When we are under stress the body goes into survival mode. It produces stress hormones, which gear us
up to respond to perceived danger. This has come to be known as the “fight or flight” response. In that
state, the heart rate increases, respiration becomes rapid and shallow, there is a rise in blood pressure,
and the brain itself moves into a primitive “survival” mode, suppressing normal thought functions
(evaluation, planning, deciding, encoding memory normally, etc.). The result of this is that we react rather
than being able to evaluate and plan a response to the stressor. Under certain circumstances, the body
may be in a constant state of “fight or flight,” which is exhausting and can contribute to the development
of physical stress-related disorders, such as cardiac problems, chronic high blood pressure, and
increased risk of stroke.

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