PTSD Professional Perspective: 6 Tips for Managing Your Stress Hormones
Sunday, August 30th, 2009 • PTSD Guest Post: Professional Perspective •
This is a reprint from Fred Krazeise’s blog, Empowered and Fit. In this article he breaks down a piece in Prevention Magazine that details how cortisol affects us, and how we can affect it back! Oh, the power we hold….
When I meet with clients for the first time, one of the questions I ask is ‘How much stress do you have in your life?’ Often, a client will respond by saying she doesn’t suffer from stress at all. And I usually respond by saying, ‘Oh, really?’
We usually don’t realize how stress affects us, because our body does a good job of adapting to pressures put on it. And I think in our society (certainly here in the Washington, DC, metro area), we are often encouraged to wear stress like a badge of honor. We carry our Blackberry’s with us at all times, we don’t take vacation or time off, we work long hours, we don’t get enough sleep, and in these difficult economic times, many people are putting off seeing their doctors or otherwise caring for themselves. These factors and many more contribute to the rise of the “stress hormone”, cortisol.
No don’t get me wrong, a little stress can be a good thing. Cortisol is produced by your adrenal system and it helps to regulate your blood pressure and immune system. It can help you increase your level of energy as well as improve your ability to fight off infection. According to an article published in the February edition of Prevention Magazine, just a little bit of cortisol can:
- Boost your sex drive by improving your mood and sexual arousal
- Ease pain by helping to release other pain reducing hormone systems
- Improve memory,when moderate levels of cortisol exist
However, chronically high levels of this otherwise helpful hormone can cause all sorts of problems ranging from insomnia, a depressed immune system, and even weight gain. According to Shawn Talbot, PhD, author of The Cortisol Connection, “When cortisol spikes, it tells the body to eat something with a lot of calories – a great survival tactic if you need energy to flee a predator but not if you’re fretting over how to pay bills.”
The Prevention Magazine article goes on to site several ways you can invoke “the relaxation response,” a natural antitode to the flight-or-fight mode that cortisol stimulates:
Meditation – Reduces Cortisol by 20%
People who meditate regularly reduce cortisol levels by an average of 20 percent, in addition to reducing their blood pressure levels.
Sleep – Reduces Cortisol by as Much as 50%
Getting a full 8-hours of sleep every night helps your body recover from the stress of your day. If you can’t get the full 8-hours, try to find time for a nap the day after you fall short of the mark.
Drink Black Tea – Reduces Cortisol by 47%
Scientists aren’t sure how this works exactly, but they think that naturally occuring flavinoids and polyphenols may be responsible for the calming effect of tea.
Find a Funny Pal and Hang out with Her (or Him)! – Reduces Cortisol by 39%
What’s the old adage? Laughter is the best medicine. Well, it turns out that is actually true!
Get a Massage – Reduces Cortisol by 31%
This one is my favorites, of course! Research shows that there is a lasting, cumulative affect by receiving regular bodywork. Massage therapy helps release other hormones such as dopamine and seratonin, which help reduce the effects of stress.
Do Something Spiritual – Reduces Cortisol by 25%
Similar to meditating, studies have shown that people who attend regular religious services reported lower cortisol production.
Fred is a nationally certified massage therapist and Intrinsic Coach focusing on women’s wellness. He has additional training in Thai Yoga Massage, Lomi Lomi, Tui-Na, Tibetan Massage, Qi-Gong, and lymphatic drainage massage. He is a Reiki Master and a Reiki Master Teacher. Fred holds a Master’s degree in Education from Chapman University and a BA from University of Maryland. He is an active member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).
Tags: cortisol, fred krazeise, heal, posttraumatic stress, ptsd, symptoms, trauma, treat
Loading ...
Great article. I’d love to see citations for the studies you mentioned on activities the impact of cortisol.
@Kelly – Check the original article in PREVENTION MAGAZINE for citations. Link available in intro to this post. Would love to hear if you have more suggestions!
Greaat article. You might like to read, The Rhodiola Revoluton by S. Brown. Rhodiola is an herbal plant the balances the adrenal gland that produces cortisol. It can be mood elevating and improve your immune function and is very safe with with few drug interactions. dI am a psychiatrist in Washington, D.C. with an interest in herbals for mental health.
Interesting article-something I’m interested in, especially now that my husband was downsized from his job and is experiencing mood swings, tension/agitation spikes that I just know is wreaking havoc with his cortisol levels.
I work part-time at a local hospital (inpatient psychiatric unit) with patients who present with a broad variety of Axis I diagnoses. We are seeing PTSD with patients who have been in active military duty, as well as those suffering sexual assaults, and the anxiety of recent economic downturns. This is valuable information to present in groups, as many are reluctant to “take meds for the rest of my life,” and need to learn more effective coping and self-care skills.
What an excellent blog, I’ve added your feed to my RSS reader.
@Reiki Master — Hey, thanks! Great to have you with us. If you’d be interested in writing a guest post about how reiki can help relieve PTSD email me via our Contact button at the top of the page.
Psychological effects of catastrophic disasters: group approaches to treatment By Leon A. Schein
The abnormal feedback model of the HPA axis means a lower level of cortisol.
References
The levels of cortisol have often been found to be diminished in PTSD sufferers, unlike normal stress responses, where cortisol is elevated (van der Kolk, 1997, Yehuda, 1997, 2000, 2002
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Although increased release of cortisol might be expected in PTSD patients, recent studies in fact demonstrate hypocortisolemia. Furthermore, on the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), there is hypersuppression of cortisol.
http://www.brainexplorer.org/ptsd/PTSD_Aetiology.shtml
@Jen — Thanks for posting these cortisol findings. I have heard this… Given how individual everyone is, do you feel low cortisol happens across the board for each PTSD sufferer, or would there be cases when the cortisol level is high?
[...] 6 Tips for Managing Your Stress Hormones [SEO: "This is a reprint from Fred Krazeise’s blog, Empowered and Fit. In this article he breaks [...]
I simply needed to thank you so much once again. I do not know the things that I would have made to happen without the entire aspects shown by you over such area of interest. It has been a very challenging issue in my circumstances, nevertheless spending time with the specialised style you processed that forced me to cry for gladness. I will be grateful for this advice and even have high hopes you are aware of an amazing job you have been putting in instructing most people all through your webpage. I am sure you haven’t met any of us.
Everyone seems so Jolly here. Must be wrong place. Or denial. Glad you have all the energy to get better and be wonderful. Huh…
I have been dealing with this since 10/10 and so far, using all of the above, and a daily dose of medication, I feel no better than I did a few months ago. Meditation seems to be my best option. But even that is hard to do every day when concentration is an issue too. Patience with myself and diligence to guard myself against stressors is my best tool, right now.
@Val — It’s very frustrating to be doing your best and still be experiencing symptoms! It’s great that you’re being so proactive (meditation was a big help to me once I practiced enough to get my mind to understand what to do ). In addition to these things, are you also using some traditional or alternative therapy to process through the post-traumatic effects? Combined with what you’re already doing this might be very complementary to help you find relief. Check out some treatment options here: http:://www.healmyptsd.com/treatment
I can vouch for all of these solutions which I use. I tend to wait too long for a massage, but it always always helps. Finding the right therapist for that is really important. I have one masseuse for my chronic pain, and one for relaxation.