Your brain unconsciously interprets many simple situations as threats to your existence—such as a disagreement with a spouse, a misbehaving child, a non functioning piece of equipment, a time commitment, even thoughts about yourself or anything else. All of these stressors can initiate the same stress response that animals depend on to survive life- threatening attacks. Humans usually don’t fight or run, so the chronic activation of the stress system leads to an accumulation of the stress hormones, which causes the basic function of health maintenance to be placed on hold. The immune, digestive, reproductive, and hormonal systems are all turned down as the body gears up to fight for its life. You can imagine that a chemical imbalance of this degree will feel bad and bring on many symptoms. Because of the discomfort, people will try to feel better by using substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, food, sugar, and prescription and recreational drugs, which, of course, only makes matters worse.

According to Phil W. Gold, M.D., the former chief of psychoneuro- endocrinology at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the stress system is hardwired to feeling. Threat, frustration of needs, and pain provoke this system. We may ignore bad feelings because we do not see a way out of the stress, or because we have been taught to “suck it up.” We may have rationalizations for why we should ignore the discomfort. Unfortunately, as long as we feel bad and the stress system is up- regulated, we will experience physical, mental, emotional, and social consequences.