Essay on Hans Selye´s General Adaptation Syndrome Model

The response of the body to stress is somewhat like an airplane readying for take-off. Virtually all systems (the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and brain) are modified to meet the perceived danger. During conditions of stress there is a shift in the balance between two branches of the automatic nervous system (ANS) – the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).During stressful conditions, the activity of the SNS increases to prepare the body for the fight – or fight response. This means that, among other things, there is an increased heart rate, blood flow, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) – basically how sweaty our skin is! This response can be thought of as a shift in energy from the process of digestion to the muscles, meaning that the body is ready to take

When the body is in an unstable state or feels threatened, the body will set itself in a “fight or-flight-or-freeze” mode, also known as the stress response (Smith, R. Segal, and J. Segal). Another definition of stress, according to Firdaus Dhabhar, is that stress is “a constellation of events that begins with a stimulus or challenge that is detected by the brain that then activates the flight-or-flight systems in the body (biological stress response)” (Richter). Psychologist Connie Lillas presents a driving analogy in order to show the three most general ways people respond to stress. The first way is known as “foot on the gas.” This is the “fight” response, and a person is usually uptight and angry.

Within the magazines, within the tods driving shoes papers additionally to within the tv, nearly everywhere all of us uncover males and ladies coping with stress. It's become a vital aspect of human living. It affects your body each psychologically additionally to bodily. Even many individuals have grown to be hooked on stress. They need began out thinking they survive stress. Competitions, Due dates, frustrations, fights additionally to a lot of our sorrows are usually important aspects produce It. Deaths, separating, alter associated with atmosphere, stress in relation to future, homesickness additionally to uncertainness within living add interesting depth into it within living.

“When our fight or flight response is activated, sequences of nerve cell firing occur, and chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol are released into your bloodstream” (Fight). These patterns of chemical release and nerve cell firing cause your body to undergo very dramatic changes. Your respiratory rate increases, blood is shunted away from our digestive track and directed into our muscles and limbs, which will require extra energy and fuel for running and fighting. your pupils will dilate, your sight sharpens causing your awareness to intensify, impulses quicken, your perception of pain diminishes, and your immune system mobilizes with increased activation. With those symptoms you are prepared physically and mentally to fight or flight with all of the changes happening in our world.

The signs of stress are easily recognizable and can present themselves as cognitive, behavioral, emotional or physical symptoms. Therefore when presented with stress one's whole demeanor, attitude and presence can change. Cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms include poor judgment, negative outlook, anxiety, worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, loneliness, isolation, depression, lack of concentration and absentmindedness. Physical symptoms include increased heart rate, breathing, energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and production of sweat. Stress can also cause physical symptoms of aches and pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, upset stomach and headache.

There are three different theories that are used when talking about how we react to stress through the physiological aspect or the psychological aspect. The first is part of the physiological aspect of stress called the Cannon Fight or Flight theory which was proposed in 1914. Fight or Flight response is a physiological stress response that evolved to help organisms to survive immediate danger. The theory states that when an organism, human being or animal, faces imminent danger (acute stressor) the body arouses quickly and is ready to act via two different systems. They are the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal medulla which is part of the endocrine system and is the region that produces the hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. These hormones increase heart rate, blood flow, and glucose levels to prepare the body for an emergency. This response from the body suggests that the body knows how to protect itself and reach homeostasis. These two systems work together to either fight against the danger or flight away from the danger. Lord, King and Pfister in 1976 studied the Fight or Flight response in animals through a very unethical study. They administered chemicals on male hooded Wistar rats which inhibited the neurotransmitters from functioning normally. This made it very difficult for the rats to escape an electric shock. The results of the study suggest that the Flight or Fight response

Biopsychosocial Framework The biopsychosocial framework is a general model or framework stating that the unavoidable interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors, all play a significant role in human functioning in the context of health. The biopsychosocial framework is used to organise the biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces on human development (David, et al., n.d) Middle Adulthood Middle age is the prime of life, many of the major life events of middle adulthood, such as parenting and work, span several decades of one’s life. During this time, there are significant developmental events, such as changes in reproductive capacity, developing expertise in well-exercised areas, and transitions in family

You can get recurring stress such as financial problems that could make a person constantly worry about their family’s needs or short term stress which could be something small such as worrying about your child forgetting his lunch at home. Physical stress could be tension on your body such as the weight of a heavy school bag on a young child’s back or stress caused from

The Engineering Model of Stress was one of the first models to be introduced. It is defined as “the model, which sees external stresses giving rise to a stress reaction or strain, in the individual. The stress is located in the stimulus characteristics of the environment: stress is what happens to a person rather than within

From my experience in life I do believe that both men and women response to stress differently. As a women myself, whenever I am going to a stress situation I used to keep everything to myself and it make the situation worst for me. Now try to talk to that one friend that I really trust and it help to ease the situation a little. At first I thought men were calmer when in stress but from my

There are three stages to the general adaptation syndrome: Alarm, resistance and the exhaustion phase. The alarm phase is the body’s initial reaction to the stressor, where the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal gland. The sympathetic nervous system is than starting to alert organ systems in a response to the second stage, known as resistance. This is where the body is trying to let itself know that it’s an unwanted stressor that needs to be avoided…the flight response. The third response may result in death as the sympathetic nervous is so overstimulated for so long that it becomes burned out. This stage is known as the exhaustion stage (Ireland, 2013).

Scenarios of Stress Directions: Get into groups, then look over your assigned stress scenario. As a team read the scenario that is assigned to you and talk about: “Is this good or bad stress?” , “Why is this stressful”, “Was this situation avoidable or inevitable?” , “What steps can be done to avoid a bad stressful event?”. Keep in mind the people in your group may register eustress and distress in a different way.

Stage1- Alarm stage is the immediate response to the stressor. This immediate response will result in a person's sympathetic nervous system being stimulated. The stimulation of the person's sympathetic nervous system is characterized by the increase in one’s heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations. This reaction is also known as a fight or flight response when adrenaline is released in a person body which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. This stage gives us the strength to fight off a threat.

Humans experience similar dramatic physiological stress responses as other species. That is to say, the physique response to a stressor prepares the body for rapid physical action (fight or flight). More rarely, as Rudinger (1988) argue, sitting paralysed by fear may constitute another response to stress. The fight or flee stress response involve extremely rapid, virtually immediate, changes within the muscular systems and organs (Pinel, 2006).

Stress is a state of emotional or mental tension or strain resulting from very demanding and adverse circumstances in an individual’s life. The term general adaptation syndrome (GAS) is used in describing the long-term and short-term reactions to stress through its three stages that explain an individual’s experience with stress. The alarm reaction stage is the initial stage where an individual reacts immediately to a stressor exhibiting a "fight or flight" response that prepares one’s body for any physical activity. This stage may however, result in decreased immune system effectiveness, making individuals more prone to an illness during this phase. The resistance is the second stage where f stress continues one’s the body forms an adaptation to the stressors with different levels of changes taking place to reduce the effectors stress. The exhaustion stage is the third one where one’s body resistance resistance to stress may gradually reduce or collapse quickly meaning that one’s immune system to resisting diseases may be almost eliminated.