Body’s response to stress

Body’s response to stress

Stress is experienced by everyone and is broadly defined as the ‘wear and tear of life’ (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). In the modern day researchers define stress as multidimensional theory that includes stress stimuli, stress processing system and the body’s responses to stress (Breedlove & Watson, 2013).

Body’s response to a stimuli causing stress has multiple stages. The initial stage is called the ‘alarm reaction’ which triggers the hypothalamus and the sympathetic nervous system. This prepares the body for action and is commonly also called the ‘flight or fight’ system (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). Flight or fight also starts the release of hormones epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) by stimulation of the adrenal gland. These hormones then further actions of breathing, heart rate and other bodily processes needed for action (Breedlove &Watson, 2013). As part of alarm stage, the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland and releases a hormone that drives the outer layer of the adrenal gland (Breedlove &Watson, 2013). According to Selye (the researcher whose work initiated the recent stress theories) the alarm stage is followed by the ‘adaptation stage’ which brings the body back to normal balance and physiological conditions. This is how stress is handled by the body with success.

Prolonged stress

An ‘exhaustion stage’ may occur if the stress is consistent and prolonged (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). This can lead to decreased immunity and increased weakness to disease susceptibility. According to Van der Kolk et al (1996) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) provides a ‘framework’ to understand the effects of prolonged or extreme stress on the body. 

Individual differences in recovering from stress

‘Stress immunization’ refers to the theory that mild stress in early life equips a person to handle stress in later life in a better way (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). This theory implies that a person’s early life can have an impact on their abilities to handle and cope with stress in later life. Some researchers connect stress immunization to the parental response to the handling of stress in early life. In early life,  parental nurturing after stress may create a basis for stress coping mechanisms in adult life. This theory is an example of individual differences when recovering from stress biologically.

Lifestyle and habits can have an impact on an individual’s ability to recover from stress. Research has proven that a healthy lifestyle that includes an exercise routine, healthy eating habits lead to a happier life (Lehmann & Herkenham, 2011). An example would be a mother of three young kids who works full time compared to another mother of three kids who is not working. The working mother does not get enough time to have an exercise routine, while the non working mother gets the few extra hours to make exercise part of life. If we keep the theory of exercise neutralizing stress in mind, then we can assume that a working mother may have more difficulty recovering from stress compared to the non working mother. Looking at the same scenario from another angle we assume that the working mother has a passion for her work and it is her stress reliever. The non working mother has had to convince herself not to work and be around for her children. If she views this as a compromise then the stress maybe building and coping with stress maybe difficult. When this model is narrated we understand that psychological recovery from stress can differ from one person to another in many ways

References

Lehmann, M. L., & Herkenham, M. (2011). Environmental enrichment confers stress resiliency to social defeat through an infralimbic cortex-dependent neuroanatomical pathway. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31(16), 6159-6173.

 Van der Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C., & Weisaeth, L. (Eds.). (1996).Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society. Guilford Press.