Symptoms And Treatment Of Acute Stress

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

The adrenal gland is the endocrine gland that is activated when one is surprised or experience fear. This adrenal gland is located at the top of the kidneys. The fear hormones known as epinephrine circulates through the bloodstream to all cells of your body ("Fear: Body Alert!" 2013). The effects of adrenaline which is also called epinephrine is similar to the effects of the sympathetic nerve action. These glands increase blood flow to the brain and muscles in defense of the flight or fight response (Griggs, 2014, p.

Within weeks after a traumatizing event, one may develop an anxiety disorder called acute stress disorder (ASD). Acute stress disorder is a psychiatric condition characterized by acute stress responses that may last from 2 days to 4 weeks do to a traumatic life event. Following the experience of a traumatic event, an evaluation of ASD requires that a person experiences an extreme emotional reaction to a stress contributor, along with receiving symptoms that lead to impairment or distress (Shevlin, Hyland, & Elklit, 2014). Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from insistence and pressures of the recent past and upcoming demands and pressures of the near future. Acute stress can be thrilling and exciting in small measures, but having too much can be exhausting (FeldmanHall et al., 2015).

The tissue targeted by the flight-or-flight response are the body cells because the hormones bind onto them.

Neuroscience. When an anxiety response occurs, objectively unthreatening stimuli becomes threatening (Davidson, 2013). To help cope with stress, the brain releases the hormone cortisol (Bear, Connors & Paradiso, 2007). During the fear and anxiety response, the central nucleus of the amygdala is active; once active, an excitatory response in the hypothalamus occurs (Davidson, 2013). This excitation causes corticotrophin-releasing-hormone (CRH) to be released; CRH then triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete ACTH (Davidson, 2013). The ACTH levels in the blood stream cause cortisol to be released from the adrenal cortex and once the levels of cortisol become high, the hippocampus activates, suppressing the release of CRH (Davidson, 2013). The bloodstream carries cortisol to the brain, where it bind to receptors in the cytoplasm of man

Acute stress disorder is defined as experiencing fear and related symptoms soon after a traumatic event and last less than a month (Comer, 2014, pg. 143). An example of this from my life happened my senior

With all the benefits from stress it is hard to find a downside to stress, but there is one. Chronic stress that lasts for weeks and months can cause serious health risks. Acute stress that lasts for hours provides the boost in traits that many people thrive off of. Acute stress has been classified as eustress for its beneficial qualities. Eustress can also help you enter a state of “flow,” a heightened sense of awareness and complete absorption into an activity, according to research from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

In particular, the body responds with the "battle or flight reaction" activated by the sudden arrival of the cortisol and adrenaline hormones. These hormones keep the body and psyche wound, ready and prepared for response to the danger. This response served as a helpful, defensive reaction when confronted with primitive dangers, for example, a saber tooth tiger.

Stress and anxiety is encountered or experienced by the general public and healthcare professionals alike. Their perception is often uniquely personal. According to Horwitz, anxiety and its disorders involve brain regions that are devoted to fear recognition, including the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, and neurochemicals, such as GABA, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin (Horwitz, A., 2013).

At the same time, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing factor into the pituitary gland, activating the adrenal-cortical system. This leads to behaviours such as increase in heartrate and blood pressure, pupils dilating to take in as much light as possible.

The fight or flight response is a complex response that affects a great deal of the body. Initially, a signal travels to the brain, to which the amygdala responds. The amygdala sends a nerve impulse to the hypothalamus, which sends a chemical signal to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland then releases a hormone that travels to the adrenal gland, along with the nerve impulse from the hypothalamus. Within the adrenal gland, the impulse initiates the release of epinephrine and adrenaline, which affect various cell types. Inside the adrenal gland, the adrenal cells are affected by the presence of the hormone and activate the G protein complex. This complex stimulates adenylate cyclase, which converts ATP into cAMP. cAMP activates the protein Kinase A, or PKA, which releases catalytic subunits. These subunits travel to the mitochondrial membrane and activate the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. This protein mediates importing cholesterol into the mitochondria, which uses enzymes to convert the cholesterol into 17-OH-pregnenolone. The pregnenolone is then released to the endoplasmic reticulum,

Anxiety is a complicated issue because it is not fully understood. Anxiety can be cause because of imbalances within the body of certain neurotransmitters, past experiences, thoughts and behaviors, or unknown causes. Bhatt et al. (2017) discusses the pathophysiology of anxiety and the links that are thought to exist. In the central nervous system there are many neurotransmitters that are thought to be related to the mediation of anxiety symptoms. These include norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. The central nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system work together and can affect the symptoms of anxiety. For example, if there is an abundance of norepinephrine, which increases the heart rate and blood pressure, a patient could feel anxious and the sympathetic nervous system would be evidenced by the patient’s inability to sit still and constant pacing. Bhatt et al. (2017) explains how the use of a PET scanning shows the relationship between the anxiety panic disorder and the increased blood flow to the right parahippocampal region with decreased serotonin binding. In addition to the PET scan, a MRI demonstrated a smaller temporal lobe volume despite the normal hippocampal volume in these patients (Bhatt et al., 2017).

Acute stress response is a response or a collection of responses that occurs when an individual develops symptoms due to a very stressful situation or event. Stress responses occur every day, but acute stress responses are due to symptoms that develop quickly and sometimes unexpectedly. In situations where acute stress is a factor the incidents that occur are normally harsh and seemingly happen unexpectedly.

The glucose obtained from the liver cells produces a surge in energy better known as an “adrenaline rush”. The hormones also bind to receptor cells on smooth muscle and inhibit the muscles of the stomach and intestines, slowing down the digestive process and allowing more energy for emergency functions. When these hormones bind to the smooth muscle cells of the bronchioles, they cause the muscles to relax allowing more oxygen into the blood. At the sinoatrial node of the heart, epinephrine stimulates the pace maker cells to beat faster. Epinephrine also contracts certain types of muscles below the skin, causing beads of sweat and raised hairs. Once fight or flight has taken place, another branch of the ANS, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) can take over again, calming everything down and returning body processes to normal.

The SNS is responsible for triggering fear responses and preparing the human body to face threatening situations. The amygdala and the hypothalamus of the brain belong to the SNS. The PNS is the system which returns the body to its normal, relaxed state after exposure to the threat has ceased. More specifically, once an individual comes into contact with a fearful stimulus, the amygdala is activated and in turn activates the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus activates the rest of the SNS with the objective of preparing the body to face the stimulus. A signal is sent by the hypothalamus to the adrenal glands which release epinephrine in the bloodstream. The epinephrine brings upon physiological changes , increasing the alertness of the brain and the energy levels of all body parts. If the brain continues to perceive the stimulus as dangerous, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which triggers the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH prompts the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which aids the body in remaining alert. Once the individual