If there is neither opportunity for fight or flight, we may just have to sit still after a frightening episode until the feelings evoked by the stress hormones slowly fade away. This hormone is secreted in the hypothalamus in response to stress and conveyed to the anterior pituitary gland through a portal system. These areas of the brain all seem related to mood and emotion. Here motivation for behaviour originates in response to emotions such as fear, rage and aggression. When the feelings are resolved there are replaced by relief or satisfaction.
Feelings have a biochemical basis.
They are partly generated by the levels of endorphins and many other neuropeptides which that make us feel satisfied and content. Top Page There is thus a direct channel of communication between changes in mood and emotion, and the secretions of the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex. The increased levels of cortisol as a result of CRH formation, have a direct negative feedback on CRH secretion and normally this control loop regulates cortisol levels. In the presence of sustained stress the activity of the hypothalamus breaks into this normal regulatory mechanism. The benefit to the body of raised cortisol levels in stress is uncertain.