Cycle of Symptoms

By Carolyn Dean MD, ND: I’ve observed a disturbing trend among some clients who consult with me. I’ve even heard similar stories from cab drivers and customer-service people who are being treated for heart disease with no relief. I call it “domino drug therapy.” Here’s the scenario:

1. You experience a tremendously stressful event or series of events in your life. Here’s a partial list: surgery, a death in the family, divorce, job loss, sickness of a child, foreclosure, hospitalization or even running a marathon!

2. As a result, you experience headaches, insomnia, achiness in your body and exhaustion.

3. You visit your doctor for reassurance that you don’t have something wrong. But you’re nervous on top of your stress so your blood pressure is elevated. It’s called “the white coat syndrome.”

4. Your HMO doctor is an hour behind schedule and doesn’t have time to ask about your stress levels or find out that you haven’t slept well or eaten a decent meal in three weeks.

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