Reducing stress

People with chronic hyperventilation have often been under psycho-social pressure for too long. This can develop in the work situation, or it can be stress created by the home situation. Or – in some cases – even a combination of the two. To cure chronic hyperventilation it is important to investigate and resolve the causes. But also reducing the underlying stress is often key to the healing process.

The cause can also be hidden

Often the cause is not immediately clear. People think – often unjustly – that they do not experience any stress. In those cases, the cause is often hidden from the person himself. The people around can then sometimes help to find the cause. If that does not work, help from a psychologist or psychiatrist or another therapist can help find the sources of the stress.

Stress and HyperVen

Finding and eliminating the stress sources is important when suffering from chronic hyperventilation. It is equally important when doing the HyperVen therapy. Too much stress in the subconscious mind creates a blockage for the respiratory center in the brain to adjust itself. At the same time, the stress that is close to consciousness layer of the mind continues to stimulate the respiratory center. If nothing is done about stress reduction, the HyperVen therapy can be a lengthy process. This situation is usually also directly visible in the progress chart of the HyperVen program. The chart then continues to fluctuate around a certain value. In those cases extra support might be necessary to reduce the stress.

Reducing stress with medication

It is possible to reduce stress through the use of medication. The modern antidepressant medications (also called AD medication) effectively increase the level of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. We then refer to the group of SSRI (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) AD drugs. This is actually quite effective in helping to reduce stress. Because the connections in the brain are more easily established, the natural stress dissolving mechanism of the nervous system can benefit from it.

The disadvantages of these drugs are the side effects. It should also be mentioned that – if stress levels are significantly high – these drugs sometimes act as a kind of crowbar. What can happen is a breakthrough of stress forcing itself outwards in a violent manner. The patient then experiences extreme stress discharges. For many people, such a violent discharge of stress is too much of a good thing. Usually this results in discontinuing this type of medication.

An alternative to SSRI drugs

A good alternative to the abovementioned SSRI drugs are the drugs in the tetracyclic antidepressant group. Mirtazapine (also called Remeron) is the most known of these type of drugs. These drugs have a similar effect to the SSRI, but generally have fewer side effects. The big advantage of Mirtazapine is that it is also a great sleeping aid. The patient sleeps better.

In addition, the drug does not suppress the stress. So due to the improved sleep and the stress-reducing effect, this medication is in our opinion a better choice than the SSRI. However, it should be noted that it can lead to rather weird dreams, especially in the beginning. This also shows that this medication has a strong positive effect on reducing stress, because dreams are a form of stress discharge.

Other methods to reduce stress

Many people have an antipathy against medication. Fortunately, there are other methods to reduce stress. One of the most important things to do to reduce stress, is a healthy lifestyle.

Quiet walking and cycling are good ways to release and process stress. Light sports also help, because sports also cause an increase in neurotransmitters in the brain. In addition, the mind relaxes during exercise. This triggers the de-stressing mechanism.

Although the above methods can make a good contribution to reducing stress, it is mainly new (er) stress that will be be processed. The deeper rooted stress and especially the traumas (that are extreme stress experiences) can not be solved in this way.

Yoga and meditation

To reduce deeper rooted stress, there are two methods that one can use to release and process that stress. More detailed information about these two ways can be found in the article about yoga and meditation.

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