Selye's Stress Theory

stomach, liver, eyes and gall bladder. The ANS is also separated into two other parts the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PSN). The SNS will be activated when an individual is stressed; it prepares the body for action. During this stage the body decided with it want to fight or flee the situation. This procedure is known as the fight or flight response. The PSN works to maintain the day-to-day functions e.g breathing, digestion and the heart rate. It also brings the body back to its normal state after the SNS is

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the regulation of involuntary functions, and is broken up into the parasympathetic (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous systems (SNS). The SNS is most commonly referred to as an organism’s ‘fight or flight’ response, in which its activation is generally in response to stress, and results in a preparation

There are fundamentally different methodologies to the definition and study of stress that interrelate with each other and this has been concluded in several different evaluations of the scientific collected works (Appley & Trumbull, 1967).

In Prospero 's case in Masque of the Red Death Prince Prospero, was faced with the threat of survival, surviving the Red Death, a plague sweeping his kingdom killing all it comes into contact with. To produce the fight-or-flight response, the hypothalamus activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The sympathetic nervous system uses nerve pathways to initiate reactions in the body, and the adrenal-cortical system uses the bloodstream. The combined effects of these two systems are the fight-or-flight response.When the hypothalamus tells the sympathetic nervous system to kick into gear, the overall effect is that the body speeds up, tenses up and becomes generally very alert. If there 's a burglar at the door, you 're going to have to take action fast. The sympathetic nervous system sends out impulses to glands and smooth muscles and tells the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream. These "stress hormones" cause several changes in the body, including an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.At the same time, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing factor into the pituitary gland, activating the adrenal-cortical system. The pituitary gland secretes the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). ACTH moves through the bloodstream and ultimately arrives at the adrenal cortex, where it activates the release of approximately thirty different

Shock – The initial reaction can sometimes be shock, this will automatically reduce the individuals performance as they will fear the unknown.

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.

Hans Selye described the overall variety of effects that spawn from stress--the "increased heart rate, breathing rate, and adrenal secretions"--as the general adaptation system (GAS) (Kalat). He characterized this system with three responses: the alarm reaction, the stage of resistance, and the stage of exhaustion. At the onset of the alarm stage, epinephrine and cortisol are secreted by the adrenal medulla into the blood stream. Cortisol has many functions, one of which is to facilitate metabolic pathways and increase blood sugar levels. Metabolic pathways such as glycolysis and gluconeogenesis become activated in skeletal muscles and cardiac muscles to increase breathing and muscular movement and efficiency.

When the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ mechanism is prolonged, and mineralocorticoids are secreted by the outer cortex of the adrenals,

People deal with stressful situations differently. However, there is an obvious fear when someone suddenly encounters a frightening situation. The acute stress response is a sudden reaction of the body prompted by a psychological disturbance over a short period. Most psychologists refer to the condition as the fight-or-flight response. When a person experiences a sudden physical or mental scare, the response is very fast. A person might decide to fight back the terrifying element or to run away, which signifies the flight aspect of the response (Lee, 2004). By 1920, few people understand this concept until Walter Cannon tried to establish the reason why an adrenaline rush occurs when an individual encounters a distressing situation.

Chapter 6 covers the fundamentals of stress disorders. After reading this chapter discussing the fight and flight response, psychological stress disorders and physical stress disorders, I have a better concept of this subject itself. Our fight and flight response is trigger by our hypothalamus, which sends off neurons and chemical for our mind and bodies to react. As discussed in class, the autonomic nervous system control the involuntary activities like heartbeat and breathing. The sympathetic nervous system is aroused when we face danger (THE FIGHT). For example, the sympathetic nervous system makes our heart beat faster when we are scared. The parasympathetic nervous system (THE FLIGHT) help make us calm, like regulating our heartbeats.

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

The general response syndrome is known as “Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases – alarm, resistance, exhaustion” (Myers, 2014, p.393). The constant stressor in the movie would be the Indominus rex who poses as a threat to their safety and confronts them with the need to stay alive, to survive. Phase one of the GAS, alarm, can be seen when Owen and the guard realize Indominus is with them inside the paddock. We see them become more alert and we can guess that their hearts have begun to race. “During Phase 2, resistance, your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high.

Shock is when a person’s body is unable to obtain adequate levels of oxygen to maintain the metabolic needs of their body. A person who is in shock is experiencing reduced blood flow through their system. This in return causes the paleness and coolness of the skin. The reduction in blood flow also causes a decrease in blood pressure which causes the pulse to decrease triggering the cardiac center in the medulla oblongata which increases the heart rate. Blood flows to the vital organs to try and keep the body alive. If these symptoms are untreated they can lead to death.

Long-term activation of this stress-response system can lead to the disruption of almost all of the body’s processes. If this happens, the individual has an increased risk of developing numerous health problems. So, to prevent this from happening, the problem must be nipped in the bud.

Which collects the health statistics of students from universities all around the world every second year, reported that 40.2 percent of Santa Clara University students identified that stress affected their individual academic performance during the last 12 months of their studies (Temple,2011). Temple (2011) reported a survey conducted in 2004 that assessed the overall well-being of 47,202 undergraduates nationwide. The findings were that 32.4 percent of students recognized stress as the main obstacle to their academic performance. This was said to be above the common cold, depression, death of a relative, sexual assault and eating disorders. Stress is “once considered as the nation’s number one health epidemic; prolonged stress can lead to ulcers, heart disease, stroke, major depression and to a shorter life span” (Temple, 2011).