|
Site
updated: 16th July 2010 |
| The body's
reaction to stress is based on the fight-or-flight response,
which is a relic of our evolutionary heritage for dealing with danger.
In the past it served us well, allowing us to survive attacks by
predators and other natural threats. |
Three
stages of stress |
| When we sense danger
a surge of adrenaline is released, triggering a cascade of bodily
changes such as increased heart rate and breathing, strengthening
muscles, and closing down systems that are not immediately needed,
such as digestion and the immune system. This reaction is healthy
and normal - some people seek to trigger it by participating in
dangerous sports for example, because they enjoy the feelings
of exhilaration which follow.
As well as adrenaline a second hormone called cortisol is secreted
- this takes longer to be released and stays in the blood stream
longer than adrenaline. As the cortisol level increases it turns
off adrenaline helping the body to settle back to a resting state.
The body's response to a single stressful event can be represented
by the first graph shown in the panel to the right. |
Stage 1:
We respond to a stressful situation by creating adrenaline. Cortisol
is then secreted returning the body to normal. Result - a feeling
of exhilaration
|
The problem comes when our bodies are subjected
to a continuous barrage of stress, a situation that modern society
creates. Repeated episodes of stress create a state of continuous
arousal in which the level of cortisol keeps rising.
At first this can seem very exhilarating, like being on a roller-coaster
ride, but if repeated for weeks and months eventually the body’s
capacity for recovery starts to become depleted. We experience
sleepless nights, tiredness during the day and difficulty concentrating. |
Stage
2: Individual stressful events have merged to produce
continuous chronic stress.
|
| After being exposed to chronic stress for extended
periods a third stage can occur when the body’s can no longer
produce enough cortisol to regulate adrenaline. The result is a
very unpleasant state variously described as burnout, breakdown
or major depression. There may be panic attacks, insomnia, bouts
of worry, and an inability to cope with the slightest stress. Recovery
from this state may require many months of rest. |
Stage
3: The body’s ability to produce cortisol is exhausted,
with the result that adrenaline can no longer be controlled. The
result is high levels of anxiety, panic attacks occurring for
no apparent reason, and an inability to cope with any kind of
stress, however small. This stage is often described as “burnout”
or “having a breakdown”
|
|
