Contents
What happens when you don’t stop? Stress and its phases
Psychology
The psychologists Inés Santos and Silvia González explain what happens in our mind and our body when we suffer stress
Response Stress is a very useful and necessary answer for people and a great help to solve sporadic threat situations. It is so important that it is transmitted evolutionarily through genetics. Therefore, this response in itself is not harmful, but adaptive and it is only when it appears in a very frequent, intense or lasting way, causing a waste of resources and the appearance of problems (physical or emotional discomfort, worse performance, illnesses …), when the calls appear stress pathologies.
The problem is that in our current society these responses are put in place with a high frequency and for a long time, due to the change in situations of amenaza, which today are not so much physical but social or psychological. That is, now our life is not in danger physically, but other aspects of it are in danger. The stress response maintained over time, leads to a excessive depletion of organic resources and the appearance of problems associated with stress.
What are the phases of stress
1. Fase de alarma o huida. The first phase is characterized by a series of physiological and biochemical changes in the body to produce maximum energy to escape. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal hormonal axis is activated: the level of adrenalina, blood glucose, blood pressure, heartbeat. The digestive system is also closed and increased muscle tension occurs.
All these responses are normal and necessary for the person to have enough energy to run away from the enemy and from the dangerous situation.
2. Adaptation or resistance phase. The second phase occurs when the stress situation continues and the chemicals produced in the first phase accumulate in the body.
The consequence of this chemical bomb is the maintenance of the alert situation without relaxation. The body tries to regain normalcy and a new physiological response is produced to maintain balance with the hormones and substances that have been released into the blood.
The adrenaline keeps the situation on permanent alert.
3. Exhaustion phase. The third phase is exhaustion, and it occurs when stress becomes chronic and persists for a time. It is produced weakness, lowering of defenses, decreased physical resistance …
The feeling is of being overcome, you have a bad rest, you live in a hurry and a feeling of permanent anguish, depression, discouragement and the desire to flee anywhere to get away from the situation, decreased memory and spatial orientation.
Inés Santos is a psychologist, with a master’s degree in Evidence-based Clinical Psychology and a degree in “Child and Adolescent Behavior Therapy” and “Orientation and care in crisis”. He is currently specializing in Systemic Family Therapy. In addition to working in the “In mental equilibrium” team, she is a supervisor in the PsiCall Telematic Psychological Attention Service of the UCM, she trains students of the University Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology of the UCM. Author of the “Guide against hate speech and radicalization”. He is currently doing the doctoral program in Depressive Disorders.
Silvia González is a psychologist, with a master’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology and a Master’s degree in General Health Psychology. In addition to being part of the «In mental balance» team, she has worked at the University Psychology Clinic of the UCM, where she has also been a tutor for the students of the University Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology. In the field of teaching, he has given informative workshops in numerous institutions such as “Workshop on Emotional Understanding and Regulation”, “Workshop on Improving Public Speaking Skills” or “Workshop on Exam Anxiety”.