Physical Stress, Introduction

Introducing, physical stress and its benefits and liabilities.

Introduction, here we learn about how physical stress and how stress enters the human body through the nervous and hormonal system. We also learn of the benefits and liabilities of each of these systems. This provides a firm knowledge base to both begin with and to keep coming back to.

Topics:

• Introduction.
• 1st, Brain
• 3 Nervous Systems
• 4 Hormonal Systems
• Gentle Movements
• Symptoms
• Intervention

Stress and our Body:
The body’s stress responses are part of an amazing, sophisticated survival mechanism.  When faced with a serious threat like moving out of the path of an approaching car, the entire stress response system (sometimes called “fight/flight/freeze”) can be full mobilized in under 6 seconds.  After fighting/fleeing, the body would ideally have a recovery period to rejuvenate and return to normal functioning levels.  Only in extremely stressful situations (e.g. escaping a burning building etc.) are all of the stress response pathways fully activated.  Everyday hassles and pressures will activate some stress response pathways more than others, depending on the event itself, the degree of threat, our innate predisposition, past experience, available coping resources and (most importantly) our perception of the event.

Benefits to having stress responses:
Stress responses influence our body, emotions, and thoughts.  These responses can save us from life threatening situations, and push us to new limits of speed or performance.  Stress responses can even feel energizing and exciting (e.g. when watching a scary movie, driving a fast car).  

Liabilities to having stress responses:
When stress responses feel uncomfortable (e.g.. when they generate nervousness, butterflies in the stomach, blanking out when asked a question, headaches and other stress symptoms) it is called distress. 

In today’s fast paced world most of our stress is psychological (coping with deadlines, conflict, medical problems, financial strain) and it is not socially appropriate to fight or flee.   Yet these are the survival responses that kick in even when meeting mentally and emotionally demanding situations.
When there is no physical fight/flight only freeze (overwhelm):

* the energy being generated for these actions is not used up
* and often there is no recovery period to unwind from afterwards 

In such situations the stress responses themselves can feel uncomfortable, deteriorate health, decrease performance, and further escalate stress levels.

Understanding our stress responses:
There are a variety of body systems and pathways involved in the stress response.
Each of these body systems and pathways has its own:

* specific function
* time frame

Brain and hormonal stress responses are continuously interacting.  Research is demonstrating more and more that these responses are extremely complex, happening in a more simultaneous, non-linear, and dynamic fashion than previously thought.  The following is a very simplified outline to provide general information on some of the most basic stages in the fight/flight/freeze response and how continual or excessive stress responses can negatively affect us.