The Biology of the Stress Response

It is often the case that you have to understand something before you can
effectively deal with it. An understanding of the biological processes involved
in stress will assist you in identifying what is happening to you at each
moment as you enter a state of stress. This understanding may enable you to
counteract the patterns of your stress response. If nothing else, you will see
that you are only a human being responding to external events in a human way.

Stress results when you feel as if you do not have the resources to cope with a
physical, mental, or emotional challenge. That challenge may be real, or it may
be the result of misinformation, delusional thinking, or some other form of
error.

The word ‘stress’ was coined by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to
refer to certain observable physiological responses in lab animals. He also
coined the word ‘stressor’ to refer to the external threat that is the cause of
the stress reaction. Selye developed a three-stage model of the stress reaction
that he called the general adaptation syndrome, or GAS.

The first stage is alarm. The organism initially responds to stressors with
alarm. You may have heard of the so-called fight-or-flight response. The
fight-or-flight response occurs during the first stage of stress as adrenaline
surges through the bloodstream.

The second stage is resistance. The organism tries frantically to accommodate
the stressor and cope with it. However, the organism cannot keep doing this, so
there is a gradual depletion in resources, leading to the third stage.

The third stage is exhaustion. This occurs when the organism has depleted all
its resources and is unable to function properly. At this stage, your heart
rate skyrockets, you sweat profusely, and you experience various other
uncomfortable phenomena. If the third stage persists indefinitely, you are at
great risk of incurring physiological damage. This damage usually results from
a demand on the endocrine and immune systems that is much too high. The end
result is probably not news to you: ulcers, digestive issues such as irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS), cardiovascular issues, and various mental issues spanning
the neurosis-psychosis spectrum, such as depression.

Fortunately, you are not merely a biological organism forever at the mercy of
programmed robotic responses. What gives you the edge over virtually every
other organism in the animal kingdom is that distinctly human trait: higher
cognition. Through your reason and rationality, you have the power to rewire a
great portion of your stress response. Before external events can put your
stress circuitry into gear, those events must first be perceived. And human
perception is inextricably linked to human cognition. The irony is that without
human cognition, you would hardly react the way you do to the little trifles of
life. Your stress reserves would be saved for the next time a lion pounces at
you. There is much to be said for the significant role that thought plays in
stress.

Rather than thinking of your stress response as a cruel enemy, learn to embrace
the inner wisdom of your body as it goes about its task of ensuring your
survival. Your stress response has protected you numerous times throughout your
life and will continue doing so for as long as you live. It is like a close pal
or relative who is apt to overreact at times and who you sometimes wish would
butt out of your business, but who deep down you know will always be there
wanting the best for you.