We have reached the end of the of the 2018 fall semester. We are about two weeks away from the most anticipated and dreaded point of the semester. On one hand, you’re almost done with the semester and summer break is in sight. On the other hand, it’s finals week. The stress is high, the thoughts of will I pass or not start creeping into your mind, and the late nights start piling up. Other than midterms, this is the most stressful time of the semester and not everyone makes it out unscathed. What a perfect time to watch a documentary and learn about stress. Stress, the silent killer, is with us every minute of our life. Originally it was our bodies way to save us from death but now it’s killing us.
What did this documentary teach …show more content…
Stress is the key to survival in the animal kingdom. At its basic core, someone is trying to eat you or you are trying to eat someone. Fight or flight is the immediate crisis. When an animal runs for its life, the basics are all that matters to the body. The lungs work overtime to produce large quantities of oxygen for the bloodstream, the heart races to pump the oxygen throughout the body, just so muscles can respond instantly to allow for a fighting chance. The animals blood pressure skyrockets to deliver the life-saving energy and all non-essential bodily functions shut down (i.e. growth, tissue repair, and reproduction). As, Stanford University Neurobiologist, Robert Sapolsky puts it, “You know you are running for your life, this is no time to ovulate.” Your body knows that these functions can be done later if there is a later. When the animal escapes the stress response shuts down. Unfortunately, humans have evolved to a point where we can’t seem to find the off switch for the stress …show more content…
Professor Sir Michael Marmot’s Whitehall study, Doctor Carol Shively study on macaque monkeys and Doctor Robert Sapolsky’s baboon study came to the same conclusion – there is a major link between rank and stress. The lower you are in the hierarchy the more at risk of heart and other diseases. Stress will cause you to gain weight, especially around the waist area. When your body is stressed it triggers an intense negative cardiovascular response, your heart will beat at a high rate which causes high blood pressure, which in turn damages artery walls and causes a buildup of plaque. It was discovered in the two primate studies that dominate monkeys had clean arteries, were skinnier, and had a way more active brain when it came to pleasure. In humans, any stress we have today will affect us for years to come. Stress can kill brain cells, especially in the hippocampus (memory bank), alter our brain chemistry and affect our bodies systems (i.e. immune and reproductive). It doesn’t matter if you have access to the same medical care and privileges as the person above you in the hierarchy. The lower you are the more at risk you
What did this documentary teach …show more content…
Stress is the key to survival in the animal kingdom. At its basic core, someone is trying to eat you or you are trying to eat someone. Fight or flight is the immediate crisis. When an animal runs for its life, the basics are all that matters to the body. The lungs work overtime to produce large quantities of oxygen for the bloodstream, the heart races to pump the oxygen throughout the body, just so muscles can respond instantly to allow for a fighting chance. The animals blood pressure skyrockets to deliver the life-saving energy and all non-essential bodily functions shut down (i.e. growth, tissue repair, and reproduction). As, Stanford University Neurobiologist, Robert Sapolsky puts it, “You know you are running for your life, this is no time to ovulate.” Your body knows that these functions can be done later if there is a later. When the animal escapes the stress response shuts down. Unfortunately, humans have evolved to a point where we can’t seem to find the off switch for the stress …show more content…
Professor Sir Michael Marmot’s Whitehall study, Doctor Carol Shively study on macaque monkeys and Doctor Robert Sapolsky’s baboon study came to the same conclusion – there is a major link between rank and stress. The lower you are in the hierarchy the more at risk of heart and other diseases. Stress will cause you to gain weight, especially around the waist area. When your body is stressed it triggers an intense negative cardiovascular response, your heart will beat at a high rate which causes high blood pressure, which in turn damages artery walls and causes a buildup of plaque. It was discovered in the two primate studies that dominate monkeys had clean arteries, were skinnier, and had a way more active brain when it came to pleasure. In humans, any stress we have today will affect us for years to come. Stress can kill brain cells, especially in the hippocampus (memory bank), alter our brain chemistry and affect our bodies systems (i.e. immune and reproductive). It doesn’t matter if you have access to the same medical care and privileges as the person above you in the hierarchy. The lower you are the more at risk you