Posted by Tenifer on November 20, 2005, at 23:30:56
In reply to Re: Remeron and Cortisol » tenifer, posted by Elroy on November 20, 2005, at 16:39:26
Hi Elroy,
Makes perfect sense to me. I have always thought the same.
The process is very much self-feeding; a spiral down. I visualize it like this: Our bodies nervous system is designed to run at 33.3 RPM (us old heads will know what I'm referring to :). But in some of us our hectic, stress-fueled and overwhelming lifestyles cause ours to run 'normal' (to us anyway) 45 RPM. Now, the 45 RPM isn't normal; we just come to perceive it as normal because we can't remember running at any other speed. We have adapted to this level of stimulation and can function reasonably well there.
Now a new stressor enters the picture. In most people it would cause an acute response that would quickly abate. Not so for those of us who have been chronically overstimulated. Imagine briefly turning the RPM up to say 72 RPM...you would hear the chipmunk music but then it would quickly step back down to its previous speed once the speed was lowered. Not so with us. We try to slow down but for us it takes far longer and while we are trying to slow down, any other stressor is like someone speeding up the record again. The longer this goes on the more sensitive to these stressors we become. What we need is a way to put the brakes on this turntable that allows our systems the time to slow down AND that minimizes our vulnerability to these stressors until we have achieved that slow speed for a time; giving our bodies a chance to restore the regulating mechanisms that have gone awry.
Does this analogy make any sense?I think that the real objective here has to be to interrupt the cycle long enough to allow the HPA axis to reset itself. I believe that the body has the ability - and the desire - to reach equilibrium again but that the ongoing stress and hyperstimulation prevents this from occuring. The brakes are simply not working on the runaway turntable.
Anyway, this is my simple way of picturing and understanding this. I hope I don't sound like I'm babbling here. I have to believe that people in our situation will certainly understand...
Keep in touch my friend, :)
You're in my prayers.
David
poster:Tenifer
thread:124535
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051119/msgs/580759.html