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=Psychology 20= tb483 Stress is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye. He described it as using three stages: alarm reaction- where the body detects the external stimulus, adaptation- where the body engages defensive countermeasures against the stressor and exhaustion- where the body begins to run out of defenses. Stress includes distress, the result of negative events, and eustress, the result of positive events. Stress can directly and indirectly contribute to general or specific disorders of body and mind. Stress can have a major impact on the physical functioning of the human body. Stress raises the level of adrenaline and corticosterone in the body, which in turn increases the heart-rate, respiration, blood-pressure and puts more physical stress on bodily organs. Long-term stress can be a contributing factor in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other illnesses. Psychologial stress doesn't just put your head in a vice, it tears away at every body system, including your brain.
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