PSYC 3140 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Acute Stress Reaction, Sympathetic Nervous System, Autonomic Nervous System
15 Jul 2015
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2 components: stressor event that creates demands, stress response person"s reactions to the demands. Stress and arousal: the fight or flight response: the features of arousal and fear are set in motion by the hypothalamus-when we are presented with something dangerous these neurons will start firing sending chemicals throughout the body, two important systems are activated: Autonomic nervous system (ans: an extensive network of nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to all other organs of the body. The autonomic nervous system (see slide 7 and 8: the endocrine system- the hpa pathway- when a person perceives a stressor the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland to secrete the adrenocorticotropic hormone (acth) which stimulates the adrenal cortex. As many as 80% of all cases of acute stress disorder develop into ptsd: during and immediately after trauma, we may temporarily experience levels of arousal, anxiety, and depression, for some, symptoms persist well after the trauma.
