Short-Term vs Long-Term Effects of the Fight-or-Flight Response on Your Body

effects of fight or flight response

IS YOUR BODY RUNNING OFF FIGHT OR FLIGHT NERVOUS ENERGY?

My body has been running off fight or flight nervous energy for most of my child and adult life. From a very young age I always felt on edge. Of course as a teenager I thought this feeling was normal.

This energy resulted in me being very shy at school and I really struggled to fit into the norm of society, therefore I never felt comfortable in my own skin. Socialising with others wasn’t easy. I often just wanted to be within the comfort of my own home.

I began to experience a lot more of the physical effects of anxiety during my 20’s, so I resorted to alcohol as a way to take the edge off. Of course for a short period I would feel comfortable being out in public or with friends, but when the alcohol wore off, the mental and physical effects of anxiety only intensified for me.

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During my mid to late 20’s I began to experience constant fatigue and the other common physical symptoms of anxiety became almost unbearable for me. This resulted in more depressive moods and constant visits to the doctors. Every time I had a blood pressure reading it would constantly be high.

I started to fear that there was something seriously wrong with my health. It didn’t matter how many visits I made to the doctors or hospitals, I was convinced I was seriously ill.

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Fast forward 5 years:

I’m now deep into healing childhood trauma and PTSD. My nervous system is starting to switch from a dominant fight or flight, my natural state since childhood, to a normal parasympathetic nervous system response.

YOU TOO CAN HEAL YOURSELF USING THE POWER OF YOUR OWN CONSCIOUSNESS

Even though I have been lucky to avoid some more serious damage to my body and organs over the years, there are others who aren’t so lucky. 

Don’t ignore the early signs. Take acton now!

 

Here are the 3 stages of the fight or flight stress response:

Alarm – Stage 1

Initial response: Triggered by a stressful event. The body responds to the perceived threat.

You experience:

  • Elevated heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure
  • heavy breathing
  • dilated pupils
  • increased perspiration
  • Heightened senses
  • increase in blood sugar levels
  • Muscle tension

Resistance – Stage 2

Patterned response: Familiar environments and/or experiences trigger the same stress response. The body believes you are reliving the same event or experience in real-time.

You experience:

  • Anxiety
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Nausea
  • Heart palpitations or chest pain
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Hot or cold flashes
  • Hypertension
  • Weakened immune system
  • Headaches
  • Muscle tension, aches and pains
  • Numbing or tingling sensations
  • Insomnia or sleep disturbances
  • Upset bowels and stomach
  • Dehydration and sugar cravings

Exhaustion – Stage 3

Long term effects: The body becomes familiar with the hormones of stress. At this stage, the body is controlling the subconscious mind automatically.

You are at risk of:

  • Chronic anxiety
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Depression
  • Digestive problems
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • liver and kidney disease
  • Nervous system diseases
  • Developing cancer cells

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