Anxiety and Your Body
Many of us have felt like we are on an emotional roller coaster lately.
Strong emotions trigger hyper-arousal - a state that renders a person extremely sensitive to stimuli.
This is a natural stress response that, if not overwhelming, can help a person function at their peak.
Stress can also result in anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a severe stressor or danger, such as an accident, trauma, or threat of some kind.
A threat may be of personal or societal proportions.
In the last few years, terrorist attacks and alerts have increased the anxiety level of many people in the U.
S.
Often anxiety will set in after the immediate danger is passed.
Occasionally severe anxiety will immobilize a patient or rescue worker to the point that they cannot respond to the threat appropriately and thus are unable to help themselves or others.
Mild to moderate anxiety can actually help a person respond to a threat.
It can enhance performance by increasing energy, motivation, improving attention and focus, and even increasing physical abilities.
The body's stress response causes a number of psychological and physical changes that can be helpful in an emergency situation.
These changes include:
Problems can occur when you cannot relax and the state of hyper-arousal is extended.
This prolonged stress causes the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones: cortisol, aldosterone, and epinephrine.
Cortisol is a steroid that, if produced excessively, can have harmful effects on the body.
It can damage arteries, and raise harmful cholesterol while decreasing healthy cholesterol.
Chronic stress and anxiety can have a long term negative effect on our bodies.
We cannot always prevent anxiety but we can learn to manage stress.
Take the time to do it for your mental and physical health.
Strong emotions trigger hyper-arousal - a state that renders a person extremely sensitive to stimuli.
This is a natural stress response that, if not overwhelming, can help a person function at their peak.
Stress can also result in anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a severe stressor or danger, such as an accident, trauma, or threat of some kind.
A threat may be of personal or societal proportions.
In the last few years, terrorist attacks and alerts have increased the anxiety level of many people in the U.
S.
Often anxiety will set in after the immediate danger is passed.
Occasionally severe anxiety will immobilize a patient or rescue worker to the point that they cannot respond to the threat appropriately and thus are unable to help themselves or others.
Mild to moderate anxiety can actually help a person respond to a threat.
It can enhance performance by increasing energy, motivation, improving attention and focus, and even increasing physical abilities.
The body's stress response causes a number of psychological and physical changes that can be helpful in an emergency situation.
These changes include:
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Faster breathing.
- Sharpened senses including hearing and vision.
- Muscles become tense
- Blood supply is increased to legs and arms.
- Blood platelets actually increase to decrease clotting time.
(This means that if someone is hurt their blood will clot quicker to stop the bleeding.
)
Problems can occur when you cannot relax and the state of hyper-arousal is extended.
This prolonged stress causes the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones: cortisol, aldosterone, and epinephrine.
Cortisol is a steroid that, if produced excessively, can have harmful effects on the body.
It can damage arteries, and raise harmful cholesterol while decreasing healthy cholesterol.
Chronic stress and anxiety can have a long term negative effect on our bodies.
We cannot always prevent anxiety but we can learn to manage stress.
Take the time to do it for your mental and physical health.
