Everyone experiences various stress regularly, including emotional, physical, and psychological. Your genetics and life experiences can affect how you handle stressful situations. Some people use drinking, smoking, overeating, and not exercising as coping mechanisms for stress. However, all these activities can add to the adverse effects of stress. Many lifestyle choices can contribute to stress, but finances and jobs are at the top of the stress pyramid.
What is the Stress Response?
The way our bodies respond to stress is called allostasis, and the most well-known type is referred to as “fight-or-flight.” In this response, our bodies release stress hormones to enable our body to flee if it is in a life-threatening situation. Our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol during stressful situations, allowing better concentration, quicker reaction times, and increased strength. After the moment passes, our levels return to normal, and our bodies recover to a state of homeostasis.
Recurring or long-term stress can become a real problem, though. Consistently experiencing high levels of stress without adequate time to recover can cause issues with lasting effects on our wellness. Symptoms such as stomach pains, obesity, weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, and increased blood pressure, can all be prevalent. All of these raise the possibility of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or diabetes.
How Can Hormone Therapy Help With Stress?
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, specifically testosterone, has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help prevent unnecessary stress responses and help recovery afterward. We also experience less physical and psychological stress when our hormones are optimized because our bodies have more communicators, more energy, and more strength to manage our mental and emotional states.
Our bodies are highly susceptible to feedback loops. We often react to stress by indulging in habits or behaviors that ultimately lead to higher stress levels, completing and perpetuating the loop. Regardless of whether or not you pursue hormone replacement therapy, it’s important to take note of your coping mechanisms. Some of the most impactful changes you can make are in the gym, kitchen, and your habits.
Optimize Hormones to Help Stress Levels
If you’re interested in HRT, find a provider who prescribes bioidentical hormones. At Revitalize Medical, we enjoy custom-tailoring a plan to your hormone levels. Give us a call today to talk to an expert about optimizing your hormones to improve your quality of life. Let us help you live your best life.
