Introduction To Stress Illness
Ellen was hospitalized at a university sixty times in fifteen years with no diagnosis and no relief. Then, in a little over an hour, Dr Clarke uncovered the hidden stress that was responsible for her condition and followed with treatment that was a complete success. Ellen is not alone (though most patients take longer to fully recover). Every year in the United States, millions of people who seek medical care are left undiagnosed or inadequately treated because examinations and tests can’t find the cause of their symptoms. The diagnosis in many of these patients is Stress Illness (or Psychophysiologic Disorder) and the symptoms they suffer are perfectly real.
Below is a brief questionnaire that can uncover clues that you might be suffering from a hidden stress. It will not find all hidden stresses but does point the way toward many of them.
Hidden Stress Screening Test
1. How much stress have you experienced in your life recently? (Choose one answer.)
None Score = 0 |
Mild Score = 1 |
Moderate Score = 2 |
Severe Score = 3 |
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2. How often do you neglect your own needs because you are taking care of others? (Choose one answer.)
Rarely Score = 0 |
Occasionally Score = 1 |
Frequently Score = 2 |
Nearly Always Score = 3 |
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3. Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems? (For each row, choose the one box that applies best to you.)
Not at All
Score = 0 |
Several Days Score = 1 |
More than Half the Days Score = 2 |
Nearly Every Day Score = 3 |
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A.Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge. |
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B.Not being able to stop or control worrying. |
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C.Feeling down, depressed or hopeless. |
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D.Little interest or pleasure in doing things. |
4. In the past month, how much have you been bothered by repeated, disturbing memories, thoughts, images or dreams of a stressful experience? (Choose one answer.)
Not at All Score = 0 |
A little Bit Score = 1 |
Moderately Score = 2 |
Quite a Bit Score = 3 |
Extremely Score = 4 |
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5. In the past month, how much have you been bothered by feeling very upset when something reminded you of a stressful experience? (Choose one answer.)
Not at All Score = 0 |
A little Bit Score = 1 |
Moderately Score = 2 |
Quite a Bit Score = 3 |
Extremely Score = 4 |
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6. How would you feel if you discovered that a child you care about was experiencing everything you did as a child? (Choose one answer.)
Happy Score = 0 |
Neutral Score = 1 |
Sad or Angry Score = 2 |
Very Sad or Very Angry Score = 3 |
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Total Hidden Stress Score __________ (range 0 - 29)
Interpreting the Hidden Stress Screening Test
A word of caution: this test is too short to provide more than a screen for hidden stresses. It will not detect all the stresses capable of causing physical illness nor is it capable of reliable diagnosis. If you have concerns about a score greater than zero on any question a discussion with a medical or mental health professional would be a good next step.
No score proves or disproves the presence of hidden stress. People with higher scores are more likely to have hidden stresses but even some people with scores in the 2-5 range will have issues they could beneficially review with a health care professional.
Here are a few additional basic suggestions about what to do for scores greater than zero for each question.
Question 1: Make a list of every stress in your life. Keep the list with you and add to it as new ideas come up. Then, see if you can reduce the stress from some of the listed items.
Question 2: If possible, take several hours each week for self-indulgence to put yourself on the list of people for whom you care.
Question 3 A & B: These two questions screen for the presence of an Anxiety Disorder. You can read more about this condition at the NIMH Anxiety page.
Question 3 C & D: These two questions screen for the presence of Depression. You can read more about this condition at the NIMH Depression page.
Questions 4 & 5: These two questions screen for the presence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. You can read more about this condition at the NIMH PTSD page.
Question 6: Significant scores here raise the possibility of your having prolonged effects of childhood stress. This can cause other types of hidden stresses described above and can also lead to one or more of the following:
- Low self-esteem.
- Addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, work, sex, eating, gambling, exercise, shopping).
- Eating disorders.
- Regularly finding yourself in relationships where you are treated disrespectfully.
- Cutting, burning or otherwise deliberately injuring yourself.
All these hidden stress issues are described in more detail in Dr. Clarke's book.
Physical Symptoms
When diagnostic tests are normal, illnesses can be baffling until hidden stresses are uncovered and treated. Here is a list of symptoms that can be linked to hidden stresses in some patients:
- Pain such as headache, back pain, chest pain, muscle or joint pain and abdominal or pelvic pain
- Abnormal swallowing, digestion or bowel function including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, nausea and vomiting
- Discomfort in the bladder or during urination
- Respiratory symptoms including difficulty breathing, cough, throat and vocal changes
- Heart palpitations
- Pelvic and vaginal irritation, premenstrual or menstrual pain
- Fatigue; abnormal sleeping or eating
- Symptoms related to nerve function such as blurred vision, dizziness, ringing in the ears, itching of the skin, sweating, numbness or tingling
Remember, the same symptoms can also result from diseases that can be diagnosed through tests – visible illnesses – so it is essential to have a medical evaluation to be sure none of these diseases is present.
About the Book
In They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, Dr. Clarke shares a life-changing approach to Stress Illness that is based on detailed interviews with and successful treatment of over 7000 patients.
Like Ellen, the tens of millions of people with Stress Illness are usually unaware of the nature or degree of the stress responsible for their symptoms. Unfortunately, few physicians are formally trained to detect and manage this problem. Consequently, Stress Illness patients often find themselves in a medical blind spot and subjected to unnecessary tests and unsuitable treatments.
They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! meets the needs of these patients, their physicians and the health care system as a whole. Written in a warm, non-technical, story-telling style, this comprehensive guide is the first to provide readers with a focus on the five distinct types of stress that can cause illness directly:
- Persistent effects from childhood stress (over fifty percent of cases)
- Current stress
- Post-traumatic stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
In his approach to alleviating symptoms, Dr. Clarke goes beyond the typical lifestyle/stress management guides with his perceptions about finding and removing hidden impediments to lasting and meaningful change. Moreover, They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! also addresses longstanding problems in the health care system that let so many patients fall through the cracks between disease diagnosis and mental health treatment.
Throughout the book, Dr. Clarke uses numerous case histories of patients he has treated. The stories in They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! are carefully selected to help readers uncover their own hidden stresses. This is the essential first step toward understanding and alleviating stress illness symptoms. Many of the stories are also moving and inspiring.
In Part I (Chapters 1 & 2), Dr. Clarke establishes a foundation for understanding stress illness, with suggestions for how readers can listen to their body’s messages. Part I also reviews the connection between life experiences and symptoms and describes how patients and their doctors can work together to benefit from the book. In Part II (Chapters 3 – 9), he explores each of the five kinds of stress (childhood stress, current stress, post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety), together with an examination of illness caused by more than one form of stress or in combination with visible illnesses. He also addresses the practical steps for treatment and healing with a range of techniques, medications and other options for alleviating symptoms. Finally, in Part III (Chapters 10 & 11), Dr. Clarke reviews ideas for helping loved ones overcome stress illness. He concludes by laying out a model for patients, doctors, the medical community and the general public, individually and collectively, to put a stop to the epidemic.
They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! is a book that can transform lives by offering hope and guidance so that millions can live the lives they were always meant to have.