Does your body have a stress reaction?

I suppose mine is not uncommon (see below) but I have noticed it again of late and cannot deny the connection to excessively stressful events in my life. 

I involuntarily keep my jaw clinched and within a day or so I get a piercing pain in my jaw up by my ear. Anyone have a cure for this? I've even tried a rubber mouth piece but it doesn't stop the clenching. Vodka and xanax seems to help. 

Hi Gregor,

Used to get the same pain when I would grind my teeth in my sleep, clench my my jaw with stress. A small piece of gum (sugarless is best) helped me to not clench, exercise also helped, learned some relaxation techniques. 

Goshawk

If Vodka and xanax make you unclench your jaw, that seems to prove that you need to learn how to relax. Preferrably without depressants.

I have trouble relaxing as well, and get rushed with adrenaline easily. I blame it on my work and where I live. but I know better, that it has more to do with my own thought processes.

So far, the biggest thing that has helped me to reduce my anxiety is exercise or strenuous physical activity, like hiking and being out in the mountains/woods.

A stress reaction I have is ...I get light headed,  start to sweat..then I pass out. 

My husband says I grind my teeth at night. 

lisa

Gregor,

I always prided myself on a strong stomach/system no matter what was happening.  I could be stressed to the max...  I had no ulcers, I could eat anything, no headaches....blah, blah, blah....in other words no reaction.

Suddenly last month I was taken down with out warning.  At age 50 it all came crashing in.  Emergency room, emergency surgery to the tune of $70,000.00.

A hernia in the upper gastric region that went berserk under stress, strangulated and then lesions on the small intestines, which had to be re-sectioned.

So don't think your body isn't paying dearly for stress.  Still waters run deep as the saying goes.

r.

Vodka & xanax........

You sure you're not still a JW?

Sorry, Gregor.  I have noticed that night-time tooth-grinding kicks in when my stressors increase.  Daniel-P's "prescription" works well for me as well.

om

Generally, stress gives me a "chub"

I giggle like a school girl.              So, if your ever come up on a hairy, ugly, 300 lb. bastard whoopin' the piss outta somebody, it might be me.

sooner

I would never whoopin' the piss outta you sooner7nc.

or it might be my mother in law sooner

I hope everyone understood I was kidding about the vodka and xanex. I have never taken xanax in my life.

I think daniel-p's suggestion of exercise is good. I am going for a long walk this afternoon.

#1 cause of stress is not beating the piss out of a JW when they need it.

Just kidding

No I'm not

Okay I am lying.

If it hurts don't do it,

Being happy feels good so be happy...

Work stressed me out, so I just don't have a job and seem to be doing fine

For me, a nice walk with my iPod on does wonders. When I was working I used my lunch hour to go for a little stroll. I also switched from driving to using the mass transit system which removed the stress associated with trying to drive amongst idiots. I still take myself for walks on occasion just to clear my head and get my blood moving, but it really does help especially if you have a park nearby. Otherwise my version of Vodka and Xanax is beers and bong hits.

Oh, my stress expressed itself as tension headaches due to tight neck and upper back muscles. I blame it for my hair loss too, but that could just be genetic.

depends on the type of stress. Stress from a situation that comes up immediately  prompts me to make nervous jokes. 

Long term stress brings rashes, pimples, and in extreme cases, seizures.

bigwilly, i get the same neck and upper back muscles cramps when a stressful situation happens.... it had been a long while for me but two days ago a doctor that answered the phone pissed me off so bad when she blurted out medical assumptions that  had not been asked for...

last episode had been two years ago before my son was born and in that ocassion my back and neck became so stiff i could not even get up from bed!!! it took a few visits to an old mexican granma bone healer (huesera) and a visit to my acupuncturist so yes bodies can and do suffer reactions to stress.

Yes, and it sometimes lasts 3 to 4 hours.  Clinching my jaw doesn't help...

My wife needed to see a specialist for that after a car accident.

They prescribed a very inexspensive TENS unit. It worked so well for her, I use it on my low back when it acts up.

Electrical impulses deaden the pain and stimulate the muscles very selectively.

Gregor,

If you have an NST therapist near you they are brilliant with jaw problems.

y