Into The Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's True Story Of The Life Changing Magic Of Compassion and Mindfulness

by James R. Doty

If the brain perceives a threat, or is in fear for its survival, that part of the autonomic nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and releases epinephrine. The adrenal gland also gets triggered by hormones released by the hypothalamus, and cortisol is produced. I’m sure even at the age of twelve I had elevated cortisol levels. Basically everything in the body not necessary for fighting for your life shuts down. Digestion slows, blood vessels constrict (except for those in your large muscles, which dilate), your hearing lessens, your vision narrows, your heart rate goes up, and your mouth gets dry because the lacrimal gland that regulates salivation immediately gets inhibited. All of this is important if you are in fact fighting for your life, but this acute stress response is meant to be temporary. Living in a state of prolonged stress has all sorts of psychological and physiological repercussions—anger, depression, anxiety, chest pain, headaches, insomnia, and a suppressed immune system.