People with higher pain levels often experience heightened fight-or-flight responses, which throws the nervous system off-balance. Things like stress, pain, and lack of sleep trigger these responses. When we're stuck in fight-or-flight mode, our automatic functions stop working properly.
But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body's processes.
Deep breathing, relaxation strategies, physical activity, and social support can all help if you are feeling the effects of a fight-or-flight response.
Causes of chronic fight-or-flight mode
The most common example of this is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It can also come from long periods of overwork and sleep deprivation that have essentially trained your brain to be agitated all the time, even though your health is being sacrificed.
A deep sigh is your body-brain's natural way to release tension and reset your nervous system. Simply breathe in fully, then breathe out fully, longer on the exhale. Studieshave shown that a deep sigh returns the autonomic nervous system from an over-activated sympathetic state to a more balanced parasympathetic state.
However, when the fear is imagined, and the fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, this may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety—a physiologic and emotional response to a threat that the brain perceives— is one of the most common reasons why people seek psychological or psychiatric treatment.
Whether it's with meditation or meditative movement techniques like Qigong, yoga, or other techniques that relax you, give yourself a break during the day to simply be. Research shows that activities that promote syncing movement with breath can be incredibly helpful in reducing low mood and anxiousness.
As part of the response, the adrenal glands release hormones including adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol, which triggers the cascade of physiological responses, including an increase in temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure.
Deep breathing, relaxation techniques, and certain medications can help to ease anxiety and nervousness. Sometimes, simply taking a break from whatever is causing the stress can be enough to help the nervous system relax. In some cases, though, more drastic measures may be necessary.
Overly frequent, intense, or inappropriate activation of the fight or flight response is implicated in a range of clinical conditions including most anxiety disorders. A helpful part of treatment for anxiety is an improved understanding of the purpose and function of the fight or flight response.
An overactive sympathetic nervous system can cause issues like muscle tension, jitters, insomnia, and more. It can also lead to hyper-vigilance, the tendency to detect danger, even in its absence. By contrast, excessive tiredness, depression, and an overactive gag reflex can signal parasympathetic dominance [3].
Feeling tired, anxious, depressed. Losing or gaining weight; changes in your eating habits. Sleeping more or less than usual. Gastrointestinal problems including upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation.
Neurotropic B vitamins play crucial roles as coenzymes and beyond in the nervous system. Particularly vitamin B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin) contribute essentially to the maintenance of a healthy nervous system.
Loud gargling with water or loud singing activates our vocal cords which in turn stimulates the vagus nerve. Foot massage: gentle or firm touch can assist in stimulation the vagus nerve. Cold water face immersion: immerse your forehead eyes and at least 2/3 of both cheeks into cold water.
Common signs and symptoms of higher-than-normal cortisol levels include: Weight gain, especially in your face and abdomen. Fatty deposits between your shoulder blades. Wide, purple stretch marks on your abdomen (belly).
•A consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time. •Symptoms include aches and pains, insomnia or weakness, less socialization, unfocused thinking.
[18] This syndrome is divided into the alarm reaction stage, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage. The alarm reaction stage refers to the initial symptoms of the body under acute stress and the "fight or flight" response.
Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour. That makes them very effective when taken during a panic attack or another overwhelming anxiety episode.
When you're feeling anxious or stressed, your body releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These cause the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as an increased heart rate and increased sweating. Physical symptoms can include: a pounding heartbeat.
The stress response can be triggered in a single instant, but how quickly you calm down and return to your natural state is going to vary from person to person (and it will depend on what caused it). Typically, it takes 20 to 30 minutes for your body to return to normal and calm down.
People with PTSD have been found to continue to produce high amounts of fight or flight hormones even when there's no danger. It's thought this may be responsible for the numbed emotions and hyperarousal experienced by some people with PTSD.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your sympathetic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that carries signals related to your “fight-or-flight” response. That makes it a key part of your response to stressful situations.
The over-triggered fight-or-flight response is the biggest problem for most people with PTSD. This intense anxiety and hyper-awareness can cause serious panic attacks. Though someone may be completely safe at the time of one of these attacks, they can still feel like their life is in danger.