Hans Selye (1907-1982) a famous endocrinologist and scientist introduced the general adaptation model (GAS) that describes phases that state the impact of stress on individuals. In this piece of writing I will highlight and critically examine the three distinct stages of Selye’s GAS model and how this model explains the relationship between stress and illness.
Alarm Stage
According to Selye, there is a general stimulation of the nervous system in the initial phase reaction. Here, the sympathetic nervous functioning is hindered resulting in hypothermia, hypotension and reduction in muscle tone. Moreover, he cites other manifestations that include hypoglycemia, hemoconcentration, and hypochlororemia. Furthermore, the shock stage can last up to one day (twenty four hours) depending on the magnitude of the stressors and the levels of vulnerability of a person (Rathus 2012, p.34).
This is followed by a counter shock stage that is witnessed when an individual becomes weak and when the stressors persist. Symptom wise, a person complains of racing heart, chest pains, headaches, palpitations and dysphagia. Selye notes the production of cortisol hormone in excess rates that can also cause stress related diseases and disorders. Excess adrenaline automatically results in an increase in blood pressure that would lead to the damage to critical blood vessels of the heart and brain.
Resistance Stage
In this stage, there is a dramatic decrease in the alarm reaction as maximum resistance to the stressors is being created. Developmental adaptation form in the tissues and increase their functional activities in the body in order transcend the stressors. If the stressors are not removed, body functional activities decline, and the high levels of adrenaline depresses the immune system of the body.
The body’s resistance to stress gradually reduces meaning the inability of the immune system to resist a disease. Thus, patients experiencing long term stress are susceptible to infections or heart attack due to their weak immunity. This stage essentially attempts to portray the balanced defense mechanism of the body to facilitate the coexistence of the stressor and the individual (Rathus 2012, p.35).
Exhaustion Stage
If an individual cannot be able to return to a normal state of resistance, this stage ensues. Here, the endocrine functioning is maximized; high levels of cortisol begin to create negative effects on immune, digestive and circulatory systems. The body’s glucose and resources are depleted, and so is the immune system. Chronic stress may damage nerve cells in the organs and tissues. Memory and thinking will become impaired with the burden of excess depression and anxiety. Continuous wear and tear of the body system may lead to death.
Figure 1: General adaptation Syndrome. Source: (Olpin & Hesson, 2010, p.115).
The causes of stress are not defined unilaterally, and people differ in what they think are stressors. Some of the occasional stressors include vital life changes such as bereavement, divorce, internal desychronization and every day hassles. In the Selye’s general adaptation syndrome, we can deduce that there is a well researched link between stress and illness.
Tension, pressure and other stressors can significantly affect an individual normal metabolism thus the body initiates various functions to regain stability. In his research, he proved that the human body would react to any outside biological stimuli of stress with a predictable sequence pattern in its attempt to restore its internal functioning. The general adaptation Syndrome explains the human body reaction to maintaining balance to both long and short term to stress
We can see that chronic stress is as a result of subsequent repetition of increased blood pressure and heart rate that increase the frequency of plaque formation in an individual’s cardio vascular system. Moreover, stress releases large quantities of cholesterol in the blood through the adrenaline release of free fatty acids. This has a devastating effect since raises the heart rate increasing the clumping together of cholesterol on arteries walls and thus high blood pressure on the part of the person (Olpin & Hesson, 2010, p.120).
According to Selye, the hormonal and nervous responses to stressors aid survival since neuron hormonal changes are balanced to an individual’s capacity to meet challenges and hence adaptive. However, if there is an excess of submissive bodily activities then diseases of adaptation may occur. Selye enumerate the conditions in which the various mal adaptations are a factor including inflammatory diseases of the eyes, allergies, diseases of the heart and rheumatic arthritis.
In addition, there is a physiological aspect of stress as a useful framework for the medical fraternity to understand the critical dynamics of chronic ailments. Since there is a manifestation of chronic health problems for example obstructive lung infections that are interpreted as a result of chronic stress due to environmental stressors such as exposure to air pollutant or cigarette smoking.
Another rather intriguing relationship is that stress can actually affect an illness behavior without actually causing the illness. Stress produces numerous symptoms such as fatigue, depression, anxiety and may be sometimes be mistaken for a physical illness. Showing how there is a thin line between stress and illness in terms of their effect on an individual’s body physiological activities.
Another point is that stress can affect an individual’s health directly through production of psychological and physiological changes that are conducive to the development of a particular illness. This is done by suppressing the immune system. Moreover, it is worth noting that the effects of stress are not similar to all people, since according to Selye, stress can have an unusually minimal impact on a person’s blood pressure unless he or she is genetically predisposed to high blood pressure. Stress can also affect people health indirectly for example people who are consistently under high stress levels end up smoking and drinking heavily.
Finally, stress related factors can lead to the development of breast cancer amongst the women, since it weakens their immunity and allows the cells to proliferate. This also affects an individual’s heuristic thinking and decrease in antibody production, and adverse reduction in mass in the spleen. Finally, Selye embraced an approach that he describes as living wisely in relation to natural laws. He insists on keeping a healthy sense of living about an individual’s objectives and achievement.
Conclusion
Stress is a bodily response to an indication of a long term psychological threat. Selye’s general Adaptation theory plays a huge significant model for the critical research of the physiologic activities that are involved in the relationship between illnesses, stress and emerging and evolutionary diseases such cancer. Furthermore, it is useful in the understanding of symptomatic progression and expression of the new modern illnesses. Selye however could not include to his theory the connection of the mind and body. This has featured as one of its limitations in its application in various sectors of the world aspects such as nursing, psychology and medicine.
References
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2011). Psychology: a journey. Belmont, ca, wadsworth/cengage
learning.
Rathus, S. A. (2012). Psychology: concepts and connections. Australia, wadsworth, cengage
Learning.
Olpin, m., & Hesson, M. (2010). Stress management for life: a research-based experiential
approach. Belmont, ca, wadsworth/cengage learning.
