The Fight or Flight ResponseThe fight or flight response is your body's natural response to stress.This stress response releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that results in a number of stress symptoms. The stress response has served us well. Our ancestors can thank the flight or fight response for narrowly escaping the jaws of saber-tooth tigers to live another day. But you may think that the stress response is about as useful as saber-tooth hunting gear... Right? Wrong!
The problem is that many of today's stress causes are emotional. We are often confronted with daily causes of stress - lost keys and traffic jams, unrelenting pressure at work, concerns about money, or overwhelming responsibilities! And the stress response may not be the most appropriate response in these situations. The fight or flight responseThe stress response is your body's natural response to stress. Just the other day I was reminded of the stress response. I was walking home late from work and, as I was in a bit of a rush I decided to take a short-cut down a narrow lane, maybe saving 5 minutes on my walk home. As I was walking down this lane I saw a shadow moving. I feel relatively safe in my area but had never been down this lane before and I don't know why but I suddenly had a vision of being mugged. In short, the shadow frightened me. What was going on in my body? My body mobilized resources to either fight the factor causing the 'stress' or to flee from the factor causing the stress. This fight or flight response of the body results in two messages being sent:
Lets talk about these two responses. Stress and Health Modern causes of stress have the potential to keep your stress response constantly activated. This raises adrenaline and cortisol in the bloodstream. Too much stress for too long may cause stress-related illnesses. Medical experts estimate that 75-85% of illnesses are aggravated or precipitated by stress. Stress and health are closely connected. Stress response: The quick message from the brain
In the stress response a quick message is sent to the amygdala. The amygdala responds by activating the sympathetic nervous system and inhibiting the parasympathetic nervous system. At the same time, the hormones epinephrine and nor-epinephrine (adrenalin and nor-adrenalin) are released into the blood stream. Dealing with stress Download your causes of stress diary and get more information on your stress signature today! The hormones that are released into your bloodstream result in stress symptoms such as:
Your body diverts resources away from bodily maintenance to high alert and preparedness for fight or flight. While such a bodily response may be appropriate when about to be attacked by a tiger or a knife-wielding mugger in a lane, it is an inappropriate response to much of the stress causes encountered in modern life. Stress response: The slow message from the brainThe slower message reaches the cerebral cortex which appraises the situation. If the situation is considered non-dangerous - it is not a knife-wielding attacker but simply a shadow - an 'all clear' signal is sent and the response is reduced. If the situation is appraised as dangerous a 'fear' signal is sent and the initial stress response is increased. However, the problem arises when daily causes of stress constantly trigger your stress response. This means that you are constantly on alert and too much stress for too long may result in poorer health. Related stress management articles
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