The rapid impact of the world order on our modern life causes various stress factors on our mental health. But we are not the only species in the world that face stress. Animals such as zebras are also stressed from time to time.
During stress, hormones activate receptors distributed in all tissues of the body, unlocking various functions that prepare us to fight or flee, also known as "fight or flight response". Our pupils dilate. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises and our respiratory rate
increases, speeding up oxygen delivery. During stress, hormones cause muscles to tremble and movements to speed up. If an animal survives a sudden attack, the fight or flight response ends abruptly. The body resumes normal function within a few minutes.
Most wild animals suffer from chronic stress. For example, Robert Sapolsky, a biologist at Stanford University, wrote in his book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" that even if zebras manage to escape from lions, they keep running to avoid being eaten again later in the day. Both situations are extremely stressful events. However, zebras react extremely wisely and do not stress about future events. This is why zebras don't get ulcers. The common point that makes us different from zebras is that zebras cannot predict stress. What causes stress and ulcers in humans is anticipation and anxiety. For example, we are threatened by whether we will get a job or whether the job we have will last. Zebras and lions can see problems coming in the next minute and mobilize the stress response in anticipation, but they cannot stress
about future events.
Constant psychological stress is a new invention. The zebra's physiology is perfectly adapted to cope with stressful situations, but humans are in a state of stress, constantly provoked by worries about relationships or fears about the future, and our physiological system can become overloaded as we continually expose our bodies to stress. Anxieties and worries are increasingly daily concerns for many of us, and indications are that we are turning to professionals or intermediaries for help in increasing numbers and with increasing frequency.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Meriç Yazıcı
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