Doctors DO see stress as a contributing factor to the onset of Graves. Every book I’ve picked up on the subject talks about the possible relationship. Whether it’s the “good” stress of being pregnant, or the “bad” stress of losing a loved one, a job, etc. It’s just that stress alone does not cause Graves. Nor does stress plus bad eating habits. If that were the case, there would be tens of millions more people with the disease. The problem is that the exact contributing causes have not yet been discovered. It is only known that autoimmune problems tend to run in families, and that the onset of an autoimmune illness like Graves can often be traced back to some stress trigger. But even then, not always. Many of us have eaten well and tried to take good care of ourselves for years, and we STILL got Graves.
I also think that while eating well, and learning to handle our stress better will undoubtedly help us in the long run, there has been no scientific proof that doing this ALONE will lower our thyroid hormone levels once we have the problem. And it’s these elevated levels of thyroid hormone that are the danger. In fact, if the history of the disease is taken into account, there is somewhat ample evidence that it won’t do much at all. Prior to the current treatments, the only thing doctors could do for Graves’ patients was to put them to bed, and sedate them. A small percentage of patients did get better in those days– i.e., those who spontaneously remitted. About half died. Obviously, contemporary treatment options have a MUCH better track record than that. Being hyper by too much for too long can damage our hearts permanently. It can also lead to strokes. Do the meditation, eat well, but also see a real doctor and choose one of the treatment options. For your sake.
Bobbi
Anonymous
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