Ask HN: How to handle stress related diseases

[DennisMaHa]

Hi guys,

I have been suffering from CSCR, (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_serous_chorioretinopathy) for a few weeks now. This is a disease that affects the vision in one eye. I am pretty sure it is related to stress at work.

Honestly I was very surprised because I always felt like I could take stress quite well. For now I try to reduce stress as much as possible but I'm scared to fall back in the future (I'm 27).

Has anyone similar issues? How did you handle it? Any ideas how to find the "right" balance of stress?

[hmahonen]

I have an auto-immune condition that stress makes worse. I try to:

sleep well, exercise moderately, enjoy nature and walk a lot, eat food (not too much, mostly plants), drink decaf and just plain water, re-frame if the situation is stressful, try to increase resilience by positive stress (ie. cold water swimming, exercising, fasting).

I am still learning and I fail all the time. But then again, I don't stress about it :D

[bakakid]

I was diagnosed with This about 2 years ago. some things you may not have been told is to try to avoid caffeine and antihistamines, as they can exacerbate the problem. apparently sleep apnoea can also bring this on, so maybe look into these as well as the stress.

as for stress, its hard. I can go months at a time without any issue, and then have something (usually work related) set me off. trying some mindfulness exercises, breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques have helped, but I find after a stressful workday I just try to do some dead thinking, you know the kind where someone asks what you are thinking about and you can't answer cos it was nothing. tv could be on, could be listening to music, could be nothing.

[formerkrogemp]

Hello friend. I think that I've been there as well. I worked in a dead retail job for quite some time until recently when I decided to go back to school online. At the same time I became engaged, traveled abroad for the first time in 2020 in late February and almost got stuck in lockdown, worked overtime prior to and following coming back to the states, and started my first internship. About the same time, I started to sleepwalk, to develop an eye twitch, and to develop lockjaw. I had to consciously relax my jaw and eye while at work or when thinking about work. I'm going to say something cliche: have you tried therapy? I know quite a few people recommend it online, but finding a good therapist can be hit or miss. It may not be covered under health insurance or might be stigmatized. However, I'm not trying to dissuade you from therapy.

I cut back on my hours at my retail job, stopped picking up extra hours for money, saved up, finished my internship, put in my notice, got married, and took an unemployment sabbatical I guess you could say. I found a new job and completed my degree with a less stressful work environment, and I am much happier. When times got really tough I had my wife and best friend to talk to. My friend, when he was struggling in life, took up weight lifting, and he seems in a much better place now, mentally speaking. I might suggest based on this anecdote taking up some form exercise if you don't already.

If I were you I would try to identify the source of stress in my life and reduce exposure to that thing or find someone who'll just listen while you complain for a bit. After getting off work it helped me to have a ritual of some kind to change headspaces or to engage codeswitching. As it's been explained to me, symptoms such as lockjaw or CSCR manifest as your body's way of telling you that should current conditions continue your body will receive more trouble, especially as we age. Maybe all you need is a break?

As to the right amount of stress or finding a balance, I haven't figured that out yet. Best of luck, and I wish you well.

[xthestreams]

If you can, try removing the source of stress. Depending on your situation, this may involve changing work environment.

I've been there, I was at a point in which I would either burn out (if I wasn't already) or change environment completely. I changed environment, and it's been the most difficult yet the best decision in my life

[Parker_Powell]

Stress is an inevitable part of life. We all experience it, and often we can't avoid it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to deal with the stress that we do encounter in life—before it starts to affect our health.

A good place to start is with exercise. It's a common misconception that exercise makes you stressed out—when in fact, moderate exercise helps to relieve stress! This is because exercise helps your body release endorphins, which help you feel more relaxed. Not only that, but just taking the time for yourself to get some exercise can give you the space you need to process your emotions and thoughts—which can make you feel less overwhelmed by them.

Another great strategy is to keep a journal. Writing down your thoughts allows you to see them on paper and make sense of them, rather than letting them bounce around in your head all day. This not only helps you feel more calm and collected as you go about your day but will also help you see patterns or triggers of stress in your life so that you can address or avoid them better in the future.

Finally, meditation and deep breathing exercises are helpful ways to decrease stress levels.