The Fight or Flight Reaction
The fight-or-flight response is a natural defense mechanism designed to prepare the body for stressful situations. It is the highest level of survival instinct to fight or abandon a dangerous situation. However, even insignificant events can provoke this response in anxious patients. This is the hypersensitivity of their body to the stimulus, which causes a defense mechanism to activate.
The stress response is also known as the fight or flight response. It is a collection of physiological alterations that help the body deal with a crisis. Some of its characteristics include:
The symptoms of a rapid heartbeat are palpitations or a pounding pulse. It is frequently brief. However, anxiety disorder patients may frequently exhibit this symptom.
increased heart rate and blood pressure
Enhanced sweating is frequently accompanied by chilly, clammy skin. This is because the blood supply to the epidermis is limited.
In order to provide the best vision for coping with an emergency, the hormones released during an anxiety attack interact with their receptors in the eye to cause pupils to dilate.
Slowing of digestion in the digestive tract: in this regard, the digestive tract is a non-essential system. The blood supply is restricted to the digestive tract and prioritized for the heart and other vital organs.
Muscular tension that has increased
Rapid respiration is employed to maintain adequate oxygen reserves.
The manifestation of these symptoms is due to the brain’s electrical circuit overreacting to the stressor. Amygdala and hypothalamus are two brain regions that collaborate with the rest of the body to produce these physiological symptoms. Without the patient’s awareness, the autonomic nervous system plays a significant role in conducting these signals.
This response is indispensable in the face of a real peril. As with perceived threats in anxiety, however, this may be accompanied by trembling and mental disarray, rendering the patient incapable of coping with the threat.
