Primitive brain prevail under stress-Understanding the Science of Stress

Stress is a serious impediment in our society it cuts across all sectors of life in humanity

You probably have seen or heard stories of people displaying almost unimaginable mighty strength (superhuman-like powers) when confronted with an emergency situation?

If you haven’t then listen to the story of Lindy shared in class one day: “She raised her hand and told of a time when her mother and sister were out working on their farm. Her mother was driving a big farm machine designed to cut the hay that was growing in their field. She didn’t see the youngster playing in the tall wheat stocks. Accidentally, she ran over her young daughter with this big farm machine. Noticing the unusual sensation as she struck her daughter, she stopped the loud engine and hurried off to see what she had run over. Realizing it was her daughter, she panicked not knowing what to do. There was no one around to help. In a moment of extreme alarm, she lifted the very heavy machine off her daughter and pulled her out with one mighty motion. Once she pulled her child out from underneath the machine, she picked her up, and ran all the way back to the farmhouse to call for help”. Afterwards, the mother collapsed from exhaustion, unable to generate any energy. In those few moments of her daughter’s peril, she had become superwoman.

How can we explain this super-human response that releases power and strength beyond anything we have imagined or previously experienced? What physical and psychological factors are responsible for these amazing abilities?

Primitive brain prevail under stress-The Science of Stress

In the last 50 years we have seen a surge of research on stress. Discovering what actually happens in your body and your mind will help you understand the mechanics behind the stress prevention and management skills you will be learning. This knowledge on the science and theory of stress is captivating and provides strong, credible support for understanding why and how stress management techniques work. Based on this knowledge you will come to understand that you use good stress management skills not just because they feel good, but because they are good science, good medicine.

Why do you feel stress in the first place? What is the purpose of this complex interaction of nerves, muscles, hormones, organs and systems that leads to such unpleasant symptoms as sore muscles, headaches and feelings of emotional upset and a host of other side effects? To answer these questions, we need to go back a few thousand years to see what life was like back then. This will help us understand how our bodies are programmed to respond to threat and danger.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Stress and the Big Bear

Put yourself in the following imaginary scenario: Imagine that you and I live in a place and time where we find no trace of modern conveniences. We have no comfortable homes, no telephones or television, no indoor plumbing, no electricity, no cars to move us around, none of our modern day comforts. For the sake of this article, let’s say that we live in caves or in huts that are out in the “wilds” of some undeveloped area.

Imagine that I have invited you over to my cave because we just killed some big animal and are having a barbeque. Several of our friends are here outside of my cave just having a pleasant time. I have supplied the group with some croquet mallets and balls and we are playing a little croquet on my front lawn. Like I said, we are having a great time.

We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves when, at some point, we notice some rustling of bushes in the distance and then, charging mightily, or hungrily, toward us emerges a huge ferocious-looking bear. This enormous creature has smelled our picnic and wants some of it for himself. He is a menacing creature that could easily put us out of commission with a single swipe of his mighty forearms.

As you imagine yourself in this scenario, one of the first thoughts that will likely pop into your mind is something like, “Uh-Oh! I am in trouble here!” “I am in danger and I am likely to experience some pain!” These immediate thoughts will be followed closely by the next thought, “RUN!” You sense the immediate need to get away from danger. You don’t want to be its dinner. Your next thought might be, “I need to kill this creature to protect my family, myself, and my friends!” “Fight”

The immediate effect of these thoughts is a physiological response that prepares the body to either run with incredible speed, or fight with incredible strength. This response is known as the fight-or-flight response.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Fight-or-Flight Response

An exciting flood of physiological processes in the body immediately takes place automatically and precisely after the initial thought of “Uh-Oh!” It is a state of physiological and psychological hyperarousal. A cascade of nervous system firings and release of stress hormones lead to immediate responses that help the person deal with danger either by fighting or running. As you read in Lindy’s story in the opening vignette, the fight-or-flight response can be activated to protect both ourselves and others when we perceive danger.

This response is amazingly complex, involving interactions between many organs and systems in our body. While it is not necessary for you to understand every detail of these complex interactions, it is important to understand the science of what is happening in your body and mind when your stress response is activated. You can use this information to guide you in developing an individualized program to prevent and manage stress.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-The Purpose of the Fight-or-Flight Response

It is interesting that the physiological stress response has only one purpose. The fight-or-flight response is designed to help us do one thing, and only one thing, very well. That one and only purpose of this response is to help us SURVIVE! Our bodies are designed for survival. When the big bear is charging at us, our system knows how to protect us from experiencing pain and death. The mechanics for sustaining us are nearly flawless. There is no other purpose for the fight-or-flight response.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Understanding the Science of Stress