Each explosion, each siren launches an instant anxiety reaction in the body. But what happens when such signals become everyday life? Can we really get used to the constant danger? The explanation was given by psychologist Tanya Sweetka in her blog.
When a person hears a danger signal - an explosion or siren, the body responds automatically. Adrenaline and cortisol are released, the heart begins to beat faster, the muscles strain, and the brain goes into a state of hyperplicity. This is a typical survival response.
However, after this mobilization comes exhaustion. The body consumes a lot of energy, and this leads to mental "mlu", fatigue, inability to return to the usual rhythm. If the threat does not disappear, the body does not have time to recover - the nervous system is stuck in a state of constant tension.
Prolonged stress changes a person. This is not weak - just the human nervous system is not designed for continuous combat readiness. Man becomes hypersensitive to sounds, loses interest in everyday things, problems with sleep, concentration, memory. The body responds with headache, high pressure, digestive disorders, chronic fatigue. A person seems to be "on the machine", and it is no longer adaptation, but survival.
Over time, the body reduces sensitivity - it looks like calm. In fact, the brain "transfers" an alarm so as not to burn. This is not power - it is a saving of resources.
In the classic model of Selier's Hans, there are three phases: mobilization, resistance and adaptation. If the threat does not disappear, the person is either depleted or "blunts" his reactions. This is what we often take for endurance or stability.
The psychologist warns: adaptation does not mean that the situation is normal. A person may not feel their needs, not be aware of emotions and lose a basic sense of security. This is the price for survival.
To help yourself, you should admit that you have adapted to the abnormal. This is not a new version of yourself - it is a reaction of the body. Safety signals should be returned: through bodily practices, touch, conversation, walk or therapy. Tears, trembling, laughter - all these are permissible reactions. And most importantly - to seek support where it is: in loved ones, a psychologist, in those who are experiencing the same.
