What is Stress?

What is Stress?

Stress is a normal part of life. It is a reaction that happens to us all under a variety of circumstances. It can range from exciting in the fun and challenging times to trauma in life threatening circumstances. Causes of stress can differ between individuals, it can also be scaled depending on the degree of which the individual is impacted by the particular situation. Each person has their own way of dealing with each situation as it arises. It stimulates hormones in the body that then effects how the body feels and reacts. Stress is an important part of everyday life as it can promote happiness and enjoyment of a particular situation. If it is too excessive, or too high for prolonged periods of time, it can have detrimental effects on our body and our mental health.  

Effects of stress on our body

High Blood pressure

High heart rate.

Lack of sleep

Eating disorders

Loss of vision

Loss of memory

Illness

Fatigue

Increased rate of breathing

Pain in the chest

Digestion and bowel disorders

·       Stress Response: How the brain reacts to stress

The brain naturally sits in protection mode looking to identify threats before it is too late.  As a consequence, it then naturally has its own way of reacting in the event danger is identified. Historically, threats may have been in the form of harm from predators, today, our threats are very different. Examples can be traffic, family or a stressful day at work.

Each person will have particular ways of handling stressful situations. These can include:

·       Fight or Flight

·       Freeze

·       Fawn

·     Fight or Flight/Acute Stress Response

Stay and fight or run away from the danger? This is a response to the body receiving a substantial injection of hormones such as adrenalin which is an automatic response to danger. The body reacts with an intense increase of energy.   

o   The fight response is an aggressive or violent reaction to being exposed to a high level of stress.

o   The flight is the natural response to run from the danger

There are the three stages to the Flight or Fight response.

o   The alarm stage: The central nervous system prepares to fight the danger or run from the danger

o   The resistance stage: This is the stage where the body attempts to recuperate from the initial dramatic response.  

o   The exhaustion stage: In the event that the first stages are repeated and sustained for excessive periods of time, the body undergoes damage ad begins to break down.

·       Freeze

o   Freeze is the bodies inability to react to an identified threat.

·       Fawn

o   This may involve doing things for others to gain approval or acceptance that will relieve the threat.

o   It may involve ensuring that approval has been sort before making decisions or making decisions based on the needs of others.

o   Having trouble saying no.

o   In extreme circumstances, it can mean disassociating from the mind and or body.