Types and significance of physiological stress for humans. Functional states of the body
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What is the disorder
A person is unable to control everything that happens around. Stress is all around us. To avoid negativity, you just need to lie in bed for days and be completely inactive. In psychology, there is such a phrase: “All information is neutral, and the person himself chooses to perceive it as positive or negative.”
The physiology of stress is such that it can occur both in a child and in an elderly person. Moreover, children do not react so sharply to all provocative stimuli.
During physiological stress the body receives a signal of physical discomfort. And no matter what stressor (cold or heat, shock or scream), the entire psychological and physical system is mobilized and tense.
Still do not understand what kind of stress? Here are a couple of illustrative examples:
- If you suddenly stick your hand into very cold water;
- you get permanent makeup;
- in hot weather, go to the refrigerator.
It's about the physiology of stress...
Its types
Physiological stress, depending on the nature of its occurrence, is divided into:
Chemical
It manifests itself as a result of a violation of chemical processes in the body (lack of air, excessive humidity of the room, gas pollution environment etc.).
Biological
It is the result of disease.
Physical
Occurs in professional athletes due to heavy loads.
Mechanical
Associated with body injuries (trauma, surgery, bruised limbs, etc.).
The main causes of occurrence
- Sharp temperature changes;
- Loud noise;
- Strong smell;
- Strong blow, fall or other mechanical damage;
- Heat or cold;
- High humidity;
- Drinking fast.
In short, the factors provoking physiological stress include everything that violates inner peace and balance.
The reasons for the appearance of this type of stress also include constant strict diets. When an acute period of food restriction begins, the body gets stressed, “eats” its fat, and after a while
child adaptation. As a result, the weight stops, and many unpleasant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract appear.
Symptoms
- muscle tension;
- Acute and unexpected reaction to an irritant;
- Increased sweat secretion;
- Jumps in blood pressure;
- Lack of feeling of hunger;
- Headache;
- convulsions;
- Secondary memory loss;
- Sleep disturbance.
Significance for a person
Physiological irritation that occurs in each person also has a positive effect. People have learned to live with them and cope. This means that the body adapts and over time it becomes possible to withstand not only physiological stress, but also its other types.
Consequences
Doctors and scientific literature tend to believe that if physiological stress is rare, then no negative consequences he won't bring. If you, for example, went on a long debilitating diet, you should understand that the body does not receive useful trace elements, and this harms the immune system and health in general.
Long-term signs of physiological stress give rise to a destructive process: disrupt work of cardio-vascular system, endocrine, exacerbate chronic diseases, and the menstrual cycle in women also fails.
Physiological diseases can eventually develop into mental ones, because they are closely related and dependent on each other.
stress treatment
There is no single method in the treatment of this disorder. Most psychologists consider such treatment unnecessary. But still, if you often observe too violent reactions to external factors, then it is still worth considering methods that do not have side effects:
- Eliminate the cause of physiological distress.
- Deep breath in and out.
Such a light breathing exercise will remove nervous tension.
- Instead of strict diets, it is better to switch to the right balanced diet.
And the body will be comfortable, and you will be pleased with the decreasing weight.
- Meditation is performed to balance the psyche and accelerate stress relief.
During this exercise, you should take a comfortable posture, close your eyes and focus on positive thoughts.
You can dream, remember pleasant moments or draw a picture of the future in your mind. This method will help you relax.
- Relaxation perfectly relieves muscle and emotional tension.
It is especially useful to do it when a person is nervous. To do this, lie down on the floor or bed, relax your legs and arms, and close your eyes. Focus on your breath. Breathe deeply and slowly. Think only of your body, feel it from your heel to the tip of your finger. Alternately tighten each leg for 3-4 seconds and relax. Then you can tense your whole body for a few seconds and relax.
At the end of relaxation, take a deep breath, exhale and slowly open your eyes. You don’t need to get up abruptly, sit down smoothly, then get up and try to stay in such a relaxed state and continue to be.
You can color in anti-stress coloring pages. We can do this without leaving your computer.
Choose how you want to paint.
- Sessions with a psychotherapist will help and respond correctly to irritable situations.
- Particularly neglected stages of severe stress, when a person psycho-emotional state does not recover and the tension does not go away, the doctor prescribes the use of herbal antidepressants (Valerian, Motherwort, Novopassit, Sedatifon, etc.).
Conclusion
Every person is an individual. And the way he reacts to the impact of external stimuli and behaves during the adaptation syndrome is purely individual. Physical stress is not so dangerous. The main thing is that everything should be in moderation. This is where this saying comes in handy.
Stress is a strong nervous tension caused by the action of some strong stimulus. Perhaps the stressful state can be called a response protective reaction. human body on some influence from both the person's own mind and the environment.
To put it simply, stress is a life phenomenon. It invades early in the morning along with the sunbeams or the insistent ringing of the alarm clock. Throughout the day, human nerves are subjected to a serious test of strength. Conflict at work, a quarrel with a loved one, a trip to public transport, a long queue, the lack of desired attention from others - all this causes tension nervous system and therefore can cause stress. Even at night, a person does not know peace, poor sleep can not only spoil the mood, but also lead to a serious imbalance in the internal balance of the body.
Experts studying the work of the nervous system have come to the conclusion that people cannot live without stress. If there is no external irritant, a person immediately invents one for himself. Complexes, conjectures and suspicions, usually unjustified, quickly bring the nervous system into a state of readiness to repel an imaginary threat. However, the absence visible danger and the unwillingness of the mind to part with its obsession disorients the body and again provokes stress.
The concept of "stress" entered the medical terminology relatively recently. The famous Canadian biologist G. Selye first used this word in 1936. The term itself has English roots and is translated into Russian as “tension”. A little later, the scientist identified 3 stages of stress and submitted his theory to the consideration of colleagues.
According to G. Selva, stress has a three-phase development. At the first stage, which he called the “anxiety stage”, the body, having felt anxiety, begins to mobilize all its reserves to resist it. At the second stage, the stage of resistance, comprehension of the situation and adaptation to new conditions begin. In the third stage, which Selva called the “exhaustion stage,” the body, which has been in tension for a long time, begins to feel severe fatigue, often accompanied by depression.
Stress can be both beneficial and harmful. V stressful condition a person mobilizes internal reserves in order to adapt to new conditions - this is what allows him to adapt and survive in any, the most unfavorable conditions. On the other hand, strong and prolonged nervous tension can lead to a rapid loss of the body's capacity and its destruction. Perhaps, in this case, we can draw an analogy with physical effort: an optimally selected load helps develop muscles, and excessive leads to exhaustion of the body.
When a person feels stressed, adrenaline and norepinephrine begin to be produced in the body. The first of these doctors often call the stress hormone. Getting into the blood, it causes significant changes in the work of the human body: the glucose content in the blood increases, the heart begins to beat faster, blood pressure rises rapidly. At the peak of these changes, the strength and dexterity of a person increase, the brain begins to work more intensively in order to identify the cause of irritation as quickly as possible and get rid of it.
From all this we can conclude that a short light stress in itself is not dangerous. Problems appear when one stressful situation superimposed on another, a third one joins them, etc. Unfortunately, the recovery capabilities of the human body are not as great as we would like, therefore, in order to recover from the effects of even one mild stress, the body may take more than one day.
Frequent stress over time leads to the appearance of nervous disorders of varying severity. In advanced cases, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, duodenal ulcers, ischemia, hypertension, immunodeficiency, and stomach ulcers may develop. The risk of heart attacks and strokes increases.
The following are symptoms of severe stress that you should immediately contact a specialist for help:
- sweaty palms;
– headache;
- nervous tic;
- constant anxiety;
- dizziness;
- loss of consciousness;
- bleeding from the nose;
- bleeding from the throat or rectum;
- frequent pulse;
- too rare or vice versa frequent breathing;
- chronic headache;
- constant discomfort in the neck and back;
- insomnia;
- drowsiness;
- irritability;
- Unwarranted aggressiveness.
The famous doctor A. Roche once said: “The basic rule is this: you should see a doctor if you have not had such symptoms before and they have no obvious cause, especially if they impair the quality of life.”
However, stress does not always lead to the development of dangerous and chronic diseases. At present, when a stressful situation is the norm of life, many people develop many ailments that, at first glance, have nothing to do with psychological discomfort and stress. For example, young people suffer from acne and obesity, men from hair loss, women from infertility. At the same time, victims often do not understand what caused their misfortune, but the answer is simple.
Indeed, severe stress often causes severe hair loss. During this period of life, when a person is constantly experiencing shocks, not necessarily unpleasant, such as a wedding, the birth of a child, or a move, the amount of hair that has fallen out can increase. However, don't blame it on stress alone. Hair falls out constantly. No matter how good a person is, he loses more than 70 hairs every day. And the intake of certain medications, hormonal and age-related changes can also provoke a stronger loss.
Stress negatively affects the condition of the skin. Experts have confirmed that strong nervous shocks often cause acne formations. This situation is especially typical for people who have crossed the 20-year milestone.
Although teenagers are more likely than adults to suffer from acne, the cause of their discomfort, as a rule, is the usual hormonal changes. However, the unusually high excitability of people aged 12 to 18 provokes stress in them 3 times more often than in adults, and this cannot be ignored.
American scientists have confirmed the opinion of Russian experts that severe stress may well cause infertility. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not entirely clear, especially since some scientists believe in the existence of a double link between cause and effect. That is, just as stress can cause infertility, infertility often puts a person in a stressful state.
Stress can provoke rapid weight gain and, as a result, the development of obesity. The fact is that very often people, wanting to suppress unpleasant emotions or relieve nervous tension, begin to eat a lot. Tears are a great way to relieve stress, however, by reducing nervous tension in this way, a person also begins to feel severe hunger.
Unfortunately, a person is far from always able to determine whether he has stress or not. Since stress is a protective reaction of the body, its main function is to provide a person with such conditions that will help him survive in the most dangerous and unusual situations when quick action is required, and not long reflections. Moreover, the weaker the stress, the better the person will feel it, and accordingly, with very strong stress, the symptoms, as a rule, appear only after the elimination of the irritant and the reduction of nervous tension.
Susceptibility to stress can be both genetic and acquired. most vulnerable in this respect scientists consider people with a strong-willed character who lead an active lifestyle, such as actors, directors of large enterprises, politicians and TV presenters. In an attempt to achieve their goal, they exhaust their body, not giving it time to rest and recuperate. Overload causes stress, and then increasing fatigue.
Trying to relieve stress, but not wanting to give yourself a rest, a person can resort to various stimulants, such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee and drugs.
Tobacco products, which are in such high demand in our time, are considered by many to be a panacea for all ills. But is it? Indeed, smoking a cigarette can reduce nervous tension for a while, but this helps to distract from the problem only for a short time, and does not solve it or relieve stress. The same is true with drugs. Their action passes, but the problems and the stress caused by them remain.
As for caffeine, it is absolutely not suitable for stress relief. The fact is that when it enters the body, this substance begins to stimulate it, prompting it to produce more and more adrenaline, the stress hormone. Thus, a person who wants to reduce tension and drinks a little coffee for this purpose will achieve exactly the opposite result.
But alcohol can really have a relaxing effect, of course, if it is consumed at the right time and in small quantities. However, alcohol is still not the ideal remedy for all problems. A slight intoxication can be very useful, but should not be relied upon. It is best to rely on other means to solve your problems.
Stress is a very interesting human reaction. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that its causes are usually psychological. Moreover, each of these reasons represents two equivalent, closely intertwined factors: the first is the problem that provoked stress, the second is the person's reaction to the current situation. The fact is that in most cases stress is caused not by the problem itself as such, but by the person’s attitude towards it, his thoughts and emotions.
T. H. Holmes, a well-known psychiatrist, developed an unusual scale to determine the level of stress in the life of an average person, based on which one can find out with what force certain events act on the body. It lists various events that a person may experience in life, and provides stress levels calculated on a 100-point scale.
1. Death of a spouse - 100.
2. Divorce - 73.
3. Separation from a spouse - 65.
4. Serving a term of imprisonment - 63.
5. Death of a close family member - 63.
6. Personal bodily injury or illness - 53.
7. Marriage (marriage) - 50.
8. Dismissal from work - 47.
9. Settlement of disputes in married life - 45.
10. Retirement (retired) - 45.
11. Change in the health status of a family member - 44.
12. Pregnancy - 40.
13. Sexual problems - 39.
14. Replenishment in the family - 39.
15. Entering a business - 39.
16. Change in financial position - 38.
17. Death of a close friend - 37.
18. Change of occupation (activity) - 36.
19. Change in the frequency of disputes with a spouse - 35.
20. Mortgage in excess of $10,000 - 31.
21. Deprivation of the debtor's right to redeem the property pledged by him or the loan (loan) - 30.
22. Changing the degree of responsibility at work - 29.
23. Son or daughter leaves native home – 29.
24. The problem with the relatives of the wife (husband) - 29.
25. Outstanding Personal Achievement - 28.
26. The wife starts or stops work - 26.
27. Start or end of studies - 26.
28. Change in living conditions - 25.
29. Reviewing personal habits - 24.
30. Problem with the boss - 23.
31. Changing the mode and working conditions - 20.
32. Change of residence - 20.
33. Change of school - 20.
34. Changing the way you spend your leisure time - 19.
35. Changes related to church activities - 19.
36. Change social activities – 17.
37. Mortgage or loan
in the amount of less than 10 thousand dollars - 17.
38. Changes in sleep mode - 16.
39. Change in the number of joint family gatherings - 15.
40. Changing the diet - 15.
41. Vacation (holidays) - 13.
42. Christmas - 12.
43. Minor violations of the law - 11.
When exposed to an irritant (stressor), the entire system “connects” and tries to answer the question “what happened?”. These processes take place offline. physiological processes are combined with psychological ones, which at this stage are manifested by gaze orientation, increased attention, listening, concentration of attention on stressors, muscle tension, as well as the activation of the final organ. this is a manifestation of the orienting reflex, which can be transformed into a stress reaction if the signal is regarded as threatening. if threat perception does not occur, then the stress response does not occur.
Any stimulus that causes stress response, must first be perceived (although not necessarily consciously) by receptors. Having perceived this irritation, the receptors send impulses along the sensory pathways of the peripheral nervous system to the brain. In the CNS, nerve branches depart from the main paths ascending to the neocortex, heading to the reticular formation and further to the formations of the diencephalon. Therefore, the perceived events are properly evaluated in the brain structures associated with providing the motivational-need sphere of a person (the hypothalamus and the limbic system).
Ultimately, all the flows of nerve impulses through ascending pathways enter the cerebral cortex, where their meaningful, semantic interpretation is carried out. The results of this interpretation by channels feedback enter the limbic system. If the stimulus is interpreted as a threat or a challenge that provokes a pronounced emotional evaluation, a stress response occurs. For many people, the activation of emotions (both negative and positive) is a trigger for stress.
So, in the very general view the conditions for the occurrence of a reaction to stress are as follows: any stimulus receives a double interpretation - objective, reflecting the physical characteristics of the impact, and subjective, reflecting the attitude of the subject to this impact. If the subjective assessment speaks of a threat, i.e. has a negative affective coloring (fear, anger), it triggers a sequence of corresponding physiological reactions.
The main pathway for the spread of a stressful reaction in the body is the autonomic nervous system and, first of all, its sympathetic department, the excitation effects of which were described above.
So, as already emphasized, modern world stress reactions to psychosocial stimuli are not so much a consequence of the stimuli themselves, but rather the result of their cognitive interpretation, as well as emotional arousal.
The totality of adaptive reactions of the body to adverse effects (stressors) that are significant in strength and duration are defined as general adaptation syndrome (OSA). Selye developed the concept of this syndrome in 1956, defining OSA as the body's effort to adapt to changing environmental conditions by turning on special defense mechanisms developed in the course of evolution. OSA is divided into three stages:
The first is called the anxiety stage. This stage is associated with the mobilization of the body's defense mechanisms, an increase in the level of adrenaline in the blood.
The next stage is called the stage of resistance or resistance. This stage is distinguished by the most high level the body's resistance to the action of harmful factors, which reflects the ability to maintain the state of homeostasis.
· If the impact of the stressor continues, then as a result, the “energy of adaptation”, i.e. the adaptive mechanisms involved in maintaining the resistance stage will exhaust themselves. Then the organism enters the final stage - the stage of exhaustion, when the survival of the organism may be threatened.
The essence of OAS is clearly stated by Selye himself: “No organism,” he emphasizes, “can be constantly in a state of alarm. If the agent is so strong that its significant impact becomes incompatible with life, the animal dies even at the alarm stage, within the first hours or days. If it survives, the initial reaction is necessarily followed by a stage of resistance. This stage is responsible for the balanced expenditure of adaptation reserves. At the same time, the existence of the organism, which practically does not differ from the norm, is maintained under conditions of increased requirements for its adaptive capabilities. But since the adaptive energy is not limitless, then if the stressor continues to act, the third stage begins - exhaustion.
The human body deals with stress by: ways:
1. Stressors are analyzed in the higher parts of the cerebral cortex, after which certain signals are sent to the muscles responsible for movement, preparing the body to respond to the stressor.
2. The stressor also affects the autonomic nervous system. The pulse quickens, blood pressure rises, the level of erythrocytes and blood sugar rises, breathing becomes frequent and intermittent. This increases the amount of oxygen supplied to the tissues. The person is ready to fight or flee.
3. From the analyzer sections of the cortex, signals enter the hypothalamus and adrenal glands. The adrenal glands regulate the release of adrenaline into the blood, which is a common fast-acting stimulant.
The hypothalamus transmits a signal to the pituitary gland, and that to the adrenal glands, resulting in an increase in the synthesis of hormones and their release into the blood. Hormones mainly carry out slow-acting defense of the body. They change the water-salt balance of the blood, increasing blood pressure, stimulate the rapid digestion of food and release energy; hormones increase the number of white blood cells in the blood, stimulating the immune system and allergic reactions.
4. The longest lasting somatic reactions to stress are the result of activation "endocrine axes", that is, systemic associations of organs, the result of which will be changes in the production of hormones. The human stress response involves: somatotropic, adrenocortical and thyroid systems. They are associated with the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system of the cortex and the adrenal medulla and thyroid gland. It has been proven that these axes can be activated through numerous and varied psychological influences, including various psychosocial stimuli. The reaction along the endocrine axes is not only long in time, but usually occurs with some delay. The latter is due, firstly, to the fact that the only transport mechanism for these axes is the circulatory system, and secondly, to the fact that their activation requires a stronger stimulus.
This first stage adaptive syndrome, which Selye called the stage of anxiety. This is actually the first level of response to a stressor - the level of autonomous nerve axis, which is bioelectric in nature.
If the stressor is regarded as threatening, which can be with prolonged exposure to the stressor, increasing the intensity of exposure, etc., the following is included ( second phase (level) of the stress process - the stage of stress. at this stage, the body prepares to overcome this threat. After the cortical and limbic "interpretation" of the stressor, the nerve impulse descends through the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways to the hypothalamus, from where it reaches the corresponding end organ through the pathways (ergotropic and trophotropic reactions). the most important effect of activation of the autonomic nervous system is its manifestation immediately on the terminal organ. the body is mobilized to overcome the “threat” - pressure rises, heart rate increases, breathing rhythm changes, muscles tense, internal organs switch to "special mode of operation". there is an approximation of the barrier of the adapted mental response to the individual critical value; all backup capabilities are connected under full control from the side of personality.
However, the action of the autonomic nervous axis does not last long and its effectiveness rapidly decreases.
Therefore, in order to overcome the ongoing “threat”, the third level of the stress process is connected - the so-called neuroendocrine axis, due to which the body implements the reaction of "fight-flight". A state arises that is characterized by a tendency to actively maintain a certain level of functioning in constantly changing conditions of the external and internal environment, called homeostasis.
Homeostasis is the body's adaptive tendency to maintain balance. this process is provided by the activity of the neuroendocrine axis of the stress response. first, the amygdala is involved in the process, which is the highest center of the “fight-flight” reactions or the tension reaction; from here, the flow of nerve impulses is directed to the hypothalamic region and further to the adrenal medulla, which releases mediators such as adrenaline and norepinephrine into the bloodstream.
Prolonged stress on the functional activity of the barrier of mental adaptation leads to its overstrain. under the influence of the ongoing “threat”, a state of “mismatch” arises (at the level of the psyche - fear), which is assessed as negative and is accompanied by strong emotional arousal, the biological meaning of which is to transfer the body to an “emergency level” of adaptation. thus, emotional stress reactions are formed and manifested (“acute stress” according to ICD-10) and neurotic disorders as a result of mental trauma - hypersensitivity, insomnia, anxious tension, elements of lethargy or fussiness, etc. these violations are transient and do not upset the adequacy of behavior.
! It is important to note that the action of the autonomic nervous system lasts only a few seconds,
Stress – / English stress - stress / - a kind of systemic, psychophysiological individual reaction with characteristic, objectively recorded signs of changes in the adaptive activity of the organism in response to the impact of a combination of specific, external factors of a physical, mental and / or informational nature that violate sustainable life activity.
Stress - a generalized, protective, neuro-endocrine reaction of the body, determined by the genetic program, which provides for the possibility of intensive mobilization of the body's adaptive reserves in order to maintain its viability in unusual, unexpected or extreme conditions that create increased stress on metabolic processes, disruption of homeostasis of the internal environment, somatic and vegetative functions and psycho-emotional state of the individual.
General adaptation syndrome (OSA - a concept introduced by the Canadian researcher Hans Selye, 1936) - implies a set of specific reactions that are adequate to specific stress factors and non-specific adaptive reactions of the physiological systems of the body, which are accompanied by a psychogenic increase in their stress.
The manifestation of OSA includes three successive phase states of nonspecific adaptation of the body under the influence of various stress factors and conditions: phase I - "anxiety", phase II - "resistance", phase III - "exhaustion".
Distress - a long-term state surge neuroendocrine mechanisms of regulation of adaptive processes, causing exhaustion functional, metabolic and plastic reserves of the body and provoking the development of psychosomatic diseases.
Stress reactivity - expression of genetic, phenotypic, age and sex characteristics of individual reactivity of stress adaptation mechanisms, depending on the state of consciousness, temperament, intellectual experience, the quality of the subjective assessment of the situation, the ability to self-regulate the emotional status.
Stress resistance - the degree of individual stability and balance of psycho-emotional interactions under conscious, volitional self-control, which ensures the maintenance of vitality and performance in stressful and extreme conditions. trainable the individual quality of self-consciousness depends on the level of development of the will and the ability to mobilize the functional and psychoenergetic reserves of the body.
2. Stress factors
1) Hard physical work, long, intense
physical activity in extreme and competitive
conditions of sports activity;
2) Forced hypokinesia, prolonged, of the same type,
uncomfortable, postural-tonic muscle tension;
3) Acute or prolonged hypoxia, oxygen deficiency,
"oxygen starvation", high-altitude hypoxia, impaired
gas homeostasis;
4) Sudden or prolonged cooling or overheating;
5) Forced starvation, hypoglycemia;
6) Dehydration, dehydration, salt imbalance;
7) negative emotions and feelings - anger, fear, jealousy,
acute anxiety, envy, repressed desires;
8) Intense and aggressive rhythms of pop music ("punk rock",
death rock, gangster rock, metal rock)
vibrations of an irreparable dysfunction of the brain
brain and neuroimmune system;
Excessive, useless information, thought forms of aggression, thought forms of violence.
The severity and quality of adaptive reactions of individuals in relation to stressful influences always depend on:
1/ states of individual self-consciousness,
2/ level of development of mental and emotional intelligence,
3/ understanding the nature and psychophysiological consequences of the impact on the body of these physical and social factors,
4/ degree of psychological and physical readiness to overcome stressful conditions,
5/ self-motivated to maintain its viability and identify potential opportunities,
6/ the use of psychotechnics - meditation, relaxation, affirmations, pranic breathing for self-regulation of increased stress reactivity and the formation of stress resistance.
The founder of the doctrine of stress was the Canadian Hans Selye, who found that under the action of a variety of stimuli on the body, a universal response arises, which leads to an increase in the body's ability to respond effectively in conditions that require an increase in resources to cope with circumstances.
Let's name some of these universal mechanisms: activation of sympatho-adrenal mechanisms, release of adrenal hormones (the stress hormone adrenaline), reaction from the immune system, changes in metabolism. These universal responses improve the body's ability to respond to adverse conditions.
1
Domestic physiologists were the first to point out that in the concept of Hans Selye, a very important detail was not sufficiently revealed, which reveals many aspects of emotional stress. This detail is the reaction of the nervous system, which, in fact, conducts the rest of the body's systems. In other words, the leading role of the nervous system in the organization of the stress response has been proven. Hans Selye spoke of stress as a non-specific adaptation syndrome in response to a variety of body influences. This may be exposure to high and low temperatures, toxins, and so on. Today we are forced to talk more about emotional stress. Here the leading cause of stress is emotional reason associated with long-term dissatisfaction of some vital needs. Stress arises on the basis of the attitude of the subject to the environment that surrounds him.
2
Some people associate the word "stress" with something negative. It is not right. The fact is that stress in its first phase - the stage of anxiety - exacerbates the sensitivity of the body. In the second stage - the stage of tension - it leads to a pronounced increase in the body's resources. At the same time, the organism modifies its vital activity in such a way that it is able to achieve much greater results than before. For example, there was a case when a boulder fell on a climber, and the climber, fleeing death, could move it. There are several tons in a boulder, a climber would never be able to do it in a normal state.
The third stage of stress, according to Hans Selye, is the stage of exhaustion. If a person does not control his emotional state, he can “roll” into this phase. And in the end, the body, like any mechanism, wears out if it is not lubricated, repaired, or tightened in time. There are those diseases that are associated with stress. That is, stress is not an unambiguously positive and not unambiguously negative reaction.
3
The next question is how to manage stress. And what are the possibilities for living in an adaptive phase (eustress). Today, being in a state of a technically and informationally loaded space, we simply do not have other opportunities if we do not go to the taiga or the village. How to be in this situation? And you need to manage, because each person has his own functions of the body, the links of regulation, which are the most sensitive and which break down first of all with such emotional overload.
It is useful for each person to know in which systems he has weak points. For some it may be the blood pressure regulation system, for others it may be the stomach, intestines. There are stable people who do not have any disturbances for a long time. But still, if negative emotions are persistent, functions may eventually break down.
How to determine the "weak points of the body"? And the anamnesis, and life history, and the state of health of relatives can suggest how the body will function. Now you can make a screening of the patient's genetic data and get a transcript in the form of a probabilistic predisposition to a variety of diseases.
4
How can a person live under stress, manage this stress, sometimes even enjoy this stress - and in general, achieve more?
It is worth mentioning such an important physiological concept as a dynamic stereotype, according to academician and Nobel laureate Ivan Petrovich Pavlov.
Pavlov defined a dynamic stereotype as a sequence of conditioned reflexes that develop in response to some existing stimulus. At the same time, these conditioned reflexes are played out automatically, without active participation our consciousness. A simple example. You go to work and think at that moment how good you will spend the weekend, like you had coffee last night with your friend. At the same time, you exactly repeat the trajectory of your path, as you do every day, turn right, left, the entrance ... And here, as in a famous movie: the house turned out to be not the same, it just looks like the one we need. The dynamic stereotype at this moment comes to its not quite, perhaps, optimal completion.
We have a huge number of dynamic stereotypes that relate to the habits of emotional response. Dynamic stereotypes are not always optimal. In any case, it is very useful to observe them and it is very useful to evaluate their expediency. How do others react to the way we behave? Sometimes it seems to us that we are doing the right thing, we are saying everything right, and those around us are fools and take offense at us, right? Such dynamic stereotypes can be controlled by our consciousness. The cerebral cortex, which, according to the concept of the American researcher Paul McLean, is the latest acquisition of modern mammals, provides significant opportunities for conscious control of the “blind power of the subcortex” (as I.P. Pavlov wrote) and allows achieving high results for changing the stereotypes of emotional behavior . Unfortunately, only a few people systematically think about it, and most do not rationally change their dynamic stereotypes.
5
Our body is a perfect system of its kind, which is adapted to life in almost any conditions and adapts very well. Why, then, do such disruptions of this adaptation occur? Let's take the regulation of blood pressure as an example. The fact is that there is a functional system that ensures the maintenance of blood pressure at an optimal level for life: 120 and 70, 120 and 80 - in large vessels. But many people suffer from failures in the operation of this system. This leads to hypertension, heart attacks, strokes. And it would be useful to recall that the main cause of death worldwide is diseases of the cardiovascular system. The fact is that the system works perfectly in a balanced natural environment - and for some reason refuses to work in modern society. The main reason is the same emotional overstrain.
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There are numerous sensors in the body that determine the value of vital important parameters. For example, there are baroreceptors that determine the amount of blood pressure. Their function is to inform the centers of the brain about the magnitude of blood pressure at the moment. Is it possible to increase blood pressure in the natural environment? Certainly. Physical activity, the proximity of a predator, and so on. But these rises in blood pressure are episodic. They are of short duration. Immediately, depressor mechanisms are activated that lower blood pressure. What happens if the body is in a state of emotional overstrain for a long time? It is logical that the pressure rises for a long time, and at the same time, adaptation of the baroreceptors occurs. The very sensors that are in our vessels get used to the high value of blood pressure. Just like your thermoreceptors will get used to, if you get under a hot shower, it will feel hot at first, and then you will get used to it. And the problem is that if a person had high blood pressure for a long time and baroreceptors adapt, then a person can rest for as long as he likes, but baroreceptors will not restore their function, they will remain immune to high blood pressure. We can give the patient fine pills and lower the pressure, but time will pass the action of the medicine, and the pressure will rise. Now there are elegant medical methods that allow you to restore coronary circulation, but the number of cardiovascular diseases is still steadily increasing.
What counteracts stressors? Positive emotions are the best medicine against all stresses. It is necessary to achieve positive emotions in life, to find them. By the way, it is believed that there are more positive centers in the brain than negative ones.
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In conclusion, we will try to derive a “formula” for a healthy and happy life. To do this, it is useful to consider three points. The first is the satisfaction of basic physiological needs. These are food, sleep, comfortable temperature, physical activity, metabolic needs. The second is the presence of satisfaction in family life. A very important factor is the presence of a loved one, and his loss is experienced very hard. And the third is a dosed success in those areas of life that a person considers significant for himself. It is not so necessary to achieve some super-significant success, and it is not always possible. Therefore, we must appreciate all our achievements: success is extremely necessary for a person, health is formed on its basis.
