TY - JOUR
T1 - Disorders of arousal and the relaxation response
T2 - Speculations on the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases
AU - Everly, G. S.
AU - Benson, H.
PY - 1989
Y1 - 1989
N2 - The classification of diseases represents an important, yet often enigmatic, process. This is especially true in the case of stress-related diseases. Until the 1980s, stress-related diseases were categorized on the basis of the target organ system affected. A merger of 20 years of clinical data with research and theoretical formulations from the neurosciences gave us the opportunity to reformulate, or at least add a fresh perspective to, the understanding of the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases. Based upon over two decades of research and clinical trials, one such reformulation is presented here. It is contended that many psychiatric and somatic stress-related diseases are but manifest variations on a theme of limbicogenic neurological hypersensitivity and resultant pathogenic arousal. The resultant stress-related diseases are, therefore, viewed as 'disorders of arousal'. From the reformulation offered herein emerges a neurologically-based rationale for the clinical use of the 'relaxation response' in the treatment of stress-related diseases.
AB - The classification of diseases represents an important, yet often enigmatic, process. This is especially true in the case of stress-related diseases. Until the 1980s, stress-related diseases were categorized on the basis of the target organ system affected. A merger of 20 years of clinical data with research and theoretical formulations from the neurosciences gave us the opportunity to reformulate, or at least add a fresh perspective to, the understanding of the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases. Based upon over two decades of research and clinical trials, one such reformulation is presented here. It is contended that many psychiatric and somatic stress-related diseases are but manifest variations on a theme of limbicogenic neurological hypersensitivity and resultant pathogenic arousal. The resultant stress-related diseases are, therefore, viewed as 'disorders of arousal'. From the reformulation offered herein emerges a neurologically-based rationale for the clinical use of the 'relaxation response' in the treatment of stress-related diseases.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0024957340&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0024957340&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 2689371
AN - SCOPUS:0024957340
SN - 0884-8297
VL - 36
SP - 15
EP - 21
JO - International Journal of Psychosomatics
JF - International Journal of Psychosomatics
IS - 1-4
ER -