AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Alarm Stage During the alarm stage, your body releases a substance called adrenaline into your blood. Adrenaline causes many immediate changes in your body, as a shown in Figure 4. Your heart beats faster, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles tense. Your attention narrows as you focus on the stressors.

Detailed explanation-2: -Alarm reaction stage Your heart rate increases, your adrenal gland releases cortisol (a stress hormone), and you receive a boost of adrenaline, which increases energy. This fight-or-flight response occurs in the alarm reaction stage.

Detailed explanation-3: -At the alarm reaction stage, a distress signal is sent to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus enables the release of hormones called glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids trigger the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which is a stress hormone. The adrenaline gives a person a boost of energy.

Detailed explanation-4: -Stress comes in, things heat up, adrenaline or epinephrine is released, the heart rate goes up, the respiration goes up, and the person is in a state of readiness, alarm, fight or flight in some way.

Detailed explanation-5: -The alarm reaction stage refers to the initial symptoms of the body under acute stress and the “fight or flight” response. After the initial shock of the stressful event, the body begins to repair itself by lowering cortisol levels and normalizing the physiologic responses (i.e. blood pressure and heart rate).