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;void(0)) Today’s culture of fast foods, sedentary lifestyles, and fast-paced get-it-done-yesterday patterns is not our choice. It is part of society’s evolution. Most of us that live in urban or suburban settings work at sedentary jobs; live in two-paycheck households; and are limited as to our ability to consume fast food. As Americans we have become accustomed to nice things and therefore have to accommodate ourselves to the fact that our incomes are not keeping pace with the cost of living. So, we are all in debt and must hustle to pay our bills. Some of us have no problem juggling all of these responsibilities while others become “stressed out” at times. Too often these “stressors” take the form of physical ailments. The man most notable for research into and the development of the term “stress” is Dr. Hans Selye. In the early 20th century Dr. Selye produced a paper called “A Syndrome Produced by Diverse Nocuous Agents”. In this paper he suggested the term, “alarm reaction” for his experimental animals’ initial response to a perceived threat. He showed that continuous exposure to noxious agents (physical or emotional) is followed by a second stage, one of ADAPTATION or RESISTANCE. He concluded that dis-ease is not just suffering but a fight to maintain the balance of our tissues when they are damaged. During this ALARM REACTION, the adrenal cortex (which produces adrenaline) discharges hormones into the bloodstream. Eventually the gland depletes its stores. After prolonged exposure to any noxious agent, the body loses its ability to resist. It then enters the third stage, that of EXHAUSTION. This stage always occurs as long as the stress is severe enough. It may result in death. Selye called the entire process the “The General Adaptation Syndrome” or G.A.S.: 1. The alarm reaction; 2. The stage of resistance; 3. The state of exhaustion. If an excessive amount of secretion from the adrenal cortex in response to some minor irritant occurs, damage to an organ (far from the site of an injury) can be the result. In this sense the body’s own reactions seem to encourage various maladies. These could include emotional disturbances, headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, ulcers, allergic reactions, kidney diseases or diabetes mellitus. With sustained stress the adrenal cortex hormones tend to constrict blood vessels of the kidneys, resulting in hypertension and damage to the kidneys. Selye’s research indicated that our natural immunity to many disease organisms diminishes when we are under stress. In spite of our constant efforts at “family values” our society seems to do everything in its power to discourage the very existence of families. Existentialists believe that part of modern man’s anxiety is due to this profound independence, which some people regard as loneliness. Years ago most people lived in large extended families, clans, or tribes. Back then we never had to face adversity alone. We always had our family members or neighbors to help us out in times of need. However, with today’s emphasis on “confidentiality” and “freedom of choice” we are left to our own devices to make the right or wrong decisions, sometimes in split-second timing, then reap the benefits or suffer the consequences on our own. The day-to-day decisions and responsibilities that we have to shoulder as free Americans makes us uniquely hyperactive; hyper-vigilant; and, at times, hyper-tense. Next month we will look at how a combination of environmental factors and our own personalities can cause us considerable pain and suffering. Newsletter Directory The Aton Project - Home Page Tony VanSluytman info Tony VanSluytman - the Author | Return Home | The BOOK DOCTOR | The BANYON NETWORK | The Banyon Buzz Newsletters | The Aton Project Newsletters | Contact Us | |
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