Stress – Gastrointestinal Problems and Probiotics
Tyler, a five-year old boy was nicknamed “Twister Tyler” after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) about four months ago. He is currently enrolled in a special education (SPED) school to accommodate his academic and social needs. During the initial pre-enrollment interview, Tyler’s mother said that her son used to study in a regular school but had to be transferred after the teachers complained about the boy’s disturbing behavior in the classroom.
Individuals who have highly pressured work settings, long-term relationship problems, persistent financial worries, and chronic loneliness not only experience depression or insomnia but also make themselves prone to having diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and gastrointestinal problems.
ADHD is still a relatively new condition that has yet to be understood by the public. While a number of professionals have guested in health-related television shows to explain ADHD, many are still clueless about the nature, symptoms, and possible treatments for this condition. Those who are uninformed about the true nature of ADHD often unknowingly label children with this condition as being simply “hyperactive.” Others are even considered as “abnormal children.”
To understand how the nervous system connects psychological events and physical manifestations in the form of illnesses or diseases, the case of gastrointestinal problems resulting from chronic stress will be used as an example. Just today, it was announced over the news that the former prime minister of Japan was hospitalized due to gastroenteritis. According to his doctors, his illness resulted from extreme stress and exhaustion. Gastroenteritis is defined as the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract which includes the stomach and the intestines.
Parents must exert efforts to understand ADHD and should avoid labeling a child without proper evaluation by a doctor. Labeling will just create a stigma on children which will cause a wrong concept of themselves. It is sometimes difficult to properly diagnose children as having ADHD since a lot of other conditions also exhibit the same symptoms. Symptoms of ADHD include inability or difficulty paying attention and sustaining attention, difficulty remaining seated and constantly fidgeting, and problems with interrupting and waiting for turns. These symptoms are also exhibited by children who suffer from stress and depression and those with behavioral problems. It is therefore necessary to exhaust all possible information about the child and his behaviors through evaluations and interviews before making a valid diagnosis.
A lot of parents, mostly those who have children with ADHD, often wonder how their kids acquired the condition. Based on recent studies done by Dr. Joseph Beiderman, Dr. Dennis Cantwell and Dr. Florence Levy, heredity plays a major role in developing ADHD. Other studies also show that infant exposure to toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol and injury to the brain, especially the frontal lobe, from trauma or tumors can also lead to kids having ADHD.
During stressful events, adherence of harmful bacteria to cells within the lining of the stomach are also increased. Because of these bacteria, the immune system will then be triggered further. However, according to a recent study conducted among rats, ingestion of probiotics can decrease the “stickiness” of bacteria within the stomach and prevent the immune activation.
The probiotics, also called as “for life” bacteria, compete for space in the stomach with the harmful bacteria and decrease the inflammatory responses. These effects of probiotics, therefore, make it a good possible treatment for gastrointestinal problems caused by chronic stress.
I wonder how you’ll get me out of this one, and then take a deep breath and proceed to step five from the previous article: Do what you can — one thing at a time. One of my favorite resources is the Unity Prayer Line, which you can reach 24/7 at 1800-NOW-PRAY. it’s free and incredibly helpful.
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Tags: Depression, depression treatment, stress, Stress Relief
Depression | admin | 21 October 2009 |