I first noticed my stress addiction while I was working in the hospital, it was 9 PM and I couldn’t finish my notes and I was dragging my feet, procrastinating and feeling miserable. And then code blue happen and I ran to ICU into the havoc of resuscitation. Difficult code, but 40 minutes later, I felt amazing, with adrenaline rushing through my bloodstream, actually feeling high, running up the stairs, finishing my notes, finishing all of my work and feeling elated. I started to pay closer attention to myself: I’ve noticed that I purposely was seeking out sources of the high level of stress to feel that high.
Research shows that cortisol, known as the stress hormone, can make a region in the brain called the nucleus accumbens become more sensitive to dopamine, a neurotransmitter that gives us the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. For Type A people like myself, embracing fast-paced environments can lend itself to unchecked cortisol levels, which, if prolonged, can be a problem. In other words, stress, as some experts put it, can turn into addiction.
Neuroscientist and addiction specialist Jim Pfaus says that stress can cause a “natural high” by activating the arousal and attention centers in our peripheral nervous system. Pfaus explains that “stressors can also wake up the neural circuitry underlying wanting and craving – just like drugs do.”
This could shed light on the reasons why in 2015, the American Psychological Association reported that 24% of Americans experience extreme stress regularly. Might those who latch on to stress do so not least because they are addicted to the satisfaction they get from accomplishing work-related tasks under pressure?
Cortisol is the “fight or flight” hormone and it has a simple job: to get you out of a jam. If a tiger is about to charge you, cortisol raises your blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, sending fresh blood to your muscles so you can either pick up a club and fight the tiger or run like crazy up the nearest tree. It also shuts down your immune system. My biggest alarm at the age of mid 30s I’ve almost stopped healing. Any simple scratch would take 4-6 weeks to heal. It was ridiculous. I had a smallest 2nd degree burn (from touching oven) that wouldn’t heal for 10 weeks - tried multivitamins, high doses of vit C, collagen, nothing would help, all the standard labs were absolutely perfectly fine!
That’s when functional medicine became a real answer. But breaking down stress addiction cycle is not a joke.  Society, encourages such addictions. We all have friends (or are guilty ourselves) who, when asked how they are, inevitably respond with, "Busy," "Crazy busy" or even "Insanely busy." In our minds, busyness seems to equate with importance. Additionally, our smart devices ensure that we can keep ourselves on the busy treadmill even during dinners, vacations and social gatherings. "We're always wondering, 'Is something better happening? Am I getting an opportunity?'
At the root of the addiction is a reluctance to deal with ourselves on a deeper, more personal level. Cramming every moment of our lives with work, appointments and tasks means we don't have to think about larger issues. And as it turns out, people will do almost anything to avoid themselves.
We can help you get back in touch with yourself in our 6 days jungle paradise retreat. Each day of this retreat is dedicated to learning yourself, learning your anatomy, physiology, psychology, getting in touch with your inner child, discovering your personal generational trauma via a series of daily 1-3 hours interactive workshops on scientifically based traditional western medicine, classical psychology and methods of wholistic and eastern medicine. Each day will be enriched with the ancient wisdom of Kundalini yoga to balance your body and chakras, which will strengthen your intuition and open your heart. After 6 days of profound teachings, nature immersion, plant based food renewed, you will leave regenerated, with improved health and metabolism and successful techniques to continue creating a more vibrant life for yourself both personally and professionally and for your loved ones, recognize and break away from stress addiction.
Join us for a 6-day immersive retreat in Costa Rica to deep spiritual, emotional and physical transformation
OCTOBER 20-25, 2022
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