15 September 2017

Too Fight or Take Flight

15 September 2017

The fight-or-flight response is a biological response of humans and other animals to acute stress. The fight-or-flight response (also called hyperarousal, or the acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon. His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the animal for fighting or fleeing. More specifically, the adrenal medulla produces a hormonal cascade that results in the secretion of catecholamines, especially norepinephrine and epinephrine. The hormones estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol, as well as the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, also affect how organisms react to stress.

The social information processing model proposes a variety of factors that determine behavior in the context of social situations and pre-existing thoughts. The attribution of hostility, especially in ambiguous situations, seems to be one of the most important cognitive factors associated with the fight or flight response because of its implications towards aggression. For example if we were to look at those people in Texas and Florida affected by the 2017 hurricane season, specifically Hurricane Harvey and Irma while many people especially in Florida were told to leave their homes because of the sheer devastation and power of hurricane Irma and its destructive force yet many people chose to remain in their homes and deal with the storm head on. Now there are many reasons that people make the choices that they do however at the base of these choices is our primal urge to decide whether or not to fight or flight.

This response is recognized as the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms. Studies have shown that if we do chose to fight then other factors come into play as long as we are all into our end decision because if we are not 100% committed to our course of action then we will not get the benefit of the physiological changes that occur during the fight or flight response are activated in order to give the body increased strength and speed in anticipation of fighting or running. Some of the specific physiological changes and their functions include:

During the reaction, the intensity of emotion that is brought on by the stimulus will also determine the nature and intensity of the behavioral response. Individuals with higher levels of emotional reactivity may be prone to anxiety and aggression, which illustrates the implications of appropriate emotional reaction in the fight or flight response. This being said we all have the capacity to fight or flee but studies have shown that one key factor to success if one decides to fight is grit. This might mean if a person never commits to a fight that they simply do not possess any grit which is essential for any type of measurable success.

The specific components of cognitions in the fight or flight response seem to be largely negative. These negative cognitions may be characterized by attention to negative stimuli, the perception of ambiguous situations as negative, and the recurrence of recalling negative words. There also may be specific negative thoughts associated with emotions commonly seen in the reaction. At some point in our lives we will all have to face a situation or circumstance where we will have to decide whether or not to fight or flee in the face of adversity or great challenge, while some believe that this is quite simply too difficult a decision to make studies have shown that if we don’t not make that decision to stop and fight for something to believe in at some point in our lives we will never develop into capable adults worthy of great responsibility which will ultimately lead to great success.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response
Source: Wikipedia
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