Understand the stages of stress, how they affect mind-body function, how to overcome them and restore health and balance.
Stress, its mental and physical impacts, and how it relates to so many health conditions are an inherent part of the educational-therapeutic process. This article begins a series on the theme of stress and the physiological stages of stress. Other topics will include adrenal fatigue, burnout, steps anyone can follow to manage/reverse it, and understanding clinical tools I use to support that process.
On the topic of overcoming the stages of stress, some issues have a quick fix, others do not. Several concepts require introduction to appreciate how stress operates in the body and the long-term lifestyle and therapeutic strategies required to restore health. These concepts apply equally to both mental-emotional stress as well as physical-physiological stress.
The body-mind as an ecosystem
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) likens a fully balanced healthy body-mind system, as a well tilled fertile garden. In this garden the soil quality, micronutrients, microbiome, fungi and drainage are in perfect balance. The plants growing are properly spaced. Elements of sunlight and shade, water and dryness are all balanced. This environment has sufficient integrity such that even though foreign seeds and other elements are always present, they are unable to take root and grow. The potential for disruption of equilibrium is always real, but the dynamic harmony of the garden system is resilient. It is a balanced ecosystem and that balance is what creates resilient immunity. The human body-mind system is the same. Viruses, bacteria, exogenous chemicals, relational difficulties, and life stresses always exist, but a balanced body-mind can withstand the adversity.
Physical, mental and emotional stresses affect both brain function and cellular physiology. They affect posture and body mechanics. The longer a stress persists the more systems it affects. Resolution requires strategies that address both the cause(s) and effects in order to return to equilibrium. Often a multi-factorial approach is necessary to rebuild the fruit bearing garden.
The animal mind and human mind
Imagine a cheetah as it bounds forward to chase down a gazelle from the waterhole in the Serengeti. Both creatures are running for their lives; one to feed itself and the other to escape with its life. Both running to live another day. In this fight or flight situation, if the gazelle outruns the cheetah and makes it out alive, several predictable behavioral changes occur.
The gazelle’s breathing begins to slow down. It is out of danger for the moment and returns to a state of calm. The gazelle lowers its head to feed and in its new comfort lays down to have a nap. With two major needs met (safety and food) and no sign of danger on the horizon it searches out a mate. The life-threatening stress is now over.
We humans in our uniqueness process stress very differently, we ruminate on it. We think about, talk about it, or keep it to ourselves. Sometimes we bury it. Often it dominates our mindset. The event may be long over, however, its residues stick around and even form thought or behavioral patterns. Much stress is resolved naturally on its own, though much stress is not. To paraphrase the psychologist Dr. Edith Eger, “what we keep inside, what we don’t get out, makes us sick.”
Whether having just narrowly averted a car accident, are dealing with a breakup, or considering a tense work meeting tomorrow- even just thinking about a stressful event triggers a physiological fight or flight cascade. Physical, mental-emotional and biochemical stresses are the cause of all chronic health problems, their accumulation causes premature aging. It literally wears us down.
There are three physiological stages of stress and each one shapes the dis-ease process. Our discussion will now focus on understanding these stages and in turn how to address them.
Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older.
Hans Selye
General Adaptation Syndrome – the stages of stress
Dr. Hans Selye, a Hungarian Canadian endocrinologist and researcher in the mid-20th century performed ground-breaking work as he observed the effects chronic stress exposure had on cell function. He noted that the stress induced physiological response occurs in the same series of predictable stages as the cell or organism attempts to overcome stress and return to homeostasis (normal function). The longer the stress physiology persists, the greater the dysfunction and genetic adaptation for existing in survival mode. Dr. Selye used the term General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS to describe these stages and their phenomena.
Alarm Stage
The Alarm Stage is the earliest phase of stress. The Sympathetic nervous system Fight or Flight response is activated the moment some form of stress upsets the internal state of balance. Physiological effects include immediate onset of higher blood pressure and blood glucose levels, higher body temperature and frequency of bowel movements. The body needs a rapid release of energy to deal with the stressful situation, so the adrenal glands (stress organs) respond by releasing high levels of hormones like cortisol. Endorphins are released so we can react faster and be less pain sensitive. In this stage, the body has adequate resources and energy to fight back against the stressor and return to normal.
The Alarm Stage is our survival mechanism, it gets us out of danger. It is normal and healthy. Just like the gazelle perceiving danger and running from the cheetah, the human system is designed to activate and then calm down, returning to balance once the stress factor is overcome. The issue arises when the stressor persists, and we remain in the Alarm Stage.
Resistance Stage
The Resistance stage is the second of Selye’s GAS stages. It occurs as the body’s initial response to stress is prolonged, unable to fully overcome the initial impact of the Alarm Stage. In this situation, the Alarm stage battle continues without timely resolution. The body’s physiology must adapt to this new reality and maintain the Alarm stage functions longer term. The human body-mind is designed to endure this survival mode situation, but it comes at a cost. Higher blood pressure and heart rate, high blood glucose levels, elevated adrenal function persist. Digestive and immune function remain at reduced levels as does reproductive hormone synthesis. A general state of hypervigilance and hypersensitivity becomes the norm and is characterized with overall fatigue- getting by with reduced vitality and varying health dysfunctions arising. The Resistance Stage can often continue over the course of an extended period while reserves are still present. If they reach the point of depletion, the body enters the Exhaustion Stage.
Exhaustion Stage
In Exhaustion stage, the final of GAS stages, the body has exhausted its energy levels and nutrient reserves in its failure to successfully overcome the stressor. Vital and secondary functions have adapted to this new reality and “non-vital” functions fail as health deteriorates. In the Exhaustion stage, symptoms like fatigue and chronic fatigue, depression, mood swings, sleep disturbances, hormonal balances, hair loss, libido deficiency, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders are common. Recovery at this stage is often lengthy and complicated in comparison to the Alarm and Resistance stages.
The body is like a garden. The longer the Exhaustion Phase, the greater the nutrient depletion.
It would be naïve to dump a fertilizer and seeds onto a plot and expect a healthy functioning garden to grow. It needs to be cultivated methodically. It takes time and high quality resources to shift from a damaged state to a productive state, both in body and mind.
Physiology of Stress in a Nutshell
When the brain detects a stressor it sends signals to an area of the spinal cord called the Intermediolateral Tract (IML) where the Sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response is initiated. Nerve signals activate survival programming and normal rest-digest are switched off. Increases in heart rate, blood pressure, clotting factors, and blood sugar all activate. All non-immediate survival functions are turned down. As far as the brain is concerned, functions like digestion, growth, immune function, fertility and reproduction, engaging in deep thought and sleeping soundly are insignificant when you are proverbially running for your life.
These “non-vital functions” need to remain switched off (highly downsized) for the body to overcome the stressor. It is basically a redistribution of resources. The brain continues to signal the adrenal glands to produce and release adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones to keep all body functions in the fight or flight state. High blood pressure, blood sugar and clotting factor levels are maintained to keep the body moving and prepared for injury.
Concentration and focus regions of the brain are downregulated while sensitivity to sound and light increase. A state hypervigilance focused on perceived survival needs is maintained so long as the stressor remains.
The amygdala, an area in the brain which controls emotions, is stimulated by the adrenal hormones to retain emotional-stress memories. The stressor is encoded and stored. That way the brain can ensure survival by responding faster to a similar stressor next time. This is the mechanism by which certain events, words and feelings (if related to the original event) can trigger stress responses.1
The chronic stress process becomes the core of chronic degenerative health conditions ranging from depression to heart disease, digestive disorders and autoimmunity, fertility and more. Just as the effects of chronic stress accumulate over time before dis-ease results, it takes time to reverse the detrimental effects and rebuild a productive garden.
Our system can’t return to balance while playing defense at the same time. In order to turn off the Fight or Flight state, the brain needs to know that the stressor is no longer present. This can only be accomplished with a body-mind approach that utilizes calming strategies, self-recognition protocols, nutrition and nutrient repletion, and movement.
5 Things You Can Do On Your Own to Reduce Stress
First of all, don’t get stressed about reducing stress. Start with these 5 steps today to reduce your stress physiology.
- Get outdoors to take long walks. Being in nature, especially in the forest has a deep calming effect on our physiology.
- Practice long deep breathing. Breathing practices focused around controlled breathing are very important internal tools for calming down, keeping your cool and reducing the fight or flight internal pattern.
- Have a support system. Share what you are going through with a loved one.
- Feed your health, not stressor’s appetites. Plant based high nutrient dense foods will help bring your system back to balance. Eating sugary and fatty foods perpetuates the stress response.
- Gratitude and To Do lists – every evening before you go to sleep, write out 3 things you are grateful for and the main things you need to do the next day. This easy technique is a simple and effective way to shift mental focus positively.
Disclaimer. The information represented in this article is meant to provide concepts from evidence based research. It is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition. For appropriate treatment methods please contact your healthcare provider.
