The Allostatic Response: A Mechanism Capable Of Counteracting Stress

Allostasis is a little-known concept that has great value for today’s world in which health services are saturated in many countries. In part, this could be a consequence of the fact that a considerable number of people request them without their ailments warranting it urgently.

What is allostasis?

The concept of allostasis was proposed by Drs. Peter Sterling and Joseph Eyer, in 1988. The first of them is a neuroscientist and physiologist, and the second was an epidemiologist, both developed the concept as part of their scientific work at the University of Pennsylvania .

Allostasis means changing state, and refers to the ability of the human body to adapt and regain its balance after stressful situations. This occurs thanks to different systems that operate in our body, such as: the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. It is important to note that allostasis differs from the concept of homeostasis, promoted by the physiologist Walter Cannon in 1926. While the concept of allostasis is based on the change and adaptability of the organism, homeostasis refers to the stable conditions of the organism. those that allow you to stay in balance.

In this regard, it is pertinent to briefly mention that the autonomic nervous system, as its name suggests, works autonomously or automatically, meaning that it is naturally programmed to carry out its functions. For example, the respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems would be subsystems of the autonomic nervous system, since they carry out their “work” in our body, efficiently and uninterrupted (24/7), without the need for an “express order” from our body. brain.

The endocrine system, for its part, naturally produces different hormones, which are biochemical substances whose one of their functions is to regulate, in a certain way, brain activity. The example that could best illustrate this point is seen in puberty and adolescence, where the intense hormonal flow produces significant changes in the young man or woman, at different levels: in relation to their sexual activity, their sociability and state. general mood.

And, the immune system, recognized as the one that protects us from diseases, by fighting bacteria and viruses in the environment, is made up of different organs that also work in an organized manner.

How is it related to stress?

All of this reveals to us that our body works in an integrated and automatic way when it comes to responding to environmental demands that cause us stress. However, It is necessary to mention that this is possible up to a certain level, since when the level of stress is excessive and persistent or chronic, this allostatic system is also overloaded, triggering the load in different medical and psychiatric pathologies. In this regard, there are countless scientific studies that reveal this association. For example, we find studies that reveal that the association between chronic stress and heart disease is strong.

Likewise, there is a lot of scientific evidence that by managing our stress levels, it is possible to avoid multiple diseases. Along these lines, psychotherapy and contemplative or meditative therapies are two disciplines that have scientific validity to manage the stress that inflames our body. And, the interesting thing is that both have begun to “walk together” about forty years ago.

Faced with an external stressor, such as a traumatic situation such as the loss of a loved one, or even an internal stressor, such as our own distorted thoughts, faced with situations that could be considered part of life itself, it occurs. in our body a release of biochemical substances that alter our well-being.

However, The important thing is to know that our body has the ability to recover naturally, in many cases, thanks to the allostatic response. A good example of this can be the phenomenon of grief, a natural phenomenon, in which the situation of loss is usually normalized in the mind of the person who has experienced it, as long as the process is allowed to flow, “going through the storm.” as pointed out by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler Ross (1926-2004), Swiss-American psychiatrist, recognized worldwide for her studies on the grieving process. Dr. Kübler Ross wanted to say that it is about not avoiding the natural manifestations of the grieving processes, such as: feeling the pain, crying, talking about it, remembering…, only in this way is it possible to come to acceptance of the loss.

In conclusion, allostasis reveals to us, in some way, that it is recommended that in the presence of certain physical pains, we carry out self-observation, for a few days, before requesting medical attention. It is possible, for example, that pain in the back, or shoulders, or a cold, are responses to stress that our allostatic system will know how to resolve. However, I suggest that if the pain or discomfort persists for more than three days, you seek the attention of a health professional.