Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Parasympathetic Nervous System, Survivor Guilt

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Laura Fazakas- De Hoog

Document Summary

General adaptation syndrome (gas) - body"s responses to a stressor, which includes successive phases of alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion. Alarm reaction - body"s natural tendency to maintain stable internal state of homeostasis results in parasympathetic nervous system activity. Resistance - body"s resource continue to be mobilized so that the person can function despite presence of stressor. Exhaustion - body"s resources are dangerously depleted if stressor is intense and persists for too long. Stressors are events that place physical or psychological demands on people. Stressful defined by balance between demands and resources. Represents what can happen to victims of extreme stress and trauma. Severe anxiety disorder that is caused by exposure to traumatic life events, to severe. Exposure of hippocampus to prolonged elevations of stress-related hormones causes deterioration of hippocampus and accompanying memory impairment. Stressor lasting a few hours can release sufficient stress hormone to induce structural changes in hippocampus that last for a month+