Customer Reviews

Adrenaline and Stress: The Exciting New Breakthrough That Helps You Overcome Stress Damage

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Although Mr. Hart is a Christian, it isn't until the last chapter that he writes about Christianity's effect on reducing stress. This is intentionally and effectively done. Nonetheless, I found this book incredibly informative with lots of practical advice well explained. I immediately realized why it took me the first four days of a vacation to settle down and why I tend to have a stress headache on most saturdays. I have intentionally tried a few of his suggestions and they work. I recommend this book to anyone, especially those who have been accused of being type A. I am not type A and I am a Christian. I found this book very enjoyable.

When I began experiencing bizarre physical symptoms several years ago, I began getting very frightened. Cancer? MS? Lupus? Brain tumor?

Test after medical test showed me to be quite healthy, with no discernable problems. When doctors suggested "stress," I dismissed it as a junk diagnosis, thinking "why don't you just say you don't know instead of blaming stress for everything." Turns out, though, that they were right.

Stress is much, much worse for us than previously imagined. It does not just affect us primarily mentally or with the occassional headache or indigestion...it can profoundly alter our body to the point of near disability. I know -- because it has happened to me.

This book came as a godsend in helping me understand what was happening to my body, and why. It was the book that opened my eyes to the connection between stress and the adrenal glands, and the profound affect that prolonged exposure to stress can have on our hormonal system. Many physicians poo-poo the idea that the adrenals can eventually become exhausted because they reason that adrenaline goes up (not down) when the body is under stress. Hart shows that while such reasoning is correct, it is only half correct. Eventually, the body can no longer sustain the continual demand for over-production of adrenaline and the body will crash. When that happens, the physical results are profoundly severe.

Although Hart spends less time in the book dealing with the most serious stage of stress exhaustion - adrenal depletion - he was the first author that alerted me to this very real condition, and hence helped me on my journey to finding out what was wrong and how to get much-needed help for recovery from a debilitating condition.

Most have been conditioned to believe that stress will only manifest itself as eventual coronary problems. While this is true for some people - the heart attack out of the blue - there are a host of other physical symptoms that while perhaps not life-threatening, can render a person's quality of life completely destroyed. There is a significant body of evidence, for example, to show that chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are simply the body's response to prolonged, chronic, unresolved stress.

I believe that anyone who deals with stress - from mild to severe - will benefit from this book. Knowing the dangers and warning signals of too much stress are vitally important in today's ultra-demanding pace of life.

My only critique is that I wished he would have discussed the concept of adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion in more detail. However, that topic is adequately addressed in other books - particularly "Chronic Fatigue Unmasked" by Gerald Poesnecker.

Well informed, somewhat technical read. Teaches what stress really is and the impact on our whole life: physical, emotional, personal, professional. Helps one to learn to calm down and handle difficulties with more finesse by being more aware of our blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety level, etc. The result? When practiced properly: happiness has room to grow as well as peace of mind and deeper confidence/competence in meeting deadlines and many of the endless demands upon us.

I recently purchased this book after reviewing it for use in a course that I am teaching entitled, Crisis Counseling. I have found it a highly effective tool to use in educating about the long term harmful affects of excessive amounts of adrenaline on the human body. I appreciate its straightforward approach to telling the truth about how easy it is to become an adrenaline junkie and the importance of learning to relax. This book is a must read for all physicians, counselors, pastors, and other members of the helping professions who work with individuals who are in crisis. If you are an individual who lives life on the edge, always running in high gear, Stress and Adrenaline will teach you invaluable tools to help you learn to relax and live longer.

I received my first copy of this book several years ago while I was enduring tons of stress. Not only did this book help me to identify with the adrenaline/stress issues, but it pointed to a way out. Yes, I found it helpful that every bit of helpful advice does not have to come in a bottle of pills; though I am not knocking medications for needed issues. Stress is something that we can choose to perceive as impending doom, or a little skip in the road. Archibald Hart does a very nice job showing how some Biblically related principles can help one to overcome stress. We were not wired for all of this anhedonia in the first place.

I would hesitate to have a few of my "Type H" friends read this book at certain times. Hostile or hyper people are sometimes hoping to keep their adrenaline pumped for reasons of performance, and they are many times not worried about future problems that may result from this. They sure would be the fist to benefit from this, and I hope many will take the subtle information to heart. It is worth the timeless details of sorting thru, as one can still see that adrenaline is killing us in many ways. It does have many functions, but not at the levels and seemingly addicted ways of being maintained.

Adrenaline junkies may actually find this book interesting. It won't keep you from loving your sport or adventure, but perhaps managing a few issues that friends or family have been hesitating to tell you!!

Yes, this is a Christian directed book, but it does not have to serve believers only. I would see very little that would upset a totally secular audience, and actually have been a little less interested in a few of Archibald's meditation ideas. Those do not appeal to me quite as much, as it really seems more important to get to the root of the problem. The Stressor does not always have to be avoided or thrown out, rather looked upon with a healthy perspective.
Yeah, now that is getting to the root of the issue.

i heard about the book while listening to Dr Hart and his daughter teach at an AACC Conference. i am engaged in an occupation which involves high levels of daily stress and did survive a heart attack so the prospect of reading an informative book of this nature peaked my interest. i must report it was a profound book of: needed information, challenging-supported truth, tender understanding, immediate and long term solutions and finally an "it is up to you" finish. Thank you Dr Hart. T.F.

My doctor referred this book to me as part of my pain-management program, to make sure I was properly dealing with the stress and anxiety I was feeling due to my condition. It was a revelation to me that positive stress has just as much an effect on your health as negative stress. As someone who thrives on projects and challenges and finds relaxing a royal waste of my time here on earth, this was a wakeup call. As a Christian, I particularly enjoyed this book, but people from any faith will benefit from this book, as it is soundly scientific. Our bodies were made for physical and spiritual Sabbaths to reboot! So now I am learning to take time to meditate and relax and give my body time to recover from the excitement of projects and deadlines. I am already sleeping better!

It's the world we live in. Internet, cellphone, cable tv, facebook, work, school, etc. We try and cram so many things into our day thinking we are being productive, yet we are wreaking havoc on our bodies. Read this book and I think you will be fascinated by what you learn, and I think you will enjoy what you do for yourself after reading.

This book was very helpful to me to help me understand how I have been "distressed". Too much stress and adrenaline are not good for a person. You have to have valleys of recovery built into your life. Your can't be in high gear all the time. I still use this book when stressful times in my life happen. It is easy to understand and was very helpful to me. I would highly recommend it to others. Buy it!

Both scientific and practical; it breaks down a large area of study into bite sized peices. Many ideas that are practical steps toward good health and living a quality life.