Stress and Rheumatoid Disease

Stress is one of those things that can be good or it can be terrible.

Good stress would be a new baby, a wedding or other celebratory event, just about anything that would bring something happy/good into a person's life

Bad stress is that stuff that eats away at a person. Unpaid bills, divorce, death of a loved one, and the things that cause a negative/bad feeling in a person.

How a person manages their stress (and not just managing to get stressed *grins*) ultimately dictates how the body will react.

For those that subscribe to the "duck" (let everything roll off your back) theory and can put it into practice, their bodies are probably elated.

For those that struggle with stress, their bodies are definitely unhappy and rebelling.

Stress can lead to eating disorders, depression, cardiovascular problems, poor immune system, and so much more.

Even though there is no actual "cause" for Rheumatoid Disease, stress plays a contributing factor in how the body feels. With RD and other Autoimmune Diseases, the immune system is already compromised. So, being overly stressed makes the compromised immune system weaker.

To help ease the toll stress takes on the body, there are different things that can be done.

Exercise, albeit difficult, can help greatly. For a long time before my Dx, my stress relief was running. Since I started developing RD symptoms, running has been removed from my life. I have found other exercising outlets such as walking, stretching, and bike riding.

Meditation has helped as well. Sometimes just sitting alone in a room and concentrating on my breathing works wonders.

Having an "outlet" is awesome. I use creativity for mine, when my hand are cooperative. I like to draw, write, and grab crayons and a coloring book. It is amazing how calming those things can be. I also love getting lost in a good book, because for the time I am reading, I am not me, I am whichever character I choose to be.

Ask for help! Dealing with stressful situations is NOT easy, and doesn't have to be done by oneself. Sometimes, just finding people who have similar issues is a blessing.

This article from WebMD goes into more detail about all this. Most of what I posted is from personal experience and information I remember from stress management courses I attended over 15 years ago.