Alternative Medicine - scary words for some, ridiculous to others. To be honest, I never dreamed I would be an advocate of alternative medicinal therapies, but, I have changed my mind. I started this year off with a reboot theme, and I am not straying from that. I am working on finding better ways to treat my Lupus and the depression and anxiety that go hand in hand with the flares that arise from this horrible disease.

I have to be honest, I just ended a round of antibiotics and prednisone because my Lupus decided that my kidneys were a foreign object to be attacked & the infection was pretty unbearable. I wasn't happy about it, I hate taking the stuff, but when I have to I do it. These kinds of drugs throw my system out of whack and this time was no different. Because the antibiotics kill ALL bacteria, good and bad, and because prednisone shuts down your immune system, I ended up with a nice little e-coli infection. BUT, I am attacking that with essential oils and my homeopathic remedy and lots of rest.


Let's talk about stress, and what it can do to our bodies. I never believed this either, but have learned that stress is a huge factor in our over all health and that learning to control it can be a benefit in the long run. It certainly is a factor in this most recent flare. I haven't stopped running since September. Between taking care of Gramma while performing in a pretty high demand show, saying goodbye to Gramma, the holidays, selling Grammas house and everything in it, getting a new job, and working on my credential & CBEST studying - yeah, I am exhausted - from the stress of it all. The physical and emotional stress have hit this poor body hard. Those of us with Lupus will always suck it up and push through and tell you we are fine, until we aren't. Anyway, stress:

Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight-or-freeze” reaction, or the stress response. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. (Or giving you the stamina to climb out of a demolished car that has trapped you in... true story!)

But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it's important to know your own limit. But just how much stress is "too much" differs from person to person. We're all different. Some people are able to roll with the punches, while others seem to crumble in the face of far smaller obstacles or frustrations. Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships, your general outlook on life, your emotional intelligence, and genetics.

Some typical responses to stress:

Physical:

• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds 

Behavioral:

•  Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Emotional:

•  Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper
• Agitation, inability to relax
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness

 Being aware of the signs of being over-stressed is important.  Taking the proper steps to avoid being over-stressed, and/or to treat the stress is just as important. How does alternative medicine play into this? Here are a few ideas: (in no particular order.)

Acupuncture 
Yoga
Massage
Homeopathy - (find a good homeopath, Homeopathy First in Exeter CA is fabulous!)
(my homeopathic remedy has gotten me off of Xanax completely! there are some great otc remedies, Calms works well!)
Essential Oils - (I am using lavendar and Lemon and Bergamot - diffused and topically)
Music
Exercise - (When I feel anxiety coming on, I try to get out and walk - it helps!)
Meditation
Prayer
Biofeedback - (just learning to breathe in a certain way when I feel anxious helps a lot!)
AND talk to someone, anyone!
Find what works for you and make no apologies!

Most especially, LET IT OUT! That stress has to go somewhere and if you bundle it all in and don't let it out it is going to manifest itself in all kinds of ugly ways.

More on homeopathy next time, I have an appointment next week and am staying to listen to a lecture after. :-)