What is the neurochemical/structural reason for heightened stress response?

This is an interesting question. Why experience anxiety? I have a theory. I think the question might be modified to "what, evolutionary, advantages, does anxiety bring to our existence?" "What "good" does anxiety bring to our existence?" We hate anxiety, we hate feeling it. Some, not me, but some here, say they use the addiction, PMO, to escape anxiety. It does provide a momentary escape from that, and, during the reboot, we swim in the withdrawal symptom that is best described as "anxiety." We hate feeling it, yet, during the reboot, living with it, feeling it, is, simply, part of the cure. It goes away, but it takes time.

But, let's look at it in a bigger sense. What advantage would any species have in being anxious? I think two things, and I think we have to go about 140 million years back, in our evolution, to see how anxiety was, actually, a positive trait. First, anxiety is fear of our environment. Not even of a specific thing, but life generally. This is a positive trait when the environment is hostile, and it was back then, before we evolved, and started modifying it. It still is, in a lot of places in the world. Being afraid, and hyper aware, of the dangerous environment, is a survival trait, that the species evolved, as a way of making the species more successful. A monkey walking through the woods, whistling show toons, and eating a banana, that monkey is lion food. A monkey moving in the shadows, moving quietly, making plans for when the attack comes, making plans to avoid being eaten, he will probably get laid eventually, meaning survive, to perpetuate the species. So, a long time ago, anxiety was a good thing, a positive trait; those who had it were more likely to survive, than those oblivious to the hostile environment they existed in.

Now, many of us, not all, maybe not even the majority, but many, on the planet, still have anxiety, but, still, for many, it is a positive survival trait. Most days, here in America, no one is trying to eat me or kill me. Most days. But, there are places in the world where anxiety still functions as a survival trait. Sorry to say. Humanity, and the environment generally, is capable of being great and beautiful things. Humanity, and the environment, is also capable of being the most ugly and atrocious things. So, two guys wake up in Syria, Aleppo, today. The environment they wake up in is hostile. The humans they are in the midst of, not all, but some, are hostile. The first guy is anxious, the second guy is relaxed. The anxiety we hate feeling is what is going to make the first guy live though the day, because he is going to be cautious, even afraid, and he will take precautions. The second guy does not make it past the first check point. He is going to be a youtube video being beheaded before the day is out.

We hate feeling anxiety, but, it serves a purpose, a purpose evolved over millions of years. It is an evolved survival trait. It is OK to hate it, but recognize it for what it is. It is not a "bad" thing, we hate it yes, but it has served the species well, over time.

When quitting the addiction, you will feel a lot of it, due to anxiety's second purpose, and that is, generally, the feeling of wanting to get laid. Turns out, and, again, thank evolution, getting laid, and all those neurological responses that happen when it happens, temporarily numbs anxiety. So, when we turn off the dopamine spout that PMO allows for, we have high anxiety. It balances out, it goes back to normal, as in normal anxiety, as opposed to the off the charts withdrawal anxiety, in time. Say, 90 days. But it never goes away. And, thank God for that, because we would be food for lions, if it did. A lot about porn addiction, and quitting porn addiction, is understanding who we are, what we are, and why we are.

Thanks for the opportunity to think out loud. Good question.

Much Love.

William.

 

Decreased glucocorticoid activity. Let me site one study regarding amphetamine withdrawal (its not porn but I think the same principals should apply?)
"glucocorticoid availability in the ventral hippocampus during stress may be reduced during withdrawal"

 

I think its exactly the opposite.corticoids are increased when in a state of stress. After stopping a habit that keeps you artificially calm, the brain starts to crave for that calmness
So while in withdrawl,and before the brain stabilizes in the new state,and while dopamine is deregulated, the brain experiences stress because the new state of calmness hasnt been achieved yet.
Thats why corticoids,the stress hormone,is released.
Unfortunately, overproduction of corticosteroids while in a stress state ,such as stopping pmo which previously produced euphoria by artificially covering the most primitive and basic human need ,can cause anxiety and depression.
Thats why ,for example, people who quit smoking gain weight.its not only because they eat more to replace one pleasure with another,but also because the stress from quitting an addiction causes corticoids to sky rocket and thus to gain weight.
All the neurochemical changes of stress can be found here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology).
In simple words,any withdrawal causes stress,altering the previous pathological homeostasis of an addict, and until the new homeostasis is achieved ,among others,overproduction of corticosteroids causes anxiety and depression,in anticipation of the new stable condition.