The body has a built in stress response to any
perceived threat, which can come in the form of physical threat,
emotional upheaval, psychological worry, even the experience of chronic
pain. When the stress response is activated, your nervous system
responds by releasing a flood of hormones, your heart pounds faster,
muscles flex and tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens,
important physiological resources are shifted from digestion and cell
renewal to muscle groups, and your senses are sharpened. All helpful
physiological reactions to an immediate danger because they increase
your strength, stamina, and speed your reaction time so that you can
fight or flee the danger at hand. It is a protective reaction that can
be life saving when it is working correctly, but in our highly
stressful lives, often this stress response perpetuates, and this
high-alert state becomes permanently triggered. If it is too intense
for too long, stress stops being helpful and starts to case damage to
your health, your productivity, your relationships and your quality of
life.
Return to Stress-Based Illness
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