Psychology Concepts: Stress As A Psychological Process

Summary

The script delves into the biological underpinnings of stress, highlighting the fight-or-flight response. It explains how the thalamus, amygdala, and hypothalamus work in tandem to prepare the body for immediate action in the face of danger. The sympathetic nervous system and adrenal glands are activated, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to increase energy and focus. This response also involves the constriction of veins and the suppression of non-essential functions, ensuring the body is primed for a quick defense or escape.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Stress is a response to demands that exceed our coping abilities, involving both psychological and biological factors.
• 🏃‍♂️ The 'fight-or-flight' response, coined by Walter Bradford Cannon, is a biological reaction to immediate danger, preparing us to confront or escape threats.
• 👀 The thalamus processes sensory information and sends it to both the amygdala and sensory cortices for immediate and detailed analysis.
• 🔁 The amygdala acts quickly to initiate responses, while the cortex can override it if a threat is deemed non-existent, cancelling the response.
• 🚨 The hypothalamus links the nervous and endocrine systems, activating the sympathetic nervous system for immediate stress reactions.
• 💓 The sympathetic nervous system triggers various bodily responses, including pupil dilation for better vision, increased heart rate, and lung dilation for more oxygen.
• 🚀 The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream, stimulating organs and increasing blood sugar for quick energy.
• 🔄 The adrenal cortex, activated by the pituitary gland's ACTH, releases hormones that prepare the body for a prolonged stress response.
• 💪 Hormones from the adrenal cortex cause veins to constrict in the skin, enhancing blood flow to muscles, and tense them for action.
• 🛑 Non-essential systems like digestion and immune response are temporarily shut down to conserve energy for the body's defense mechanisms.
• 🔍 The script emphasizes the intricate interplay between different parts of the brain and the body's hormonal systems in managing stress.

Q & A

What is stress and how does it affect us?

Stress is a response to demands that exceed our ability to cope. It's not only psychological but also involves a significant biological component, affecting our ability to respond to danger or threats.

Who coined the term 'fight-or-flight response'?

American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon coined the term 'fight-or-flight response' to describe our body's reaction to a perceived threat.

What is the role of the thalamus in the stress response?

The thalamus relays visual, auditory, and touch information to other parts of the brain. When sensing danger, it sends this information to both the amygdala and the relevant sensory cortices.

How does the amygdala respond to a potential threat?

The amygdala acts immediately to ensure a quick response to danger. If the sensory cortex determines there is no real threat, it sends a message back to the amygdala to cancel the fight-or-flight response.

What is the hypothalamus and what does it do during stress?

The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that links our nervous and endocrine systems. It activates two systems to prepare us for fight-or-flight: the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system.

What is the sympathetic nervous system and its effects on the body during stress?

The sympathetic nervous system activates the body to deal with a stressful situation. It causes various effects such as pupil dilation for better vision, increased heart rate, and the release of stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine.

What hormones are released by the adrenal medulla during the fight-or-flight response?

The adrenal medulla releases hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) into the bloodstream during the fight-or-flight response.

What is the role of the adrenal cortex in the stress response?

The adrenal cortex is activated by the pituitary gland's release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn is stimulated by the hypothalamus's release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The adrenal cortex releases around 30 hormones, most importantly cortisol, to prepare the body for a prolonged response to danger.

How do the effects of cortisol help in a prolonged stress response?

Cortisol and other hormones released by the adrenal cortex prepare us for a prolonged response to danger by constricting veins in the skin for improved blood flow to muscles, making muscles tense and energized, and shutting down non-essential systems like digestion and the immune response to free up energy for defense.

What is the role of the liver in the body's stress response?

The liver plays a role in the stress response by producing glucose to increase blood sugar levels, which quickly supplies the body with more energy during a stressful situation.

How does the body's stress response affect non-essential systems during a stressful situation?

Non-essential systems like digestion and the immune response are shut down to conserve energy and redirect it towards the body's defense mechanisms during a stress response.