Stress as a Bodily Response

Stress is a response to stimuli in the environment

• It can be the environmental stimulus that triggers a stress response
• Or a response to the stimulus
• 'The response that occurs when we think we can't cope with the pressures in our environment'
• This is due to personal judgement therefore ability to cope can be over/under estimated. 

The hypothalamus is the bit of the brain that responds to stress

The evaluation of whether something is a stressor occurs in - the cerebral cortex. 

When there is a stressor in the environment, it sends a signal to the hypothalamus. This then triggers two processes. 

Sympatho-Medullary Pathway

• In the initial shock response, the hypothalamus triggers activity in the…