Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional and physical tension that triggers a particular biological response. When you perceive a threat or a major challenge, chemicals and hormones surge throughout your body. Stress triggers your fight-or-flight response in order to fight the stress-or or run away from it. Typically, after the response occurs, your body should relax. Too much constant stress can have negative effects on your long-term health.

However, small amounts of stress may be desired, beneficial, and even healthy. It increases risk of strokes, heart attacks, ulcers and mental illnesses such as depression and also aggravation of a pre-existing condition.

1. Over eating
2. Irritability
3. Difficulty focusing on tasks
4. Alcohol abuse
5. Restlessness
6. Under eating
7. Anxiety
8. Headache
9. Excessive anger
10. Fatigue/Tiredness/ Lack of energy/Feeling of weakness
11. Feeling of sadness
12. Agitation
13. Drug abuse
14. Angry outburst
15. Use of tobacco
16. Social withdrawal
17. Depression
18. Frustration
19. Sleep disturbances

Stress is known as sahasa in Ayurveda. Sahasa by causing Ojahksaya (loss of immunity) thereby increases the susceptibility of the body to various diseases. Stress can alter memory and psychological functions, immune function, metabolism and susceptibility to diseases.

1. Work stress
   • being unhappy in your job
   • having a heavy workload or too much responsibility
   • working long hours etc
2. Life stress can also have a big impact. Examples of life stresses are:
   • Death of a loved one
   • Divorce
   • Loss of a job
   • Increase in financial obligations
   • Getting married
   • Moving to a new home
   • Chronic illness or injury.
   • Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem)
   • Taking care of an elderly or sick family member.
   • Traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one.
3. Fear and uncertainty.
4. Unrealistic expectations - If you expect to do everything right all the time, feel stressed when things don't go as expected.
5. Change - any major life change can be stressful.
6. Several factors like environmental changes, extremes of temperature, high altitude, restraints, fear, rage, anxiety, shock, grief, pain, environmental changes, etc.

Treatment protocol aims at:

1. Relief from all stress related symptoms.
2. Preventing and reducing the  complication of stress by calming down the nervous system.
3. Rejuvenating the whole body and preventing further attack.

The first line of treatment should always be avoiding the causative factors. If the problem persists then consider the following treatment protocol

• Anger, irritability, anxiety, sad, difficulty focusing or remembering, sleep disturbances, overeating/undereating  -  When stress occurs longer it starts affecting the psychological health and the overall health, also directly implicating the appetite and sleep Jatamansi, Mauktik bhasma, Mandukaparni and Brahmi will help to manage all stress related symptoms, improves learning and eases depression.
• Drug abuse, use of tobacco and alcohol, social withdrawel - Individuals suffering from high levels of stress may incline to substance abuse as a method of managing stress. While it may provide a temporary relief from stress, in the long run, substance abuse actually makes stress more pronounced and leads to physical and emotional health issues as well as behavioral and social concerns including social withdrawal
• Fatigue/tiredness or sleepiness - Sleep deprivation and other symptoms will result in fatigue and sleepiness. Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Suvarna makshika will help manage stress, boost brain function and strengthen the body.

(The above mentioned Ayurvedic drugs are Herbs and Herbomineral preparations)

Other therapies - Virecana (Purgation) , Abhyanga (body massage), Padabhyanga (foot massage), shiroabhyanga (head massage) with medicated oils. Shirodhara (Pouring medicated liquids  ( (milk/ water/ oils ) on head medicated liquids 

 Pichu  ( application of cotton soaked with medicated oil over head ,  Takra dhara (Pouring medicated buttermilk all over body ).

Jatamansi, Mauktik bhasma, Mandukaparni , Brahmi, Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Suvarna makshika