stressors > fight-flight-freeze, acute & chronic stress.

• stress?

  physiological and psychological responses that a person experiences when confronted with a situation that is threatening or challenging.
• stressors?

  a person, object, or event that is challenging or threatening.
• distress?

  a form of stress characterised by a negative psychological state
• eustress?

  a form of stress characterised by a positive psychological state
• acute stress?

  a state of brief but intense physiological arousal in response to an immediate perceived psychological stressor that normally has no long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing
• chronic stress?

  a state of prolonged physiological arousal in response to a persistent stressor that negatively affects health and wellbeing
• fight - flight - freeze response?

  an involuntary and automatic response to a threat that takes the form of either escaping it, confronting it, or freezing in the face of it
• reaction in fight response?

  • Confront the threat.
  • Activation of the Sympathetic NS
  • Adrenaline energises the body
  • Increase in heart rate
  • Dilation of pupils
• reaction in flight response?

  • Flee from the source of danger.
  • Escaping is perceived as the safest option.
  • Activation of the sympathetic NS
  • Increase in heart rate
  • Dilation of pupils
• reaction in freeze response?

  • automatic reaction to threat
  • brief activation of parasympathetic NS
  • immobility and shock
  • decrease in heart rate
• cortisol?

  primary stress hormone secreted into the bloodstream
• role of cortisol short - term?

  • cortisol provides an immediate burst of energy to respond to a stressor.
  • prepares body for action
• role of cortisol long - term?

  • increase in cortisol suppresses the immune system (reduces the body’s ability to fight illness and infection)
  • increase fatigue
  • sleep disturbances
  • emotional hypersensitivity, anxiety, and mild depression
• internal stressors?

  biological or psychological factors that originate within a person

  e.g.  physical health/illness,
• external stressors?

  factors that originate outside the body

  e.g. deadlines for school