Question

Explain three effects of the stress response, and for each, describe how they would be helpful for an organism experiencing danger.

Answer 1

The process down into three separate and chronological stages of stress response, including the alarm, resistance and exhaustion stages.

The alarm stage is also acknowledged as the fight or flight response. Throughout the alarm stage, brain drives an emergency signal to supplementary parts of body, which lets those parts know that person in a dangerous situation. As body activates itself to react, person can prefer between a fight or flight response. For example, you'd be choosing the 'fight' response if you heard gunshots on a city street and confronted the shooter. By comparison, you'd be choosing the 'flight' response if you fled the scene.

In the alarm stage, nervous system is prepared to fight or flight. Moreover, heart starts beating faster, which provides more blood and oxygen to arms and legs.

If the alarm stage does not assist in order to flee from a stressful situation body steps forward to the resistance stage where person remains in an alert stage for a longer time. During this stage, parasympathetic nervous system tries to return as many of bodily functions as possible to their pre-stress levels while focusing bodily responses on the next stressor or threat.

The hormones released during stressful times can damage cells. If person has no time to recover from next movement of stress then body remains prepared which may lead to exhaustion. During the exhaustion phase of the general adaptation syndrome, health problems and even death may occur.

The same process occurs with mental stress, not just physical stress. Mental stress from work, school, or personal life that goes on too long can also lead to exhaustion and eventual breakdown. The body reacts the same way even though the stress may not be physical.

Factors such as age and health influence the stress response, as do coping skills. Chronic stress increases the chance of illness even if it does not progress to the exhaustion stage. During the resistance phase, the body is not able to fight off colds and flu. Studies have shown an increase in chance of catching a cold after three months of chronic stress.