Unloading Allostatic Load

Understanding Allostasis and Resilience

In this section, Don Bosch introduces the concept of allostasis and its relation to stress and resilience. He explains how allostasis is a process that helps us achieve stability in the midst of change, but if not managed properly, it can lead to allostatic load which is dangerous for our health.

Allostasis vs Homeostasis

• Allostasis is closely related to homeostasis, which is the process by which our body keeps us within certain limits of various chemical and temperatures that allow us to survive.

• Homeostasis maintains a setpoint temperature of 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 Fahrenheit, and if we vary too much from it we're in very serious danger.

• Allostasis is our response to some challenge from outside or inside ourselves, and the response is a way to get us ready to handle it.

• The difference between homeostasis and allostasis is that with allostasis, we can respond in ways where the set point changes over time.

Fight-or-flight Response

• The fight-or-flight response is initiated by the amygdala when danger is sensed in the environment.

• The amygdala initiates a massive response in our brain and body to prepare for danger.

• Our blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, breathing becomes faster, immune system goes into emergency mode flooding our system with pro-inflammatory x' which enable us to respond immediately.

• Blood sugar, cholesterol insulin all go up in the bloodstream as a way of providing energy to respond.

Allostatic Load

• Allostatic load is when we get stuck in the fight-or-flight response and it doesn't turn off.

• We're not aware of being in an allostatic load, which is where the risk lies.

• Resilience can almost be defined as anything that helps us turn off a low static load and bring us back to a more relaxed state.

• Social support, physical exercise, sense of meaning and purpose are all ways to manage allostatic load.

Conclusion

• It's easy for us to get into a state of low static load due to long hours, security threat situations, etc.

• We need to find a way to turn off the fight-or-flight response and become aware of our processes so we can learn how to manage them.