Hi Loopies
Was chatting to a pal of mine today about tragic events (major events +/- 7) in my past. I once had my doc tell me that I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Apparently I had repressed my feelings as a mechanism to cope. And mentioning it today felt like the proverbial 'dropping of the penny'! I had never thought that the way I deal with emotional events could actually be the triggers for my lupus.
Have any of you encountered similar comments? That repressing emotions internalizes stress and this triggers bouts of lupus flares? If that holds true, then I'm thinking my entire life's tragic events thus far could be repressed and I'm suffering from Stress and not Lupus! Naturally I don't believe that. Everyone has stress, cant imagine any person living a life free of it. Is it possible that the way I handle things in my life (cope) could cause my lupus? I thought it was due to genes...because I never appear to be stressed or over burdened. People just think I'm capable of dealing with a lot.
The words I hate to hear from anyone "Don't Stress!"....
Stress is definitely a trigger for a lupus flare. I am guilty of it often. I work overnight full time, go to school full time, and watch a 4yr old during the day. I’m like a walking ball of stress. I has a horrible anxiety attack last week from lack of sleep and stress. Of course it turned into a flare or more so a “pain attack”. I’ve learned the hard way many times that repression of emotions and stress leads to more lupus activity.
No one has been able to figure out exactly what causes Lupus, though I am fairly certain stress is not the root cause. That being said, stress most certainly plays a part in how our Lupus behaves. Internalized or not, stresses have an impact on us. I've noticed that there is a direct correlation between muscle tension and my pain level. While I can take some measures to relax my muscles (and my mind), if I'm not aware of something, it will still have an impact. (This is also why I'll take medicine before doing something I know will have an element of stress, good or bad, in it. Try and head it off at the pass!)
I too have many events in my past and have been known to have bouts of ptsd. I have always just moved on and thought I let it go. Sometimes I think about the past, but it's like it happened to someone else now. Me in another life!
I can't dwell on anything because it is over and when something happens again you learn to deal with it as much as you can. I know sometimes it triggers a lupus flare, but it could alwys be worse.
That's just how I handle it I know it wouldn't work for everyone. Could be that I am almost 67 years old too!!
You are amazing - crazy schedule plus lupus and you still manage it all.
Its true what they say, Superman has nothing on us!
Natasha said:
Stress is definitely a trigger for a lupus flare. I am guilty of it often. I work overnight full time, go to school full time, and watch a 4yr old during the day. I'm like a walking ball of stress. I has a horrible anxiety attack last week from lack of sleep and stress. Of course it turned into a flare or more so a "pain attack". I've learned the hard way many times that repression of emotions and stress leads to more lupus activity.
I handle most things the same way as well. I don't dwell on it. there are those days when I just shut off and let my emotions take be on a ride. But then once its over, I'm back up. I cant afford not to be positive about life. Besides if I dwell on issues for too long I might get lost in the grief.
PSTD or not, how else is one supposed to cope? Isnt this a fool proof method of getting through life's hardships? Me thinks so.
geneva21 said:
I too have many events in my past and have been known to have bouts of ptsd. I have always just moved on and thought I let it go. Sometimes I think about the past, but it's like it happened to someone else now. Me in another life!
I can't dwell on anything because it is over and when something happens again you learn to deal with it as much as you can. I know sometimes it triggers a lupus flare, but it could alwys be worse.
That's just how I handle it I know it wouldn't work for everyone. Could be that I am almost 67 years old too!!
Thank you, Bubbly. It has definitely been a struggle and takes it's toll. The pain and fatigue especially hits me hard to the point where all I can do is just sleep all day. But sometimes when you have no other choice, but to do what you have to do you just simply push through and do it. I hope you are able to get through everything and find ways to help you cope better to reduce your chance of a flare. A lot of people say meditation helps a lot, but I can never seem to shut my brain off for it to really be effective for me. I can barely shut my brain off to sleep let alone to simply relax myself. Best wishes to you.
Bubbly said:
You are amazing - crazy schedule plus lupus and you still manage it all.
Its true what they say, Superman has nothing on us!
Natasha said:
Stress is definitely a trigger for a lupus flare. I am guilty of it often. I work overnight full time, go to school full time, and watch a 4yr old during the day. I'm like a walking ball of stress. I has a horrible anxiety attack last week from lack of sleep and stress. Of course it turned into a flare or more so a "pain attack". I've learned the hard way many times that repression of emotions and stress leads to more lupus activity.