Understanding the Stress Response

With high levels of stress running rampant in our society, it's more important than ever to learn ways to relax. In order to do this, it is helpful to understand what's going on physically and emotionally during periods of high stress.

When a person is in a calm and relaxed state, the "firing" of neurons in the brain is minimal. When a threat is perceived however, be it real or imagined, it is relayed from the sensory cortex of the brain through the hypothalamus to the brain stem. This causes the brain to begin firing neurons in the brain, particularly adrenaline. This response is known as the fight or flight response.
Physical components of the stress response

With the release of stress hormones and neurons in the brain, an individual who perceives a threat to his or her well being, will experience numerous physical reactions in preparation for "fight or flight". These include the following:

* Increased heart rate
* Rapid, shallow breathing
* Paling or flushing, or alte
ating between both
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* The release of nutrients for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Dilation of the pupils
* Relaxation of bladder
* loss of hearing
* Tunnel Vision (loss of peripheral vision)
* Acceleration of instantaneous reflexes

Males and females may deal with stressful situations differently. Males are prone to respond with a fight response (aggression), while females are more likely to respond with a flight response (withdrawal).

Psychological and physical impact of the stress responser
It's easy to see the benefits of the fight or flight response. It's essential that we be able to fight off or flee from an aggressor or life threatening situation. But lets face it, despite the media's portrayal of the world as such a dangerous place, the world in which we live is much safer than that of our prehistoric ancestors. We rarely encounter situations which require the fight or flight response for our survival. Unfortunately, the brain doesn't do a very good job of differentiating between real and imagined threats to our well being and the fight or flight response may be triggered unnecessarily.

This repeated triggering of the stress response can significantly impact physical and emotional functioning.The stress response halts or slows down sexual response and the digestive system to focus on the stress at hand, leading to constipation, erectile dysfunction, difficulty urinating, and difficulty maintaining sexual arousal. Prolonged exposure to stress may lead to suppression of the immune system, leaving the body open to infection, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition to the physical impact of stress, chronic stress is associated with increased emotional instability and mental disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Considering the stressful times in which we live, and the negative impact that chronic stress can have on our minds and bodies, it shouldn't come as any surprise that that stress related illness is common in our society. In fact, it's estimated that between 75%-90% of all doctor's visits are stress related.

The good news is that anxiety and stress related illness are preventable and very treatable. The bad news? Few people take the time and energy to address these issues, and most end up suffering unnecessarily. Stress management training, while beneficial, is only offered by a small percentage of companies, and employers continue to largely ignore this serious issue. Hopefully, this is a trend which will reverse itself in time, but in the meantime, slow down, step back and take a deep breath and remember that "this too shall pass".