What happens to the body with too much stress?
How is stress defined? The word stress itself is a bit confusing in that it is used to describe two aspects of a threatening situation. First, it refers to an outside danger, an incident or situation that alerts you to protect or defend yourself, or to escape. In this sense it is synonymous with “danger,” even if the danger is only imagined. The word stress also refers to your physical and emotional response to these situations. In a dangerous situation, you might say that you experience stress. Stress, in its definition as “outside danger,” is only partly avoidable, and the truth is you can’t always control it. Your body reacts to stimuli that appear to threaten its survival or well being. The brain perceives danger and reacts by activating physiological mechanisms to defend the body. This is our built in fight or Jlight response, a response that has become one of the foundations of classic teachings in physiology and psychology. The key here is the brain’s perception of which o...