According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.
We learned firsthand.
My wife Lee had a stroke in early February 2007. It began a dizzying, terrifying period of not only coming to grips with the physical affects, but the mental affects of confusion, making adjustments to daily living, and often the arrival of depression and anxiety as well.
The good news is, conscious breathing can help in many ways.
All of the above were true for Lee, a robust 53-year-old woman with no medical history that would indicate a stroke was in her future, nor a lifestyle that would cause one. Her cholesterol was well below the accepted cutoff for concern, she ate an aspirin a day to ward off just such an event, and lived a healthy life that included exercise and a reasonably sound diet.
Physically, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or some other particle. Because of this rupture or blockage, part of the brain doesn't get the blood and oxygen it needs. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells in the affected area of the brain die within minutes.
There are two main types of stroke. One is caused by blood clots or other particles (ischemic), and the other by bleeding from a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic). Ischemic strokes are the most common.
Lee's stroke hit her while she slept. She woke up to nightmarish disorientation, trouble focusing, difficulty speaking, and what she described as a "detached" right side of her body. Eight hours in an emergency room, myriad blood tests, EKGs, and an MRI later, it was determined that she had what's called a lacunar stroke, which occurs in an artery in the brain and is a subtype of ischemic stroke). It hit a bull's eye on her pons, an area of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the cerebellum, before sending nerve signals out into the spinal cord and beyond to the body. She lost no cognitive skills or memory, thankfully, but speech and coordination took a direct hit.
That diagnosis began a long series of visits with neurologists, cardiologists, therapists (speech, physical and occupational) and pharmacists. After weeks of religious visits and home therapy guided by her army of providers, she's regained much of her speech, though it's still "slow," as she puts it, and hard work to make her mouth form the words her brain has no trouble recalling.
Her doctors have yet to find the cause, but predict something close to a full recovery. Physically. But there are mental aspects that neither of us imagined. Will it happen again? Will I recover those lost abilities and be able to return to work and a normal life? Will this kill me?
Sobering questions, all. At her lowest moments, all hope appeared to be lost and she sank into a debilitating depression - as if her stroke wasn't enough to deal with. Thanks to the helpful guidance of a Kaiser Permanente mental health counselor and cooperative doctors, Lee has not only some low-dose medication to help quell those abject feelings of depression and anxiety surrounding her condition, but has undergone what's called "cognitive restructuring" to help more organically battle what's happening in her mind.
Much to our delight, part of that mental-health counseling involves conscious breathing. While Lee had an intellectual understanding of breathing's implications (and had watched me practice it in various life situations), she now has a much clearer, vibrant and practical understanding of how it can help alleviate stress, anxiety and depression.
It's easy to slip into what-if mode after an event like this. Breathing, she found, helps keep the focus on the here-and-now, and away from what happened yesterday or the what-ifs of tomorrow. It's helping her eliminate the stress and anxiety of what can be an enervating battle of medical appointments and therapies, slow recovery, and a lingering fear of what the future holds. It rejuvenates the spirit and puts the situation in a more helpful, optimistic light.
Lee is now not only practicing her vocalization (which also relies heavily on conscious breathing), but is taking time to meditate throughout the day, as well as just being aware of her breath.
We can't say that it could or would supplant the medications, but conscious breathing does provide a tremendous mollifying effect on an otherwise fearful situation. And this holds true for a variety of emotional stress - grief, depression and fear - brought on my difficult situations or illness.
Unhealthy breathing habits are strongly associated with depression. Shallow breathing and frequent pause-and-sigh patterns can result in higher blood pressure, anxiety, restlessness and fatigue. Using deep, slow breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system counteracts these symptoms and helps develop the self-awareness that has been shown to be effective in elevating the mood, self-esteem, and overall emotional health of persons with depression. The Indian Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences reports that deep breathing techniques can sometimes be as effective as traditional drug treatments and counseling.
Applying simple, yet incredibly powerful breath control can be a weapon against specific emotional challenges. Remember that whatever combination of treatments are being employed to resolve counterproductive emotional patterns, conscious breathing is something that you can do that will immediately begin to counteract the negative effects on your immune system and your circulatory system, calm your nerves, and help keep you rooted firmly in the moment instead of wrestling with the past or future.
Depression Release Breathing
This exercise, from Michael Reed Gach ([http://www.acupressure.com/faculty.htm]), can help you let go of depression using acupressure and deep breathing.
- Lie down on your back or sit comfortably, with your spine straight, and feet flat on the floor.
- Reach up toward the sky with both hands; take a deep breath, and as you hold your breath, make tight fists and squeeze, tightening all the muscles in your arms.
- Slowly exhale, tensing your arms, bringing your fists down, to your chest
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times.
- Now cross your arms in front of your chest, with your fingers touching the upper outside area of the chest, (in acupressure it's known a point Lu 1, also Letting Go); your wrists cross at the center of your upper chest.
- Lower your chin toward your chest.
- Inhale four short breaths in a row (without exhaling) through your nose, filling your lungs completely on the fourth breath. Hold the breath for a few seconds with the chest full and expanded.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth.
- Repeat this exercise for two or three minutes, concentrating on the depth and rhythm of the breath.
Don Campbell and Al Lee are the authors of Perfect Breathing (Sterling Publishng/2008) and write, speak, train, and blog tirelessly on the subject. Discover more ways you can improve your health, performance, and wellbeing at http://www.perfectbreath.com Reach them at info@perfectbreath.com or [http://blog.perfectbreath.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Campbell
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1145904
No comments:
Post a Comment