The Sympathetic Nervous System
The Autonomic Nervous System is apart of the Nervous System and is split into two divisions; The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. The Autonomic Nervous System works without requiring a person’s conscious effort. It is known for regulating certain body processes like breathing, our heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature etc. The Sympathetic Nervous System is known for arousal within the body while the Parasympathetic Nervous Systems calms the body back into its normal state. I am going to be focusing on the Sympathetic Nervous system which many other people simply know as our “fight- or- flight” response. The Sympathetic system function is to stimulate the body, preparing it for action. It helps prepare the body for behavior, which is typically caused by stress or fear. When the Sympathetic Nervous system is activated, your adrenaline starts to kick in. You begin sweating, breathing heavy, heart beat rapidly increasing, and your pupils begin to dilate to let more light in. All of these actions happen because your body is trying to prepare you for reaction you are going to take towards the situation you are in. “Fight- or- flight” moments occur every day for varying reasons depending on the individual and what position you’re placed in.
The one time I activated my sympathetic nervous system was when I went over to a family friends house for a Super Bowl party. I was about 7 and my mom brought over a cheese tray for the party. I wanted to help, so my mom put me in charge of carrying the cheese tray in and told me if I dropped it I was going to be in trouble. I walked in confidently attempting to prove to my mom I was more than capable of carrying the tray until a huge black rottweiler locked eyes with me. It started coming towards me. As a tiny little 7 year old, I ran back out the door still holding the cheese tray (AKA what he wanted). Still to this day I don’t think I have ever ran that fast. I was too scared to drop the tray because of what my mom said to me before we got there, but eventually threw it behind me in hopes of stopping the large dog’s pursuit.
My story of being chased by a rottweiler and the sympathetic nervous system are very much related. When the dog and I first made contact, I felt my heart rate increasing and debating whether I should run and try to save the tray, or drop it in the house. My intense fear of watching the dog come towards me is what triggered my “fight- or- flight” response. When I started to run, my adrenaline kicked in and I began sweating from the nerves and fright of what might happen to me if I didn’t escape the dog. I was able to run significantly faster because of the sympathetic nervous system being activated. My body released all my stored energy so I could use it to get away. After I realized he was about 3 houses away from me eating up the cheese tray, my body finally started to calm down back to its normal state through the Parasympathetic Nervous System. I think my story displays the purpose of a “fight- or- flight” response because it narrates a moment when I had to respond to a fearful situation that my body would not have been prepared for if I hadn’t experienced the natural effects of the Sympathetic Nervous System.
“Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System – Brain, Spinal Cord, and
Nerve Disorders.” Merck Manuals Consumer Version. Merck Manuals,
n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2019.
Wede, Josh. “Psychology.” Psychology. Affordable Course Transformation:
The Pennsylvania State University, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2019.