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General Category => Grab Bag => Topic started by: Pooh on November 01, 2010, 01:48:46 PM

Title: Fight or Flight?
Post by: Pooh on November 01, 2010, 01:48:46 PM
After seeing a post by Kathleen referencing this, I thought I would share what this actual physically does to your body. 


Coined in the 1930's by Dr. Hans Seyle, it describes the biological process that is caused when we react to some stressor or event that confronts us.  Commonly known as the "fight or flight" response

Consists of three stages:
         Alarm Stage
         Resistance Stage
         Exhaustion Stage

The Alarm Stage goes to work immediately after a stressor is detected as it prepares the body to cope, adapt and adjust.  The following biological reactions take place.
Your Respiration Increases
Your Heart rate increases
Your Blood pressure increases
Your Muscles tense
Blood shifts away from the skin
Your Digestion is slowed
Sugar is released from the liver
Adrenaline is secreted
Your blood gets thicker

Alert Stage – prepares your body to fight the stressor off

Heart rate and respiration increase to provide blood and oxygen to muscles to help them fight
Blood thickens and gains more clotting ability so if you were injured, you are less likely to bleed to death.

Resistance Stage – After a situation is dealt with, your body attempts to return to normal.  If however, there is no adaptation (no immediate end to the situation), your body will begin to go into a stage of resistance.

It is a "call for reinforcements".  Your body sends a signal to your glands to release more hormones to "hold the fort" until you cope with, adapt to, or adjust to the stressor. If multiple issues exist at the same time, prolonged stressors and continuous new stressors, can have you constantly flipping back and forth between Alert Stage and Resistance Stage, never giving you a chance to expend the energy.

Exhaustion Stage – all resistance has ceased because your body becomes depleted of its hormonal reserves
Once the Exhaustion Stage has been reached, you can become sick, chronically tired, mentally unprepared and suffer "burnout"
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: barelythere on November 01, 2010, 01:56:17 PM
K and Laurie, and all of us, how sad you have to live through this.  The only solution is to drop the rope, walk out.  Determine to harden yourself to them.  I have done this and it is working.  "Whatever" is beginning to be my attitude and you know what?  Since then, things have changed.  I've begun to see them differently and things are not what they seem.
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: LaurieS on November 01, 2010, 02:00:28 PM
I  look at it as that I have a bottom line and they found it. 
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: LaurieS on November 01, 2010, 02:02:13 PM
That is extremely interesting Pooh, thank you for sharing
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: elsieshaye on November 02, 2010, 10:06:48 AM
I spent 1991-2002 flipping back and forth between alert and resistance stages, and hit full-fledged burnout in 2003.  I wonder whether I would have the health issues I currently do if I had been able to decrease my stress back then.
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: cremebrulee on November 02, 2010, 10:15:38 AM
no one, but no one could convince me that stress is not a major factor in disease and illnesses....
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: luise.volta on November 03, 2010, 10:34:23 AM
I'm not even gonna try to argue that point. I went down for the count last March after 11 years of care giving. The stress nearly took me out and I have seen cases (that I ignored in my total denial) where the care giver died first.
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: Nana on November 03, 2010, 01:55:06 PM
Defenitely stress does much to our mind and body.  Also negative thought, resentment and hurt our related to getting cancer.   

Love
Title: Re: Fight or Flight?
Post by: luise.volta on November 03, 2010, 02:56:14 PM
Yes, and heart disease. Very dangerous stuff.