Our body reacts to stressful situations and long-term stress in a variety of ways. One of the ways we react to stressful situations is called the “fight or flight” reaction. This reaction is caused by the release of adrenaline into our systems. An important part of our body’s chemistry, without the hormone adrenaline you would not experience stress. Of course, this sounds like a quick and easy way to reduce stress in our lives, but actually, adrenaline is important in our body’s defense mechanisms against stress.
Without the signals, we receive from the adrenaline we would not be able to react to stress properly. Secreted by the adrenal glands into the bloodstream it is adrenaline that is credited with helping people to react with near super-human strength to stressful situations. When adrenaline is released into your system you pulse, blood pressure and heart rate all increase. This allows more blood to be supplied to the muscles and brains and less to the digestive tract (which actually uses a lot of blood).
The hormonal release during flight or fight also dilates the pupils so that the eyes can take in as much light as possible. Your skin is a major blood user and the blood vessels in the skin tend to constrict during the response, this allows for more blood for the major muscle groups of the body. Tiny muscles attached to the hair in the skin tense up the hairs are forced to stand “on end” causing the sensation we commonly call goose bumps.
Further, in fight or flight the body shuts down nonessential systems. Some body systems that are not needed during the stressful event (such as digestion and/or the immune systems). This allows for the essential systems (breathing, sight, and muscle coordination) can benefit from the additional blood flow and provide more than the usual strength or ability. The chemical change also changes the way our brain functions! When we are in the fight or flight mode it is often difficult to focus on small tasks because the brain is more worried about the larger scale because it is attempting to identify and assess the threat.
All these reactions within the body and brain are designed to help us stay alive and safe. The fight or flight response is part of our natural fear reaction. Our body is getting ready to either fight – as in engage in a physical battle, or flight – as in running away to avoid the situation. The fight or flight response is based in a situation wherein we experience fear…fear of loss, fear of physical harm, or any of a variety of other fears.
Normally the fight or flight response is an immediate response to a specific situation or event. As soon as we start revving up our adrenalin production, the body also produces a hormone called noradrenaline. Working to counter the effects of adrenaline on the body systems, noradrenaline helps to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, thus helping the body return to normal function. Without noradrenaline we would not be able to step down from “fight or flight” mode.
Make sure to check out my next blog post – it talks about 10 top causes of stress.
(Holding doctoral degrees in Divinity and Theology from the Esoteric Interfaith Theological Seminary, Dr. Nikki Judge is the executive director of Black Rose Spiritual Center. A gifted spiritual reader she has helped nearly 175,000 people in her career. Along with a good book and a purring cat Dr. Nikki enjoys getting out in the sun and fresh air of western Montana. You can visit her at www.YourSpiritualGrowthCenter.org )
