Are living on Adrenaline? Stressed? Anxious? You may be more likely to develop an autoimmune condition... so what is the link?
Are you living off adrenal to get you through the working week? crashing come Friday afternoon? Find you are always reaching for the coffee at 3pm and pasty at 3.30pm?
In our modern age we are repetitively turning on our 'fight or flight' system - activating our sympathetic nervous system or 'hyperarousal'. It has been well documented that the affects of long term chronic stress may lead to chronic illnesses, and you may be well aware but what is really going on...?
In the state of hyperarousal, instead of treat to life attacks such as a tiger or snake, we are constantly being bombarded with emails sent to our phones; pressure of social media; and perfectionism; stuck in traffic jams; the continual over stimulation is everywhere in contemporary society.
There is no coincidence that long term stress can cause adrenal fatigue, increased risk of autoimmune disorders, irritable bowl syndrome and numerous others conditions.
So what is going on in my body...??
The illustration below highlights some of the key reactions happening inside our bodies. A stressful event (email or snake!) stimulates our HPA axis (hypothalamus) to flip on the sympathetic nervous system in turn shutting down none essential organ self repair and self maintenance. This then release's CRF into the central nervous system, which stimulates the pituitary gland, causing it to secrete prolactin and adrencerticotipofic hormones. The adrenal glands create metabolic changes throughout the body. In this state our pupils dilate; saliva is inhibited; stomach acid increases and digestive enzymes decreases leading to undigested food; diarrhea or constipation; the release of adrenaline and nor-adrenaline; glucose is increased in the blood; cortisol suppresses the immune system; muscles contract so we can run faster.
Self repair and maintenance are a luxury when running from immediate danger.
But we are not in immediate danger or in a death situation, this activation of hormones becomes repetitive for our bodies and can become so common that we are living more in a constant state of fight or flight than relaxation. It's time we all learnt to SWITCH OFF and rebalance. Future blog's will detail homeostasis and finding our equilibrium state.
For more information on how homeopathy can support you turning the modern day 'switch off' and returning to a state of balance and repair. Do get in touch via my website or email kirstin.bruges@hotmail.com
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