Fight or Flight

• Fight or flight is an evolutionary response to keep us safe when faced with a stressful / dangerous situation
• It is controlled by our automatic nervous system ( sympathetic state )
• 1. You perceive a threat
• 2. The hypothalamus triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the automatic nervous system
• 3. The ANS changes from the parasympathetic state to the sympathetic state
• 4. The stress hormone adrenaline is released from the adrenal glands ( adrenal medulla ) into the bloodstream
• 5. Adrenaline causes physiological changes in the body ( e.g. increased heart rate ) this creates the arousal needed for fight or flight