Does healing from withdrawal syndrome strengthen the nervous system?

[Evoldnahturt]

Our bodies have evolved to expect and thrive on most forms of physical stress.  Stress tells our body that our environment is rough and that it needs to toughen up to survive.  When we workout a muscle, the muscle tears and rebuilds itself stronger.  When we run, our bones suffer tiny fractures that make the bones stronger when they heal.  When your skin is cut deeply enough to bleed, the healing process makes the skin stronger.  What if over-stressing our nervous systems to the point that we develop withdrawal syndrome has a similar effect?  Our nervous system heals and becomes stronger than it was before.  I have no idea if this is true or not, but it fits the pattern.  This might make the future less scary for some of us.  Medications are usually necessary near the end of our lives to keep us together a little longer and to make the dying process less painful.  Is it possible that fully healing from withdrawal syndrome will make us less likely to develop it than most people?

[music321]

"Withdrawal" is often different that "protracted withdrawal", or more precisely "Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome".  Withdrawal ends rapidly; PAWS lasts weeks, months, or years.  It seems that "withdrawal" is made worse by continued episodes through a process called kindling.  As for PAWS, I have no idea.  

 

I want to comment that your understanding of strengthening is somewhat incorrect.  A biological system will not adapt without stress, as you pointed out.  However, too much stress will damage the system.  If too much weight is lifted with the arms; tendon, ligament, and muscle damage will result.  PAWS has strengthened my will, I know that.  However, in other ways, I'm not as well off. 

[Junglechicken]

I have read many articles and been advised by people in the field of psychiatry and therapists, that a nervous system that has undergone prolonged stress breaks down - period.

 

The "effects" of that nervous system having broken down are numerous.....think heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune disorders.  There are basically A LOT of illnesses associated with a nervous system that has been pushed beyond what it can deal with.  They crop up all over the place on SA.

 

I am not aware that these illnesses can be reversed once they really take hold.

 

This is why RECOVERY in the form of exercise, nutrition, sleep, meditation and therapy etc., are vital to help us get that balance back again.

[Evoldnahturt]

I guess it was kind of a silly idea.

[music321]

An incorrect idea, maybe.  Not a silly one, though.  It's good to try to think of problems from different angles.

[Junglechicken]

Not silly at all.

 

There is nothing wrong with questioning everything we are experiencing here.

[ang]

Yes chronic stress, destoys us eventually.   But stress isnt just mental,  ie phsycological.            Stress on our bodies includes infections, lack of correct nutrients etc, etc. Pollution,  so many things.        Physical ""stress""  to our bodies does cause a lot of psychological problems.           By simply giving us ""happy pills""  to keep the body and mind working, is just adding another stress burden  (my opinion).             Makes pharma lots of money, but it is like constantly adding fuel to a car with a motor when the motor is under stress, due to say lack of oil.                  It can only keep running so long.   The correct thing to do would be to work out what is wrong with the motor. 

 

Going off the antidepressants, this time, has been the hardest thing I have done in my life, but only now off them, am I fixing the real problems with my health, and wow!  I have a life ahead of me now.