There are three stages of fight-or-flight: Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion. Alarm is the initial response to stress - an adrenal surge in order to deal with a crisis. Resistance occurs when the ongoing stress causes the body to remain constantly primed for action. This can lead to the final stage - exhaustion or burnout. Show
The three stages of fight-or-flight explained'Fight-or-flight' is the phrase that has been coined to explain the body's launch into stress mode - as happens when a barking dog makes you jump, or if faced with a dramatic crisis such as an accident. In the short term, fight-or-flight is super-useful, the ability to leap into action so effectively at any sign of trouble. The down side is that when fight-or-flight mode is activated too frequently, it can lead to burn-out and has been linked to the development of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It can also impact the body's ability to function cognitively and may lead to depression and anxiety. Stage 1. AlarmThe body can react very efficiently when faced with a crisis, releasing a surge of energy by switching to fight-or-flight mode. Remember the last time you had an unpleasant confrontation that left you raging or upset? The moment our brain registers the distress signal, it activates the release of chemicals such as adrenalin: the heart beats faster, blood pressure is raised and the breathing becomes rapid. Sugar stored in the body is released. This is full action-movie drama with extra oxygen and sugar being launched into the bloodstream to help the body respond to injury or calamity. Sight and sound can quickly become sharper and energy levels are boosted. The body prioritises blood flow to the brain and parts of the body primed for action, and shuts down stuff like digestion (the logic being that food is the least of our worries while we have a panic). This is the body in full-flight-or flight, ready to charge shouting with helicopter arms or escape by bounding over hedges parkour-style. Or, more realistically in the case of a confrontation, flouncing out of the room and leaving the door open! Stage 2. ResistanceWhen the curtains close on whatever drama has activated fight-or-flight, the body enters the resistance stage. It's the body's chance to recover and regulate blood pressure, heart rate and breathing; however, it stays on high alert and primed for action just in case it needs to react again quickly. Given time, the body returns to its normal calm state and digestion revs up again – breaking down food, converting it to energy, storing excess away and sending waste down to the back chute (euphemism for bum). Stage 3. ExhaustionChronic, unmanaged stress and anxiety can cause the body's resources to become depleted and exhausted. This can affect normal bodily functions and the immune system. This scenario has been linked to the following chronic conditions:
Simple strategies to strengthen resistance to stressHerbal remedies have a long traditional use as muscle relaxants and for soothing the nervous system. 80% of modern pharmaceuticals are based on a chemical first found in plants. I love using herbs to cook and to grow on my window sill and have herbal teas and drops in my medicine box alongside my emergency paracetamol. When life gets busy these are the remedies that I find useful:
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Start introducing calm into your life in little easy steps that you are more likely to stick to. Five minutes every day of positive action will have a longer-lasting and more beneficial effect than a burst of good intention that peters out after a week. All of the following tips are evidence-based, easy to master (with a little practice), and won't take much time or cost you any money.(4) I found lots of information on YouTube and Google that is suitable for beginners.
How do relaxation techniques work?Our autonomic nervous system is the operating structure that handles all the automatic functions like sneezing, blinking, breathing and manning erections. It's also called our vegetative nervous system (like vegetables, we don't have to think too hard about basic core functions). There are two modes, like an on or off switch. What are the 3 stages of stress response?[18] This syndrome is divided into the alarm reaction stage, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage. The alarm reaction stage refers to the initial symptoms of the body under acute stress and the "fight or flight" response.
What are the three stages of the gas theory?The three stages of GAS are: alarm reaction. resistance. exhaustion.
What are the 3 stages of fightThere are three stages of fight-or-flight: Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion, the body's healthy response to a life-threatening crisis.
Who developed the 3 stages of responses to stress?The general adaptation syndrome (GAS), developed by Hans Selye, describes the pattern of responses that the body goes through after being prompted by a stressor. There are three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
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