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- The organism perceives, at a conscious or unconscious level, a stressor, or something unexpected, new or unusual, able to represent a difficulty or a potential danger. The stress factor can be of a psychological nature (heated discussion , sudden worry, etc.), physical (violent cold wave, trauma, etc.) or biological (infection, food poisoning, etc.) Whatever the cause, the biochemical process of the stress reaction is the same.
- The hypothalamus causes a series of chemical and electrical changes in the body. The hypothalamus is a tiny but very important area of the brain that controls most of the organic functions independent of the will (body temperature, heart rate, water balance, respiration, blood pressure, etc.) and is closely connected with the functioning of the endocrine system. to which it is also structurally connected, constituting the neuroiysis (neuroendocrine system), and the immune system. Its job is to maintain homeostasis (or functional balance); for example, it causes you to sweat in hot weather or, conversely, to shiver in cold weather. In the presence of a stressor, the hypothalamus intervenes by trying to to maintain the state of normality of the organism, acting directly on the autonomic nervous system and on the endocrine system. The action of the hypothalamus produces three immediate effects: secretion of specific hormones, cortisol and, above all, through a direct brain-adrenal glands (splanchnic nerves) pathway of the orthosympathetic nervous system, adrenaline And noradrenaline (produced in quantities ten times higher than normal); always through the sympathetic nervous system, stimulation of numerous organs (vascular system, smooth muscles, various glands, etc.) and inhibition of motility and secretion of the organs of the digestive system; production of betaendorfins, the body's own painkillers that allow, through the raising of the pain threshold, of resisting emotional tensions, physical trauma or efforts more intense than would normally be bearable (the body produces betaendorphins in order to relieve effort and / or pain in the most demanding situations).
- The secretion of hormones combined with the stimulation of the sympathetic system causes numerous further organic reactions. The effect is an increase in metabolism: the heart accelerates its beats, blood pressure rises, sweating increases, there is an increase in respiratory function, the pupils dilate, the mouth dries up, the skin hairs These are the symptoms that, accompanied by the feeling of empty stomach, we experience when we feel "stressed" such as, for example, before a demanding test (exam, performance, etc.).
- The blood flows from the peripheral areas (peripheral vaso-constriction accompanied by the facilitation of coagulation) and from the secondary organs towards the most necessary and important ones (heart, lungs) to maximize their efficiency. The skin turns pale and, due to the combined action of sweat and reduced blood supply, it becomes wet and cold. Digestive function tends to stop, often causing nausea which can become stomach pain if you eat. Meanwhile, the skeletal muscles contract as if to confront an attacker. Finally, blood supply also decreases in areas of the brain that specialize in information processing and problem solving. Therefore, anxiety increases, due to the increased influx of adrenaline, and mental concentration decreases (mental efficiency is maximum in deep relaxation).
Many people remain imprisoned in this phase, characterized by an accelerated heart rhythm and tense skeletal muscles, even after overcoming the contingent difficulties: they are the so-called "hyper-reactive", who often complain of the "inability to relax after an important commitment. . They are "stress-dependent" people or really addicted to the natural drug that the body produces in this phase: it is the "excitement, which some call" runner's euphoria ", caused by the aforementioned betaendorphins. The same people easily become habitual users of exciting substances, such as caffeine or other drugs, in order to prolong the resistance phase beyond the natural limits.
Edited by Dr. Giovanni Chetta
