Fight or Flight

• What does fight or flight respond to?

  Threats
• What is fight or flight?

  An evolutionary survival mechanism
• What does it do to out bodies and minds?

  Primes it for extreme action either fihting for our lives or escaping the threat
• What happens to our bodies after at has passed?

  returns to homeostasis
• Why isn’t fight or flight designed for the modern world?

  its maladaptive in most situations
• What is acute stress?

  short term stress response , a response to immediate pressures such as sitting in a job interview
• What is the benefit of acute stress?

  it allows for extra alertness and thinking on your feet
• What is chronic stress?

  long term stress response, response to prolonged emotional pressure such as exams
• What’s the process of fight or flight?

  • Recognise the threat and enter a stress response , the hypothalamus triggers ANS and endocrine system via the pituitary gland
  • The adrenal glands are important for both pathways - adrenal medulla and cortex
  • HPA axis activation via endocrine system, hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland which release ACTH which secreres cortisol from the adrenal cortex
  • SAM pathway is the connecting from the brain to the adrenal glands, releases adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla
• What are the roles of adrenaline and noradrenaline during fight or flight?

  • Increases blood flow to the brain and skeletal muscles for quick thinking and reactions
  • Decrease blood flow to other systems that aren’t time critical such as the skin, digestive and immune system
  • Dilated pupils for improved vision
  • Faster breathing rate for increased oxygen consumption
  • increased sweat to remove heat
  • psychologicka effects of increased anxiety, attention and increased alertness
• What are the stress related illnesses?

  • increase the risk of hear disease, obesity and IBS (irritated bowel syndrome)
  • General lowering of resistance to disease
  • can result in depression