Reading this overview will help you understand the role of fight or flight hormones in your body, how they affect you both physically and mentally, and how they can contribute to anxiety and stress.
When your body perceives a threat, whether real or imagined, it activates the stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight response. This involves the release of several hormones that prepare you to either confront or escape the perceived danger. These hormones are designed to give you a boost of energy and focus, but they can also lead to uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms. The key fight or flight hormones include adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol.
It’s important to note that the fight-or-flight response is designed for short-term use. Once the threat has passed, the body should return to its normal state. However, if the stress response is triggered too often or for too long, it can lead to chronic stress and anxiety. This can manifest as a variety of symptoms, including muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, persistent fatigue, sleep problems, and irritability. The physical sensations you feel during a panic attack are also linked with the fight or flight response. Many symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart, trembling, and stomach distress, are caused by the release of these hormones. These physical symptoms can also trigger further anxiety, creating a negative cycle.
Understanding how these fight or flight hormones affect your body can help you develop strategies to manage your stress response more effectively. Recognising the symptoms as being connected to the fight or flight response can help you to challenge negative thoughts about their meaning, for example, that they mean you are having a heart attack.
Summary: The body releases fight or flight hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, when it perceives a threat. These hormones trigger a range of physiological changes designed to prepare you to fight or flee the perceived danger, including increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened alertness. While these hormones are helpful for dealing with immediate threats, chronic activation of the stress response can lead to various physical and psychological problems. Understanding the function of these hormones can help you to better manage the stress response and the associated feelings of anxiety and panic.
Tags: fight or flight, adrenaline, cortisol, stress, anxiety, stress response, panic, sympathetic nervous system
Client values play a central and fundamental role in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for…
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has two major primary goals when treating anxiety disorders: (1)…
Neuroplasticity plays a fundamental role in overcoming anxiety. It refers to the brain's remarkable ability…
The brain has two main pathways that can lead to the generation of anxiety. These…
Avoidance can perpetuate anxiety symptoms in several ways. Firstly, avoidance is negatively reinforced because it…
For many individuals with long-term depression, unresolved trauma can play a significant role by creating…