Going into the fight and flight response

Going into the fight and flight response

Is the fight and flight response a natural response?

The flight and fight response is a natural response of the human body. We all have it and we can all use it. Sometimes we use these responses when we have no need too. Because we are unaware of them, we are sometimes unable to switch them off. This can cause the person going through anxiety, depression or other stress related problems distress.

The person who suffers the distress is the person going through the fight and flight response. No one else can feel what they are feeling. That is within the person. The person feeling the nerves tingling in their hands, limbs and other parts of the body is you. No one else can feel it. You can tell other people what you are feeling and they can sympathise with you, but that is all they can do. What you are feeling is down to the way the person is thinking and the way that they are concentrating on it. This adds and exacerbates anxiety, depression and the stress that the person is going through.

How do we end up in this position?

We get angry, and sometimes we go overboard with that anger. Instead of switching off when the problem is over, we mull it over in our heads and build on the very things that cause us the anxiety related problems. Some people are quite aggressive and they never believe what they are told. They know best. When they do find out that they are wrong, it can cause them sever distress and depression. Some people retreat for a while, while they mull the problem over instead of moving on from the things that have caused them their anxiety, depression or other stress related illnesses. Panic and fear also cause people to go into the fight and flight response. There are many events that can cause the thought processes to go off track.

Medical books are often brought out when people do not feel well, and some people with no medical knowledge start to believe that they have the problems that they have read up on. Put your medical books away and let your doctor do the diagnosing. They go to university, medical school and they put in years of training and updating of their skills so that they are in the position of telling you what is wrong with you. Trust you doctor, and start working on your relaxation if you are suffering a stress related illness.

Does coming off medication cause problems?

Most people who use medication may feel some effects when they start taking it; it may cause higher levels of anxiety until the medication starts going into the system. This may also happen when people are reducing their medication. Soroxat was blamed for causing problems. The feelings that people were getting were normal. They were suffering anxiety, depression and other stress related illnesses again. Because they were being treated for this type of illness they were prone to going through a period of anxiety again. Some people panic, their brain becomes active and their concentration goes back to the problem of anxiety depression and other stress related illnesses. Relaxation is essential when coming off any medication. Most medications that work on the brain should be reduced over a period of time and with a doctor telling the person how to reduce their dosage.

I came off of Soroxat because my doctor was withdrawing this medication due to highly publicised problems when people were coming off it. I did not want to go onto another anti depressant, so I did it without my doctor’s instruction. I knew that I would go through a period of anxiety, depression and other stress related feelings. I went through high levels of anxiety for about a year. This was to be expected, and this was the right course of action for me. When you read some of the other pages you will realise that these are the feeling that are caused by going into the flight and fight response. I must stress again that everyone has their own feelings; no one else is feeling what you are feeling although it is the same illness.

Medications are designed to help people get over the worst of the problem that they are going through. If you are on a medication for anxiety, depression or other stress related illnesses, it should only be for a short period of time. When the worst of the illness is over the person should see their doctor about reducing the medication. When you learn to cope and understand the feelings that are caused by these illnesses you should be able to cope on your own through relaxation and without medication.

Going into the flight and fight response written by Andrew Murphy 5 April 2009

The pages listed below should help you understand what is going on and what you are feeling

Going into the fight and flight response	The effects on the brain	The effects to the limbs
The effects on hands and feet	The effects on the sweat glands	The effects on the stomach
The effects on the bladder and bowel	The effects on the mouth and throat	The effect on the eyes
The effects on the lungs	The effects to Skin	The effects on the liver
The effects on the knees	The effects on your heart	Understanding relaxation

Back to 'Stress factor 1' and menu

Fight Flight or Fright	What is Anxiety	Will I get Anxiety or Depression
What are the Effects of Anxiety	Are Depression and Anxiety linked	What can I do about Anxiety
Is Medication the Answer	Will I be able to work again	Your brain and how it works
Are the feelings in my nerves normal	Relaxation and the road to cure	Learning how to cope with problems

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