The Effects of Stress on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We all know that stress can do bad things to everyone, but to someone who is dealing with an illness, stress can make life unbearable. An athlete who has just run his first marathon, would have less recovery time than a person who is sick trying to deal with a stressful day. This has prompted me to think about stress a lot. My life at the present time, isnt too stressful….I have a job and I write a little. I have friends who help me out, whenever I am feeling a little less than my normal self. I only have me to take care of, no one depends on me…..so I probably have it a little easier than most. Now this is not always the case, it just so happens that my life is a little easier in the summer. However, that doesn’t mean that stress doesnt show up in my life. It most certainly does.

I read this really interesting article about what stress does to a person with a chronic illness. The article was written by Pamela Young, and I encourage you all to read it. There is some really great information in it. You can find the entire article here.

Here are the highlights on how to reduce your stress load.

Lifestyle changes, including proper diet, mild exercise, plenty of rest and the development of positive coping skills, can make a difference in the body’s ability to minimize the effects of chronic stress.

Increase your fiber, decrease your sugar

Many people reach for potato chips or sweets when feeling stressed. Although this provides short-term comfort, the resulting insulin elevation can combine with increased stress hormones to process the calories into abdominal fat, which puts even further stress on your system. It’s a vicious cycle. Choosing a more prudent diet can have a counterbalancing effect on stress hormones and insulin levels. Higher fiber, fewer carbs, less processed sugar and fresh vegetables can help.

Get consistent exercise and generous rest

Mild but regular exercise can help regulate stress hormones and blood pressure as well as improve cognitive functioning. But, as always, people with CFS should exercise gently for brief intervals alternated with longer rest periods. Adequate sleep is also important to reducing allostatic load.

Make choices that reduce sources of anxiety

Some stressors can be mitigated by your own actions. When possible, take steps to reduce financial burdens. Try to remove yourself from chaotic or dangerous surroundings. Scale back commitments that leave you exhausted or anxious. Try thinking of new ways to view things you cannot change, but wish you could. Each reduction can help lower the load.

Strengthen social connections

Strikingly, people with more social ties have lower allostatic load
scores, making social interaction an important factor in reducing the physical effects of stress. Fortunately for people with CFS, the strength and quality of the connections matter as much or more than the number of events you attend. Meaningful conversations, keeping in touch by phone and acknowledging the support of loved ones all have a positive effect. .||

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