Anatomy of Stress

Stress has been defined in many ways:

# Dr. Hans Selye: (Father of modern Stress theory) “the non specific response of the body to any demand made upon it”

# Lazarus: “The response of the body when pressure exceeds ones perceived ability to cope”.

In any stress situation, the primary impulse is sent to the Amygdala, a small pea sized organ behind the eyes and over the nostrils for evaluation of threat. When the Amygdala perceives threat, it sends an impulse to the hypothalamus which in turn transmits the threat to the sympathetic nervous system through the pituitary gland. This input floods the circulatory system with adrenaline.

The body responds by:

• Increased Heart rate & blood pressure: To get more blood to muscles & brain.

• Faster breathing: To take in more oxygen

• Dilation of blood vessels in muscles: Preparing for action

• Dilation of the eyes and sensitivity of the sense organs: To assess the situation and act quickly.

• Auditory exclusion & tunnel vision.

• Inhibition of erection.

• Decreased blood flow to skin/ digestive tract/ kidneys & liver to divert blood to musculo skeletal system.

• Increased level of blood sugar, fats and cholesterol: For extra energy

• Increased level of platlets and blood clotting elements: to prevent haemorrhage in case of injury

What happens after the threat passes?

Lessons are stored in the amygdala for future use; the anubhava (experience) changes our svabhava (individual personality), with consequent changes to our dharma (value system) on account of jnana/ vijnana inputs.

Often, we are able to manage some parts of the situation, but not all elements. Also, there may not be enough time, or our svabhava may lack the vijnana (knowledge) to find a solution. This leads to sustained perception of threat and the svabhava begins to experience physical, intellectual or emotional discomfort.

Finally, the body which has gone into a state of alert now needs to come back to normal. This may be possible if there is enough time for the system to assimilate the learning and work out the adrenaline. But, we often find ourselves confronting multiple situations with different coping requirements in each situation which results in prolonged states of arousal that, over time, damages the body.

The chemicals released by the pituitary, the adrenals, the hypothalamus, the thyroid etc., are life-saving chemicals that inhibit routine functions to provide the drive to face danger. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals damages vital organs, leading to reduced resistance of the immune system, hypertension, psychiatric illnesses, and stomach ailments, etc., which over time result in other psychosomatic problems that affect different parts of our body.

Indicators of Stress

Physical: fatigue, headache, insomnia, muscle aches/stiffness (especially neck, shoulders and low back), heart palpitations, chest pains, abdominal cramps, nausea, trembling, cold extremities, flushing or sweating and frequent colds.

Intellectual: Decreased concentration and memory, indecisiveness, mind racing or going blank, confusion, loss of sense of humor.

Emotional: anxiety, nervousness, depression, anger, frustration, worry, fear, irritability, impatience, short temper, nervousness (nail-biting, foot-tapping), increased eating, yelling, swearing, blaming.

Share your opinion and experiences

• How do we recognise a stress situation?

• How do we recognise reality?

• Is stress hard to manage?

• How do we recognise elements of our svabhava?

• Is giving up bad? What happens when we give up?

• What is fear of failure?

• How important is god in stress management?

• How important is prayer in stress management?

• Can we really control events?

• Is fear of death a stressor or a motivator?

• Life – a game or a gamble…

• Can environmental degradation stress us?

• Is lack of education a stressor?

• Is stress impulsive or pre-meditated?

• Is it hard to admit that you are stressed?

• Is it possible to recognise a stressed person?

• Other elements of stress…