Stress is caused by an event or series events in our environment which we perceive and respond in a variety of physiological responses in our bodies (Day, Whetham and Whetham, 2003). Stress is not only caused by negative events, it can also be caused by positive events in our lives such as getting a new job or starting a new relationship. These are called stressors, stressors are activities, events, or changes that result in stress on an object or organism.
Studies show that stress is not technically an emotion but a reaction caused by a disturbing or disrupting stimulus. Our reaction comes from our appraisal of that stimulus for example we can stay calm or we can get worked up about a missed flight, a new job or even a strange noise in the house, these stressors fall into three main categories: Catastrophes; unpredictable events such as war or natural disasters, significant life changes; things like moving, getting a new job or having a child, As well as everyday inconveniences; busy traffic, having arguments with family or friends, and running late. Stressful things big or small can all activate your sympathetic nervous system triggering your fight or flight response, stress can make your heart pound and breathing quicken, muscles tense and beads of sweat appear. With the sympathetic nervous system response evolving as a survival mechanism, it enables people to react quickly to life threatening situations either fighting the threat away or fleeing to safety. Our bodies can also take stressors that are non life threatening such as being stuck in traffic, family difficulties or work pressure and treat them like a threat therefore the sympathetic nervous system is activated (Crash Course Biology, 2015). The stress response begins in the brain. When you see a threat or hear a loud noise your eyes and ears will send a message to an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing the amygdala. The amygdala interprets these messages and immediately sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus (Publications, 2015). The hypothalamus is like the control centre for the autonomic nervous system which is in charge of involuntary functions such as breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in the lungs called bronchioles (Ali et al., 2010). The autonomic nervous system is divided into two components; the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system both of which affect our involuntary functions for survival seen in Figure 1 (Parasympathetic Vs Sympathetic, 2005). …show more content…
The sympathetic division is often referred to as the fight or flight system that springs into action in response to an emergency situation, heightening the autonomic involuntary functions , all of which increase the individual’s ability to come with emergencies.
The opposite division of the autonomic nervous system also known as rest and digest, is the parasympathetic nervous system is most active when the body is not under any threat and when it is at rest. Its main function is to conserve energy, restoring the internal body to a normal relaxed state by promoting digestion and eliminating urine and faeces from the body (The Human Body Atlas: how the human body works, 2014). Common somatic symptoms of stress are frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain, stuttering or stammering, light headedness, frequent blushing, dry mouth, frequent colds and infections, rashes, constipation or diarrhoea, panic attacks, lack of sexual desire, increased anger, depression and increased
Studies show that stress is not technically an emotion but a reaction caused by a disturbing or disrupting stimulus. Our reaction comes from our appraisal of that stimulus for example we can stay calm or we can get worked up about a missed flight, a new job or even a strange noise in the house, these stressors fall into three main categories: Catastrophes; unpredictable events such as war or natural disasters, significant life changes; things like moving, getting a new job or having a child, As well as everyday inconveniences; busy traffic, having arguments with family or friends, and running late. Stressful things big or small can all activate your sympathetic nervous system triggering your fight or flight response, stress can make your heart pound and breathing quicken, muscles tense and beads of sweat appear. With the sympathetic nervous system response evolving as a survival mechanism, it enables people to react quickly to life threatening situations either fighting the threat away or fleeing to safety. Our bodies can also take stressors that are non life threatening such as being stuck in traffic, family difficulties or work pressure and treat them like a threat therefore the sympathetic nervous system is activated (Crash Course Biology, 2015). The stress response begins in the brain. When you see a threat or hear a loud noise your eyes and ears will send a message to an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing the amygdala. The amygdala interprets these messages and immediately sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus (Publications, 2015). The hypothalamus is like the control centre for the autonomic nervous system which is in charge of involuntary functions such as breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in the lungs called bronchioles (Ali et al., 2010). The autonomic nervous system is divided into two components; the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system both of which affect our involuntary functions for survival seen in Figure 1 (Parasympathetic Vs Sympathetic, 2005). …show more content…
The sympathetic division is often referred to as the fight or flight system that springs into action in response to an emergency situation, heightening the autonomic involuntary functions , all of which increase the individual’s ability to come with emergencies.
The opposite division of the autonomic nervous system also known as rest and digest, is the parasympathetic nervous system is most active when the body is not under any threat and when it is at rest. Its main function is to conserve energy, restoring the internal body to a normal relaxed state by promoting digestion and eliminating urine and faeces from the body (The Human Body Atlas: how the human body works, 2014). Common somatic symptoms of stress are frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain, stuttering or stammering, light headedness, frequent blushing, dry mouth, frequent colds and infections, rashes, constipation or diarrhoea, panic attacks, lack of sexual desire, increased anger, depression and increased