Consider these three different scenarios.
A sales rep is having a difficult time during the recession. His recent records show poor sales. He is about to meet an important, big new client and this could be an opportunity that could save his career. Success will decide whether he still has a job or not.
A man is madly and desperately in love with this popular and attractive female. To him there is no future without her but she is popular an other men are attracted to her. He has a ring, the red roses lie by the door and table carefully set for two. She is due any minute and he will propose to her and he does not know whether she will say yes or no.
Late at night a woman is walking home. The streets are poorly lit. Suddenly she hears footsteps ahead of her. A group of people wearing hoodies is coming towards her. She now hears footsteps behind her. She turns around to see a group of youths walking towards her.
In all three situations a person becomes very alert and focussed even though potential danger is only in one of these scenarios. The body goes into the fight and fright reaction.
This is a reaction in humans and animals that developed a long time ago to protect us from life threatening dangers. The hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisone are released during the reaction.The remarkable changes that occur are caused by these hormones.
The heart rate speeds up, the breathing become faster and deeper, the mouth becomes dry, the pupils dilate, skin becomes cold and clammy and hairs on the back of the neck stand up.
You may even want to vomit, open your bowels or urinate. This is the brain trying to make you lighter and move faster during ‘flight’.
These changes are preparing the body for action. You are in a state of heightened awareness. Your senses are very sharp. Your hearing, sense of smell and your sight are all sharpened. Your body is now functioning at it optimum.
Your heart, beating faster pumps extra blood to the muscles and brain. By breathing faster and deeper, more oxygen is transported by the blood to the muscles and brain. In addition blood is shunted away temporarily from other vital organs such as the kidneys, immune system and the gut to enable more blood to the muscles.
Although the fight and fright reaction is primeval and developed when early humans had to confront huge and dangerous reptiles and mammals, it is still present today. The only problem, however, is that the brain cannot differentiate between real and percieved dangers or threats. The reaction is the same.
In all three scenarios above, the fight or fright reaction is triggered.
Panic attacks are in reality fright or fright reactions and, during an attack, to the individual the threat or danger is very real. Rational thoughts go out the window and there is nothing to fight and no where to run to.
In stress, the fight or flight reaction is triggered even thought there is no threat to our lives and can be harmful to the body. Persistent stress caqn cause disease.
Understanding how the fight or fright reaction is triggered in stress will help you make some sense about the symptoms of stress you experience with stress.
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Panic Away!
