Stress is a medical term for a wide
range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which
can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome. Historically, it was gradually
realized that such concepts as anxiety, antagonism, exhaustion, frustration,
distress, despair, overwork, pre-menstrual tension, over-focusing, confusion,
mourning, and fear could all come together in a general broad term, stress.
The use of the term stress in
serious and recognized cases, such as those of post-traumatic stress disorder
and psychosomatic illness, has scarcely helped clear analysis of the
generalized "stress" phenomenon. Nonetheless, some varieties of
stress from negative life events (distress) and from positive life events
(eustress) can clearly have a serious physical impact distinct from the
troubles of what psychotherapists call the "worried well." Stress
activates the sympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system and the
release of stress hormones including epinephrine, and cortisol. Sympathetic
nervous output produces the fight-or-flight response, causing the body to
divert bloodflow to large muscles as the body prepares to run away from or
fight something.
Less blood flows to the digestive
system and other organs that do not assist in fleeing or fighting, producing
dry mouth, motor agitation, sweating, pallor, enlarged pupils and over the long
term, insomnia.
Modern stressors can cause continual
sympathetic nervous system activation with very little opportunity for the
parasympathetic nervous system to activate.
When the parasympathetic system is
active, the bowel and other non-muscle organs receive good blood-flow, the
pupils constrict, and the glands all function well and secrete their various compounds.
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