1. Body detects stimulus
2. The body indicates the fight of flight response (sympathetic)
3. Increase heat rate, blood pressure, ect….(catabolic). Decreases all digestion, sex drive, growth (hormone production), cellular immunity.
4. The adreanals are immediately activated. Adrenalin, Epinephrine, & Cortisol are being produced.
5. These act on the heart, increasing its rate and stroke volume allowing raid delivery of stress response hormone and energy substrates.
6. These hormones stimulate the brain too so that emotional / anxiety memories dominate during stress.
7. Stress hormones inhibit factual learning, working memory, and the ability to focus.
8. The Noradrenalin produced acts on the emotion centers in the brain meaning logical behavior and short term memory become inhibited while centers for emotional learning and instinctual behavior are stimulated.
9. Because the increased sensitivity of our sensor system, our concentration is easily distracted, we tend to exaggerate or become sensitized and exert greater effect.
10. Chronic stress can lead to chronic changes in cognition. Cells in our brain (hippocampus) actually SHRINK. Interestingly, research show that chronic movement stimulation (exercise) results in the hippocampus cells increasing in size.
Chronic stress
1. Develops neruroplasticity along pathways which stimulate anxiety inhibition of rational thought. And the only way to break this cycle is to create neuroplacitiy along stress inhibitor pathways by creation a stimulus by movement / adjustment.
2. Normally the body produces serotonin and response to stress however under long & extreme stress the body can’t keep up with demand.
3. It is this long term decreased serotonin levels that lead people to get depressed. Now add in insulin resistance from chronic high levels of blood glucose & and high levels of insulin. This can lead to type 2 diabetes or chronic fatigue syndrome.
