What is the scientific explanation as to why you can “feel your chest and stomach tighten” when your feelings are hurt?
In: Biology
U/indecisive_maybe has a great answer so I’m gonna talk about the basic physiology behind it. What this is is Fight or Flight response, or the sympathetic response. On the opposite side, you have the Rest and Digest response, or the parasympathetic. Both of these are caused by external and internal stimuli, both conscious and subconscious perceptions. As stated above, the old times usefulness was for danger out in the wild. When your body sense danger, it shuts down the parasympathetic system, which controls your gut. Catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine rush into the blood vessels. This raises blood pressure and quickens the heart rate. Your pupils dilate, which allows more light in to your eyes. Your gut shuts down, because if you’re fighting a lion, the last thing you want to do is have the urge to evacuate your bowels. Cortisol levels rise, which helps with attention and being awake. There’s more that happens, but this is just basic. Once everything is over, cortisol levels drop. Epi and norepi get pulled from the blood vessels. Blood pressure and heart rate drop to normal. Pupils constrict to a normal size. The stomach and intestines go back to normal function.
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