Stress and Cortisol Reduction?

Options
Amyirene74
Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am under a ton of stress. No way around it. I am bipolar with anxiety being my major issue. Also I have 5 kids and a step-son. My oldest is an adult now but is making alot of bad choices in life so I worry. My step-son is 16 and my next son is 15..they are easy. Then my 12 year old is schizophrenic, bipolar and possible aspergers. He is really hard to handle. I also have a 3 and 5 year old. My 5 year old is in school half days and the 3 year old is home with me. To top it off, my marriage is in shambles. I am trying to lose weight but it's really hard due to the stress and menopause (had hysterectomy and take estrogen)... Any suggestions on how to reduce the cortisol production without reducing stress?

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Options
    7-alpha-hydroxy-dehydoepiandrosterone
    7-beta-hydroxy-dehydoepiandrosterone
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    7-alpha-hydroxy-dehydoepiandrosterone
    7-beta-hydroxy-dehydoepiandrosterone

    Does it cause you to be jittery? I have to watch out for anything that can raise my anxiety.
  • shanniebanannie73
    shanniebanannie73 Posts: 46
    Options
    Ihad some issues with cortisol from stress and postpartum depression. My doc put me on a very very low dose of lexapro as an antidepressant for 4 months and it helped me get over the "hump". I slept better, therefore felt better so I was more motivated to take better care of myself. My heart goes out to you because you certainly have a lot on your plate.
  • marewinters
    marewinters Posts: 1
    Options
    You certainly are under a mountain of stress. My suggestion is to get help, support, and respite. You can't handle all of this alone. In my area there is a great organization called MotherWoman - they have support groups for mothers and they let mothers be real with all of their emotions, issues, and problems. Maybe there is something similar wherever you live. You don't say specifically what you mean by your marriage being in a shambles, but if your partner isn;t in this with you and is adding to the difficulty. If it's safe to do so, set some clear expectations for your partner and don't make it optiona. it's an added stressor. I feel for you, girl. Do whatever you can to get some support, get some respite daycare for the younger one. Think of it this way - if you're on an airplane and the oxygen masks fall down, they require you to put your own mask on first before you can help anybody else, even your own child. Do this for yourself.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    I am also on Prozac but it tends to send my anxiety through the roof. They also gave me Klonapin and it helps but it makes me so sleepy. I keep trying to get in for counseling but I am never without my kids.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    You certainly are under a mountain of stress. My suggestion is to get help, support, and respite. You can't handle all of this alone. In my area there is a great organization called MotherWoman - they have support groups for mothers and they let mothers be real with all of their emotions, issues, and problems. Maybe there is something similar wherever you live. You don't say specifically what you mean by your marriage being in a shambles, but if your partner isn;t in this with you and is adding to the difficulty. If it's safe to do so, set some clear expectations for your partner and don't make it optiona. it's an added stressor. I feel for you, girl. Do whatever you can to get some support, get some respite daycare for the younger one. Think of it this way - if you're on an airplane and the oxygen masks fall down, they require you to put your own mask on first before you can help anybody else, even your own child. Do this for yourself.

    My son gets respite and that does help. I don't have many people to talk to around here. I live in a college town and 2 of my friends moved away and another one is moving this summer. The only one left who is within an hour of me works all of the time now. We moved here in 2008 from a town that is over an hour south of here and i don't get to see the majority of my friends very often. If I get to go see them I have to take the kids with.
  • cargilb
    cargilb Posts: 116
    Options
    do loving and kindness meditation.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Options
    Therapy.

    I've had two major issues with cortisol in my life, both of which were life threatening, put weight on me, etc. You don't want cortisol to get out of control.

    Stress, be it mental, physical, whatever, is always going to be using cortisol... until it, after a prolonged state of being high, essentially flatlines, putting you in a state of adrenal insufficiency.

    You're trying to treat a symptom here by saying, "How can I treat cortisol without treating stress?" Unless you have some sort of adrenal disorder, high cortisol is just a symptom of high stress (which can be physical, which was my issue; yours sounds very much environmental).

    Talk to someone. Find a counselor, find a friend, open a journal, anything. You need to learn to cope and manage your life stresses; that's a pretty vital part of LIVING, let alone weight loss. A therapist would be the #1 thing I'd recommend.

    Edit: I just saw you said you're trying to, but you're never without your kids. It's worth it to hire a babysitter, or even have them come and be in the waiting room. Otherwise, even if your relationship is in shambles (as you say), where is your partner in this picture? Have him watch the kids... and if he works where it is near impossible for him to get time off, resort again to possible babysitter.
  • smcassaro
    smcassaro Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    I am also on Prozac but it tends to send my anxiety through the roof. They also gave me Klonapin and it helps but it makes me so sleepy. I keep trying to get in for counseling but I am never without my kids.

    I'm no doctor, but my son is bi-polar so I have done a ton of research. From what I understand, people that are bi-polar should NEVER take an anti-depressant (ex, Prozac). It can kick mania into high gear (and therefore, probably anxiety). I would talk to your psych doctor about a change in meds. If you have a family doctor prescribing your pysch meds, maybe you should seek out a psychiatrist. Hope things get better for you.
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
    Options
    No wonder you are stressed!

    Magnesium supplements at night can help reduce night time cortisol levels and may help with your sleep, but start off slowly as it doesn't suit everyone. I found it really helpful and I started to sleep much better. A good night's sleep can also help with regulating your cortisol levels.

    You can also try avoiding caffeine and alcohol and also sugar, which I appreciate is very hard when you are stressed!

    Also getting as much help as you can with all the stress would help.
  • JESSJESJ
    JESSJESJ Posts: 121 Member
    Options
    wow - there is definitely alot on your plate.

    perhaps try meditation, if you could find some quiet time for yourself during hte day. I haven't tried it, but I have a friend who found it has helped him alot with his depression and does it every night. It may help you cope better with the stressors you have in your life. A different friend is an editor and she sent me this email recently ... perhaps worth a shot.

    "According to the book I’m editing, this basic form of meditation actually changes your brain chemistry. Done daily, it’s a long-term change. And the change is for the better, purportedly making depressed people more cheerful and hostile people more mellow and stressed people less tense…and improving one’s decision-making processes and generally doing everything you could desire except make you a millionaire.

    Who else wants to put it to the test? It’ll take about 2 minutes out of your day. This is all you do:

    1. Stretch a little.
    2. Sit straight in a firm but comfy chair and let your eyes fall on a spot on the floor.
    3. Take 3 deep breaths: breathing through your nose, fill your lungs, then slowly exhale through your mouth.
    4. Take 10 normal breaths, but mentally count: “In—one, out—one; In—two, out—two,” etc.

    While doing this, you can notice the thoughts that inevitably pop into your mind, but treat them like people familiar enough with your house to walk in and out of it, get themselves a drink or a snack, etc., needing no actions from you. Don’t follow them, and don’t fight them. "

    ETA: I'm really not a touchy feely / new-agey person, but I keep hearing more and more about the benefits of meditation, which is why i'm suggesting it.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Options
    First and most important.....consult with your doctor before adding any additional medications or supplements so you do not have interference with psych meds. When you see your doctor inform him or her about ALL symptoms, forms of stress etc. If you see a GP for psych meds, you can see if a referral can be made for a psychiatrist to work with to find which medications would work best for you. In addition, to see what other community programs are available so you can work with someone on reducing stress. Psych meds are no joke and only a licensed professional can truly answer your questions.
  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
    Options
    bumpppp
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    I am also on Prozac but it tends to send my anxiety through the roof. They also gave me Klonapin and it helps but it makes me so sleepy. I keep trying to get in for counseling but I am never without my kids.

    I'm no doctor, but my son is bi-polar so I have done a ton of research. From what I understand, people that are bi-polar should NEVER take an anti-depressant (ex, Prozac). It can kick mania into high gear (and therefore, probably anxiety). I would talk to your psych doctor about a change in meds. If you have a family doctor prescribing your pysch meds, maybe you should seek out a psychiatrist. Hope things get better for you.

    I see a psychatrist. They had to put me on the prozac because the mood stabilizer made me so down that I got super depressed and could not hardly move. I just sat all day long. The mood stabilizer I take is epitol. It is weight neutral.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    No wonder you are stressed!

    Magnesium supplements at night can help reduce night time cortisol levels and may help with your sleep, but start off slowly as it doesn't suit everyone. I found it really helpful and I started to sleep much better. A good night's sleep can also help with regulating your cortisol levels.

    You can also try avoiding caffeine and alcohol and also sugar, which I appreciate is very hard when you are stressed!

    Also getting as much help as you can with all the stress would help.

    My mood stabilizer does help with sleep but I tend to dream very vividly and still wake up tired. I will try magnesium. I know that is one I can take. I drink 2 cups of coffee each day just to get through the day. Today I drank one full caff and one decaf. I am gonna try to wean down to decaf. I love my coffee so I hate to give it up completely. I love it so much my whole kitchen is done in Coffee house decor lol

Categories