In the "current scenario of Western civilization, resisting stress can become a" daily habit. The constant "being prepared for the worst" is a rapidly growing social phenomenon, caused, in particular, by the "current global economic recession which tends to create a sense of" "uncertainty about the future".
We can therefore find ourselves, unconsciously, in a constant phase of resistance (chronic stress). Prolonged resistance to stress, however, can damage the immune system; in particular it is the thyme that is affected. The thymus is a gland that within forty-eight hours from the start of an acute stress reaction (illness, serious accidents, strong emotions, etc.), is reduced to half its normal size, nullifying the effectiveness of millions of B and T lymphocytes. .
from stress begins to be scarce, the final phase begins with the aim of ensuring the body the necessary rest period.
Usually, if the endurance phase ends before all of the stress energy resources have been consumed, the next phase of exhaustion is felt as a noticeable drop in energy often associated with profound relief or pleasant numbness (such as after an emotional exhaustion). sporting event, a positive marital discussion or a satisfying sexual intercourse). If, on the other hand, the previous phase of resistance has lasted for a long time, long and debilitating periods of exhaustion can result, since the organism tends to remain in this phase until it feels the need. The aforementioned "hyper-reactive" or "stress-dependent" subjects who spend a lot of time in the resistance phase imposing excessive and unnatural efforts on their organism, are often forced to use artificial sedatives, such as alcohol, to move on to the phase of exhaustion .
From a biochemical point of view, the beginning of the exhaustion phase is characterized by a rapid decrease in adrenal hormones (the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline and, in particular, the glucocorticoid cortisol) as well as energy reserves. The consequence is a "depressive action that it reverses the organic processes of stress reactions to bring the body back to normal function. The stimulating effect of the sympathetic nervous system is replaced by the calming effect of the parasympathetic. Thanks to the "action of the latter", the normal blood flow is restored in the digestive system, in the brain and in the skin. gastric mucosa.
A famous research was that concerning the cases of "bombing ulcer" conducted among London citizens, during the Second World War: six months after the German raids, the cases of peptic ulcer in the population of London and the surrounding area had increased by about 300 % but, the average increase was 50% among the inhabitants of central London, where it was known for certain that the bombs would fall at night, and 500% in the population in the suburbs, where the bombings were unpredictable. the greater uncertainty about the likelihood of undergoing the bombardment was the cause of much more intense and prolonged stress that caused considerable exhaustion combined with digestive difficulties.
and immune). Thanks to them, these three great systems communicate, like real networks, with each other not in a hierarchical way but, in reality, in a bidirectional and widespread way; essentially forming a real global network.In reality, the ever increasing discoveries about another fundamental system for the human organism, the connective system, require the expansion from the psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology (PNEI) to the psychoneuroendocrinoconnectiveimmunology (PNECI).
Edited by Dr. Giovanni Chetta
