Stress carries with it certain physical and psychological affects that occur at a level equivalent to the type of stress, and the level at which it is encountered. These physical and psychological affects are involuntary, meaning it is a natural uncontrollable physical and psychological reaction to an event(s) by our mind and body.
A stress reaction begins with information entering the brain, usually through one or more of the five senses. The information from the senses is gathered and processed by the Cortex. The Cortex allows us to be analytical, rational, and/or intuitive. It contains the mechanisms for communication, creativity, conscience, problem solving, and memory. The Cortex processes the stressor and interprets it's significance based on memory of previous events, logic, and predictions.
The Cortex shares the stressor information with the Limbic System. The Limbic system provides basic emotions, such as fear, hunger, hate, love, or disgust, and assigns these to the stressor. If the Limbic System and Cortex conclude that there is a threat, challenge, or significant change to be met, a psychological stress reaction occurs, arousing the Cortex and Limbic System.
This state of arousal is quickly passed on to the Hypothalamus, which is the communication center between the brain and the body. The Hypothalamus monitors and balances a vast array of biochemical processes in the body and it's systems.
The Hypothalamus immediately sends out a number of signals, one of which is to the adrenal gland, stimulating the production of adrenaline into the blood. Adrenaline serves as a general central nervous system stimulant. The presence of adrenaline in the blood alerts the brain and the rest of the body to react to the stressor. It also makes the Cortex and Limbic System process their information faster.
In the face of extreme threat which is unanticipated, unpredicted or uncontrolled, the adrenal glands also excrete noradrenaline. The release of noradrenaline causes the rigidification of the memory of the stressor that caused the release of the noradrenaline. Thereafter, even though the incident's threat levels may change, the person's perception of the original threat is "locked" at the point of release of the noradrenaline, and his or her behavior will be as if the initial stressor is still continuing.
The Pituitary Gland is stimulated during this process, and excretes adrenalcorticotropic hormone (ACTH). In the face of extreme stress, ACTH causes a shift in energy away from the Cortex and towards the Limbic System, taking away as much as 2/3rds of the brain's Cortex activity. As stated above, the Cortex allows us to be analytical, rational, and/or intuitive, and contains the mechanisms for communication, conscience, problem solving, and memory.
This activity is commonly known as the "fight or flight response". It is a natural reaction by the body in an effort to respond to the stressor. This state of psychological and physical arousal continues until the stressor is removed, or until the person is exhausted.
Some emergency stress places a very high demand on a person's resources that surpasses a person's routine coping mechanisms. As we experience increasing levels of stress, we begin to lose our mental efficiency. Our ability to remember new information begins to decrease, as does short-term memory. Concentration is more difficult and we become increasingly more distracted. Perceptual distortions, such as slow motion, tunnel vision, and auditory blocking can occur.
These changes minimize the probability of an emotional overload, producing a psychological barrier which enables a person to function with a minimum of distracting emotions during a time of intense stress. Lessening the chances of emotional overload allows a stressed person to concentrate his or her energies in the physical fight or flight response. The drive for physical survival outweighs the emotional and cognitive drives of a person.
Over time, a person's psychological and physical reactions to repeated intense, demanding or threatening circumstances can become conditioned, and can continue to occur irrespective of circumstance. Repeated or prolonged exposure to post trauma stress can cause the body to react under emergency conditions, even when no actual emergency occurs. Therefore, repeated encounters with stressors which initiate a stress response will develop a condition in which the body is chronically and continuously in a state of psychological and physiological arousal.
Police officers may experience psychophysiological hyperarousal fueled by adrenaline on a daily basis. In fact, some become "addicted" to the rush provided by adrenaline, constantly seeking out circumstances that will provide the feelings associated with adrenaline.
Physical symptoms to a prolonged or repeated fight or flight mode include: anxiety, difficulty relaxing, being easily irritated, gastro-intestinal problems, heartburn, suppressed immune system, headaches, tightening in the chest, dysphoria, sore muscles, and more. For additional symptoms refer to the page on Recognizing Emergency Personnel with PTSD.
References:
(1) Emergency Services Stress: Guidelines for Preserving the Health and Careers of Emergency Workers, by Jeff Mitchell Ph.D. and Grady Bray Ph.D.
(2) Wellness Technology for Narcotics Enforcement, by Lawrence Blum, Ph.D.
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