magnesium - all of which can be found in Stress Support.

For more information on Dr. Cherry's ministry, visit his Web site: http://www.AbundantNutrition.com