Stress and Anxiety

• Stress is a natural part of modern life. Caused by traffic, work deadlines, stress at home etc.
• It has been found that exposure to stress early in life may cause vulnerability to stress and anxiety.
• There is a molecular, cellular and structural differences in the brain of someone, with an anxiety disorder.
• Lack of Sleep- Read more about Sleep Studies on Sleep Renewal 

• Disorders are caused when the brain does not produce enough brainwaves, as they get out of balance due to stress, information overload, or illness etc.

• 1. Voluntary nervous system:
• Sends a message to the muscles for us to respond to sensory stimulation.
• Example – If you see a shark in the water, your first reaction would be to run away as fast as possible.

2. Autonomic nervous system:

• Made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve branches
• Sympathetic branch – causes arteries that send blood to the muscles to relax in order to increase the blood flow, for allowing a better reaction.
• The stress hormone adrenaline is released into the bloodstream, this helps to put the body into an arousal state to help cope with the challenge.
• Parasympathetic branch – helps regulate bodily functions and relax the body once the stress has passed.
• When these functions are left unchecked, disease could develop.

3. Neuroendocrine system:

• Maintains the body’s internal functioning
• Adrenaline travels through the blood and stimulates the release of the other hormones that affect the metabolic rate and sexual function.

• Signals are sent to the hypothalamus in the brain, where the adrenal gland excrete glucocorticoids, these are hormones that produce the many affects in response to stress.
• This includes storing energy in the blood
• Increasing heart rate
• Delaying the processes in the body that are essential during a crisis – eating, digestion, growth and reproduction.
• Glucocorticoid cortisol, promotes energy replenishment and efficient cardiovascular function.
• Cortisol levels peak in the morning hours just before you wake, and helps to turn on appetite and physical activity.
• Acute stress enhances the memory of past threatening events that increase activity of the immune system, which protect the body from pathogens.
• Glucocorticoids help the body respond to stress.
• Also helps the body with environmental change.
• Thus glucocorticoids are essential for survival.