why do people get offered water after a traumatic event? Or when in distress?
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The human brain has systems that work together. Most people know about the fight-or-flight system (also known as the sympathetic system), but not as many know about the opposite system, rest-and-digest (known as the parasympathetic system). The sympathetic system increases breathing and heart rate, dilates blood vessels, and can create nausea or vomiting so an organism can be unencumbered by extra weight in the stomach. By swallowing food or liquid in a stressful situation you are signaling to your brain that it is safe and activating the parasympathetic system, much like taking controlled breaths. So in summary, it’s a physical way to hack psychological systems and turn the freak out part of your brain off.
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