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tense muscles reduced sensitivity to pain suspension of digestion and a rise in heart rate and
blood pressure It also activates the adrenal glands prompting the release of adrenaline
The release of adrenaline is a fastacting hormonal response to an acute stressor Adrenaline
frees up blood sugars to give muscles and other tissues the energy they need to deal with an
immediate threat
After adrenaline the second principal stress hormone is cortisol Cortisol a is slowacting
response to a persistent stressor also released by the adrenals It gives animals extra strength
by liberating the energy from fat molecules into the bloodstream This sounds like it could lead
to weight loss but it doesnt In the long run cortisol promotes fat storage and muscle protein
breakdown It also changes the expression of several genes in fat tissue increasing the
likelihood of obesity and type diabetes
Chapter The Amygdala Cortisol and Chronic Stress
Adrenal
Gland
e
Kidney
Illustration A The kidneys with the adrenal glands sitting on top B The molecular structure of the hormone
cortisol C The heart and lungs
Chronic stress upregulates this entire stress hormone system also known as the HPA
hypothalamicpituitaryadrenal axis The result is that the body is continuously flooded with
adrenaline and cortisol Sustained elevation of cortisol is highly pathogenic and leads to
hypertension elevated heart rate increased circulating levels of lipids and cholesterol
atherosclerotic plaque formation decreased highdensity lipoprotein HDL and increased low
density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol Cortisol makes stress corrosive and is related to disorders
like arthritis asthma acid reflux cardiovascular disease chronic fatigue decreased
metabolism depression various cancers migraines sleep deprivation immune system
impairment and ulcers
Elevated cortisol also causes the immune system to produce inflammatory chemicals
cytokines This results in inflammation redness warmth and swelling which increases the
immune systems ability to heal wounds from physical attacks Again this would have been
advantageous in prehistoric times when stress indicated that cuts and lacerations were likely In
modern times however chronically elevated inflammation can lead to pain poor digestion
cancer autoimmune disorders and other dire disease states In fact it has been found to be a
player in almost every chronic disease To escape chronic inflammation we must stop thinking
inflammatory thoughts But unfortunately cortisol also acts on the brain
Cortisol causes mammals to search desperately for a way out Today this urge to escape
drives us to drink alcohol smoke overeat and displace workrelated frustrations on family
members If you are curious to see what highly elevated cortisol feels like try submerging your
entire forearm in an ice bath for two minutes The pain from the ice causes a rapid spike in
cortisol release and this method is often used in experimental studies When cortisol is raised
like this it causes subjects to perform mental tasks less flexibly and intelligently It also
increases pessimism aggression and the negativity bias
As you might have guessed elevated cortisol is common in humans and animals on the
bottom of the pecking order Cortisol is the hormone of status defeat and it surges in monkeys
and apes that are being dominated Decades of studies on early life exposure to cortisol in
monkeys reinforces much of what we have been discussing in this book Exposure to trauma
and cortisol makes a young monkey more psychologically vulnerable to stress and leads to
decreased dominance increased aggression decreased social competence reduced ability to
find social interactions rewarding and reduced affiliative drive When we feel defeated our
serotonin and testosterone drop and our cortisol rises Intermittent stressors like workplace
abuse or even replaying uncivil incidents in ones mind elevate cortisol levels
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Stress expert Robert Sapolsky wrote an excellent book on the neurobiology of stress called
Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers In the book Sapolsky explains that most animals other than
social primates do not give themselves ulcers because they dont waste time worrying Zebras
and most other animals only get upset when they find themselves in immediate danger
usually involving a predator If we only got upset when wild carnivores were stalking us we
would all be a whole lot happier Moreover zebras probably dont rehearse negative social
situations or mull over their place on the social ladder It is mostly monkeys apes and humans
that repeatedly model these scenarios in their heads As a primate your amygdala is inclined to
latch on to social confrontation and cause it to be played out continuously in the imagination
This results in an existential nightmare that Chapter offered you tools eg nonjudgment
nonresistance and nonattachment to wake yourself up from Most of these tools influence the
way you assess problems
The way you appraise a stressprovoking stimulus will program your automatic response
the next time you encounter a similar stimulus In other words your brain will do its best to
remember how you responded so it can expedite that response next time So when something
alarms shocks or unpleasantly surprises you dont get caught up in it Instead try to
immediately minimize the negativity
Whether it is a mosquito whining in your ear a car honking at you or a person yelling at
you stop take a deep breath and choose to be calmer Underreacting inoculates the amygdala
against stress Face difficulty with a levelheaded mindset that is as centered grounded
and poised as possible
DeStress Activity Maintain Composure Amid Tragedy
Imagine that a terrible crisis is unfolding all around you You are attempting to stop assailants
from battering your friend You are being lambasted absolutely torn to shreds by your
colleagues You are experiencing a natural disaster A large animal is attacking your group
Imagine maintaining complete composure amid this chaos You are going through hell but
you keep going You stand straight put on your game face breathe deeply and master the
fear in your gut Other people see your outward appearance and are puzzled by it You focus
on fixing the situation the best way you can knowing that maintaining your presence of mind
will only aid your efforts to help others and right wrongs If you make these scenarios vivid
and extreme then after you have done this for a while there should be nothing and no one
in real life that can throw you off
Dont Develop an Unhealthy Fear of Stress
He who fears he shall suffer already suffers what he fears Michel De Montaigne
After recounting so many of the physical costs of stress in this book would be doing you a
disservice if didnt encourage you not to stress out over stress itself Here is why Studies have
shown that the pathogenesis of physical disease in response to stress is made much worse
when someone believes that stress affects their health Basically thinking that stress is
Chapter The Amygdala Cortisol and Chronic Stress
unhealthy makes it more unhealthy Also people who report they actively avoid stress are
more likely to suffer from depression So what can we do
When you feel stressed dont hate it fear it or fight it Appraise it as enthusiasm and allow
diaphragmatic breathing and belief in yourself to take away the unhealthy elements Whenever
you believe that you will end up stronger from a stressful incident you almost always will This
is known as posttraumatic growth People who see stress as normal and an opportunity for
progress fare better For instance nervous public speakers who said am excited were rated
as having better speeches than people who said I am calm So decide to see yourself as
scrappy full of grit and able to bounce back Believe that stress and arousal will create an