Stress. We all have it and we all have different ways of dealing with it. I'll be the first to admit that lately I haven't been handling stress in the best way. The last year has brought major changes to my life and instead of handling my stress in a positive way: going to yoga, talking it out with friends, doing things to de-stress I've been internalizing it. Because of this my health has taken some major hits. I've gained weight, emotionally ate, drank a little more than I should, and exacerbated some health problems I already had. Basically I was dealing with stress in all the ways you shouldn't. I guess I was in denial about the level of stress I was carrying and at a loss for how to deal with it. It wasn't until a few days ago that it really hit me. I had been having some major sensitivity with my teeth and couldn't figure out why. So, I scheduled a last minute appointment with my dentist to try and figure out why I couldn't drink even a glass of water without experiencing shooting pain. I wasn't in the chair for five minutes when my dentist asked if I had been under a lot of stress recently. Apparently I've been grinding my teeth a whole lot lately. This can lead to increased nerve sensitivity, particularly in regards to temperature changes. So now I have to wear a ever so stylish mouth guard (didn't you know all the cool kids are wearing them these days?) to bed and while watching tv to avoid grinding. It's really made me think about how else my internalization of stress is affecting my body and my health. I'm going to start trying to better listen to myself and give my body what it needs to avoid stress wrecking havoc however it pleases. Whether it's going for a run or taking a yoga class, curling up for thirty minutes with a good book, making time to call a friend, or watching a favorite tv show I'm trying to find ways to better release stress.
How do you handle stress? Do you internalize it too? What do you do to avoid or alleviate stress?
I think you are talking my language.
ReplyDeleteI have been wearing one night guard for the last 18 yrs or so. This year it got so bad that the dentist made one for the upper teeth as well. I have really bad TMJ. I clench my teeth something awful too. I cracked one of the molars and had to have a crown put on and that was in March and it still feels off. I have seen him about 5 times since and an endodontist wondering what was wrong with my teeth. They say my teeth now look fine. I have seen an ENT as well that works with TMJ patients.
The only thing that has helped with the pain is doing some trigger point therapy. I do not know how to explain it but if you google trigger point therapy for the masseter muscles of the mouth it should help you. It has helped me. I also take ibuprofen. I also do acupuncture. I do yoga when I can. But I have to tell you that the last few years have been very stressful for me and I can tell you that I too have been internalizing all this stress. I also have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue so that doesn't help the situation.
Hopefully you will feel better with the mouth guard.
Wow, thank you for sharing your experience! I hope that the trigger point therapy continues to help you!
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