Home Community Speak Out! Stress!

8/19/01-This week's topic and opinion from Tina Underwood:

Stress!

Everything you read tells you that people with RA should avoid stress. Stress brings flares they say. Well, could someone please tell me how to avoid stress?

In a period of less than two weeks, my grandma had a heart attack, a close friend was diagnosed with lung cancer, my sister gave birth to a premature baby and my cousin was involved in a car accident that resulted in him being on life support for a short period of time. And I hosted a baby shower for 40 people. Stressful? Hell yes!!

Now, it seems that the adrenaline push that got me through all this has left. My body feels completely weak, I am totally exhausted, my joints are swollen and very painful, I have a rash and a fever. Full blown flare. Am I surprised? Hell no!!

How do we avoid it? Certainly there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid these stressors. Most are unavoidable. Do we isolate ourselves from others? Maybe each of us should live alone, on a deserted island. Maybe a very good looking pilot could fly in once a week with supplies and fun activities (wink). 

Maybe we just need to learn to deal with stress better. But how? I know part of my problem is that I am the "strong one" of my family. Everyone turns to me when there is a problem. Because I am a nurse, I am expected to be there for every medical crisis, to translate doctorese into English. Not only does my family expect it, I expect it of myself. It's always been my role in the family, how could I change it?

But this isn't just about me, it's about all of us. Let's use the Speak Out message board to share stress busting tips and ideas. Face it, we all need help dealing with the stress in our lives. And when I have a some stress free time, I'll use the suggestions on the board to form a new section on Arthritis Insight, all about STRESS!

Tell us how you deal with stress! Speak Out!!!

Page last updated on August 26, 2001