Physiology of stress. What happens in the body under stress?

Types of stress are divided according to the degree of impact on the individual; each type can have both positive and negative effects. A traumatic factor causes certain reactions on an emotional and physical level. Stressful behavior depends on personal characteristics; each individual behaves differently in stressful and extreme conditions. Let's look at the basic issues of a person's response to stress.

Stress, what happens to the body?

It should be remembered that stress is a normal reaction of a normal person to an abnormal situation .

The most traumatic are situations of an anthropogenic or social nature that go beyond the limits of ordinary, normal human experience, when the source of traumatization is another person (attack on the street, sexual violence, local wars, terrorist attacks).

A short-term, unexpected traumatic event, as a single impact, threatening and requiring coping mechanisms that exceed human capabilities (sexual violence, natural disasters, road accidents, sniper shooting), leaves an indelible mark on the human psyche.

Already from the first hours and within 3–5 days, the affected HEALTHY person experiences:

sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings at night, early awakenings with anxiety),
change in eating behavior (more often an increase in the volume of food consumed, with a decrease in selectivity),
change in body weight (usually loss),
increased blood pressure (up to 140–160/90–100 mm Hg),
increased heart rate and breathing (not associated with increased physical activity).

Moreover, an increase in blood pressure is often not accompanied by a subjective deterioration of the condition. In the future, a person often sees dreams in which certain aspects of the event are present, and traces in memory are vivid and specific. With a fairly high degree of probability, such a traumatic event leads to the development of already painful signs of post-traumatic disorder: obsessive mental activity associated with this event, symptoms of avoidance and high physiological reactivity.

Alexander FEDOROVICH

Stress, without exaggeration, is one of the most frequently repeated words we hear in everyday life. What is it? Now I'll tell you.

Stress is a nonspecific reaction of the body to external stimuli. It is customary to divide stress into physical and psycho-emotional. Physical is natural phenomena, this is what surrounds us: humidity, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, then radiation, etc. But psycho-emotional is everything that happens around us, but is assessed by us in a certain way, that is, in other words, these are the events that matter to us.

Back in 1937, Hans Selye, working on the study of the body's adaptation mechanisms, came to the conclusion that, in fact, at the start, all organisms react to any events in the same way. But then, literally after a few seconds or minutes, the reaction begins to change.

First of all. the specificity is determined by the individual characteristics of a person: the nervous system, the degree of maturity, the presence of skills, the ability of the cardiovascular and digestive systems to quickly respond to certain movements - that is, everything is very individual. And that’s what makes stress so interesting.

We have inherited from nature exactly three options for responding to external aggressive influences. Option number one is to respond to aggression with aggression. Option number two: in response to aggression - flight. And finally, option number three is the so-called freezing, imaginary death, you’ve probably seen this if you watch programs about animals. A predator attacked an antelope, suddenly it falls face down, and the predator is at a loss - what to do? But at that very moment the antelope jumps up and runs away. Nature took care of us.

What happens in the body? The main gland, the adrenal glands, produces two hormones: adrenaline and norepinephrine. They are the ones who provide us with the opportunity to react adequately, that is, to face danger and be prepared. Due to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and decreased sensitivity threshold, we are ready for any danger.

In living nature, everything is logical and concise, but we are people and not everything is so simple with us. What is happening to us? The main ambush - social - is that we do not have the right to react as nature prescribed for us.

So, our options for behavior. We are going to the exam: we are scared, anxious, adrenaline is running high - we want to run away, but society tells us: “No, you have to pass this! This is your test, you must declare yourself!

Option two. Conflict on the street. And it would be necessary to accept aggression with dignity - to act boldly and on the entire front. But society tells us: “No! You shouldn't do this! Try to talk, try to avoid confrontation, you’re a civilized person!”

What happens to that same antelope that escaped from the clutches of an angry predator? She is in motion, she is utilizing the very adrenaline and norepinephrine that provided her with such an opportunity - to break loose. What happens to a person who is stressed? He cannot in any way utilize the production of these hormones - stress hormones.

There is one more difference between a person and an animal: a person tries to give different assessments to different events, offers them different colors. And here stress plays a cruel joke on us. As already mentioned, this is a nonspecific reaction, that is, the body always reacts the same way. But there is stress with a plus sign: a salary increase, a quarterly bonus, a change of place of residence with improved conditions, a promotion - you can imagine how much surprise this word - stress - hides for a person.

All these events are listed, and not simply, but with an indication of the number of points of a certain load on the body, in the Holmes table . Why is the Holmes table ? Because it not only lists all the events that fill our lives with meaning and color, but also assigns a number of points to each of these events. You take a pencil and list on paper all the events that have happened to you over the past year. You set a number of points against each event and, by summing them up, you can draw an interesting conclusion. If the number of points is up to one hundred, then, in principle, your life is eventful and stressful, but nothing terrible threatens you. If the number is from one hundred to two hundred, then you have suffered a fairly large amount of stress load, and it would be good for you to take care of yourself. If the number of points exceeds three hundred, then you definitely need to contact a specialist for help.

Now you have a basic understanding of what stress is. In the future, I will tell you about who is susceptible to it, why it is dangerous, and how to deal with it. Watch, listen and think.

What happens when stress is constantly repeated?

If there is a constant and repeated exposure to a traumatic stressor (repeated physical or sexual violence, combat), it is first experienced in the type already described (sleep disturbances, eating behavior, vital functions), but as the traumatic event is repeated, the victim experiences fear of recurrence of the injury with a feeling of helplessness in preventing the injury.

At the same time, people strive to identify reliable signs indicating the possibility of a repetition of a traumatic situation (increasing attention to official reports from the authorities, turning to fortune-tellers and soothsayers, staying close to people who can help with a repetition of the situation).

Quite often, concern for one's own health comes to the fore. In this case, fixation on pain or other unpleasant sensations in the body contributes to the perception of the likelihood of a repetition of the traumatic situation as a less significant threat.

Some of the victims begin to stock up on food and other essential items (flour, salt, matches, fuels and lubricants).

A high level of anxious anticipation of a repetition of a traumatic situation usually lasts no more than 5–7 days , after which, as a rule, there is a decrease in the level of anxiety. How about.

Subsequently, memories of this kind of event are characterized by their vagueness and heterogeneity due to the dissociative process; Over time, dissociation can become one of the main ways of coping with a traumatic situation. The result of exposure to prolonged type 2 trauma can even be a change in the self-awareness and image of the world of the affected person , which can be accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame and decreased self-esteem.

Dissociation, denial, numbing (mental numbness), detachment, alcohol and other substance abuse may be present as an attempt to protect against intolerable experiences . In such cases, rapid restoration of normal functioning is rare and unlikely.

The transition period for a HEALTHY person begins after the resolution (completion) of the traumatic situation and return to the microsocial environment with familiar hierarchical values (including the value of human life).

Depending on the severity and duration of continuum stress, the duration of the transition period is 15–30 days . In this case, the mode of one’s behavior during the situation is compared with one’s ideas about approved behavior and the attitudes of the microsocial environment (in other words, an internal audit of the period of continual stress takes place).

During this period, people do not express complaints about their health (both physical and mental); despite the presence of a feeling of weakness and malaise, severe asthenia comes to the fore. Despite the presence of even serious somatic disorders, almost all victims refuse not only hospitalization, but also regular outpatient care and strive with all their might to “get home” (to a familiar environment).

Subsequently, in some cases, the formation of post-traumatic stress disorder , that is, the formation of an already painful state.

Basic types of response to stress

Physiological arousal
Rice. 15. Model of psychological stress[81]

To understand how this model works, let’s briefly look at each of its stages, up to the consequences of prolonged stress.

Let's say you're in college, successful in your studies, and socially significant. Your communication and studies give you pleasure. You know the guys in the group well, you have excellent relationships with them, you find a common language with the teachers. But your life situation is such that your family moves to another city. You are eating with your family, meaning a situation arises to which you must adapt

(
the first stage is the life situation ).
You consider this situation the “end of the world”! We need to change college. You don't know anyone there. Will you find friends there? Will you be accepted into the group? What kind of teachers are there? Questions, concerns, problems

(
the second stage is the perception of the situation as stressful).
Recognize, however, that many will perceive this event as being of moderate concern. Some of your friends may say:

1. Hurray! New place, new people.

2. But this is not the worst thing that could happen; The main thing is that everyone is healthy, I’ll get used to it.

3. Real friendship cannot be destroyed by distance, let’s encourage you to visit.

People who perceive the situation in this way have established a barrier between the situation and the perception of it

. We'll talk about how this happens a little later.

You, however, experienced the move as a traumatic event and this caused emotional disturbance.
You experienced fear of the future, doubts about your worth. You are upset and don't know what to do. These feelings are echoed in a physiological reaction: your blood composition changes, more hydrochloric acid is released, immunity decreases, etc. (third and fourth stages - emotional, physiological arousal) If you don’t treat yourself now, then the risk of developing any stress-related illness increases (stage five - consequences).
We are faced with a situation that is perceived as stressful (worrying). An emotional reaction arises to it, as we experience suffering and excitement.

Negative emotions caused by stress factors increase the likelihood of rash reactions, which is not always correct.

In this case, a person acts within the framework of his automated behavior, which arises as a consequence of a certain attitude.

Attitude is an unconscious state of a person’s readiness to perceive, evaluate and act in a certain way in relation to the people or objects around him. [82]

The following attitudes are identified that can affect our behavior and lead to stress: a negative attitude towards oneself (“I won’t succeed”, “I won’t be able to”, “I’ll lose”), fear of a repetition of the situation (“I won’t pass the exam, how didn’t pass the last one”), etc.

In this case, there is no choice of response to a situation as such: a person does not choose a reaction, the attitude does it for him. That is, setting a certain stress factor automatically causes a reaction.

The following are common reactions to stress:

Regression (resentment, self-pity)

dwelling on negative feelings

As a result of stress factors, there is a high probability of illness or other negative consequences. In such cases, it is possible to intervene before these consequences occur. Interventions involve establishing barriers in different areas of the stress theory model. Since the development of stress follows a strict pattern, the beginning of the next phase is possible only with the full development of the previous one. Any violation of this sequence will affect the process to one degree or another.

For example:

You are faced with a life situation that requires adaptation. A barrier can be placed between the first phase (the emergence of a life situation) and the next (perceiving the situation as stressful). This barrier may consist of prescribed treatment, persistence, and willpower on your part. You will not allow the current situation to disturb your peace of mind. You can focus on the positive side of any situation, since it could have turned out worse. Or you can put a barrier between the second and third phases (perception of the situation as a stressful and emotional reaction to it). Look, maybe the problems that brought you into a state of stress are completely insignificant and you are “making a mountain out of a molehill,” or maybe you have already gotten into the habit of suffering, complaining, and seeing only the bad. O. Balzac said: “Nothing intoxicates a person more than his own suffering.” Of course, in order to start building a happy life, you need to have a certain amount of courage. This is also a big change in life, but are you ready for it or are you more accustomed to living in the old way? The choice is yours. As L.N. said Tolstoy: “You must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy.” So we urge you to believe in this possibility. Learn to dream, learn to draw your future.

So, stress can and should be managed. But, it is best to avoid the stage of stress that can cause harm to the body. This is possible if you have a high level of stress tolerance.

Stress resistance is a set of personal qualities that allow a person to endure significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress (overload) associated with a stressful situation, without any particular harmful consequences for activities, others and one’s health.

Here are some tips to increase your resilience to stress and prevent distress[83]:

Get up in the morning ten minutes earlier than usual. This way you can avoid morning irritation. A calm, organized morning reduces the hassles of the day.
Don't rely on your memory. Keep a diary . This way you won’t be afraid that you will forget important events and meetings. After all, waiting for breakdowns is the same as stress.
Do everything on time .
“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Think, tomorrow may come and you will drown in business.
Learn to say no. Of all the ways to manage time, saying no is the best.
Relax your standards . Contrary to popular belief, not all things worth doing are worth doing well. Be more flexible. Perfection is not always achievable, and even if it is achievable, it is not always worth it.
Count your luck! For every bad luck you have today, there are probably ten times you were successful. Remembering good things can reduce your irritation.
Try to have friends who don't worry or worry too much . Nothing will develop a habit of constant worry in you faster than worrying and worrying together with other chronically worried, tormented people.
Pay attention to your health . Visit doctors and exercise on time.
Get enough sleep.
Create order out of chaos . Organize your home or workspace so that you can always find what you're looking for.
Do deep, slow breathing . When people feel stressed, they breathe quickly and shallowly. This can lead to muscle tension due to insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues. Relax your muscles and take a few deep breaths.
Do something to improve your appearance . Looking better can make you feel better. A good hairstyle and a neat suit can give you the vitality you need. Treat yourself well.
Make your days off as varied as possible . If weekdays are usually hectic, use the weekends for a relaxing break. If your workdays are filled with tasks that require you to do alone, then on the weekends, lead a more social lifestyle.
Forgive and forget . Accept the fact that the people around you and the world we live in are imperfect.
Remember that “Life is beautiful!” Expect positivity from life, know how to find and preserve it!
“Smile at the world so it can smile at you.” Use laughter to combat stress. When laughing, the content of endorphins in the blood increases, which gives a person optimism, cheerfulness and a good mood.

Help

There are three approaches to helping people who have experienced trauma and suffer from post-stress disorders:

Medical. The medical approach involves curative care.
Social. Social support is aimed at helping a person “stay afloat in life,” i.e. have a certain living wage (for housing and work, first of all).
Psychological. Psychological support is provided to help process the experience generated by the stressful trauma itself and the difficulties of adapting to life after it, allowing you to feel in harmony with yourself and other people, realize your potential and develop as a person.