Neurochemistry of Stress. An Overview

Stress is a word that is used very commonly. It is generally employed to design unpleasant phenomena, although it is related to a function necessary to our life. Stress in itself is not a disease. Stress is not an aggression. It is an adaptative response of our body to any demand. Nothing can be done without stress. Stress gives rise to a mobilization of our body to succeed in a group of activities necessary to individual and social life. It favors our dynamism and creativity. But this aptitude can attain its limits, when the solicitations we receive are above what we are able to perform, both in relation to our mental and physical capabilities. The brain controls the systems involved in stress. The main areas are the prefrontal cortex, the limbic system (which comprises the hippocampus and the amygdala) and the hypothalamus. Relations between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system are important for the planification of action. The main systems of regulation are the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, the neuro-endocrine system and last but not least the immune system. There is a relation between all our organs and the brain. The genetic aspects and the influences of our past experiences, both during childhood and in adult life, are envisaged.