Could stress/ anxiety be a major factor in triggering vitiligo? From the many people with vitiligo whom I have spoken to, stress/anxiety does seem to be a major component; however, we need to look deeper into the matter. It’s not merely the act of being stressed that may be triggering vitiligo, the culprit in this case are the hormones which are released.
Every time you have a stress episode a hormonal chain of events occurs. Picture this, something upsets you: your heart races, your blood pressure goes up, your digestion process slows down, and glucose is released from the liver. If you stay in this condition for weeks, months, or years, you are actually making yourself sick.
The human body is designed to react with a fight-or-flight response to stressor as a means of protection. This was necessary when neanderthal man needed to escape a predator, but today it is overkill for our complex body systems.
When your brain detects a potentially dangerous situation (eg. the need to lift a car off of a loved one after an accident) or stressful situation (eg. a death or breakup), your body tries to help you by releasing hormones- epinephrine, cortisol, and aldostrone. And though these hormones can aid in a time of great need, they can be detrimental when they continually flow throughout your body. Epinephrine is a steroid that raises your metabolism which causes anxiety. Cortisol slows down your digestive system which causes stomach aches and other digestive problems. Aldostone raises your blood pressure which, in the long-term, could lead to heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and more.
This is where EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) comes in. EFT is a psychotherapeutic alternative medicine tool based on a theory that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body’s energy field and that tapping on the meridians while thinking of a negative emotion alters the body’s energy field, restoring it to “balance.” There are two studies which appear to show positive outcomes from use of the techniques, but another study has suggested that it is indistinguishable from the placebo effect. Critics have described the theory behind EFT as pseudoscientific and have suggested that any utility stems from its more traditional cognitive components, such as distraction from negative thoughts, rather than from manipulation of supposed “energy meridians”. But the way I figure it, if it works, who cares if it’s because of the meridians or the placebo effect…either way, you’re feeling stress free and THAT is the whole point.
tomorrow, i will post details on how to use EFT.
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