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GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME Introduction Stress. A word that is used very often today is very misjudged and overlooked. Stress starts with perception. We learn our stress responses throughout our lives and they can be fixed. As we all may know, stress occurs when demands are placed on an organism to adjust or adapt. It is most damaging in situations involving pressure, a lack of control, unpredictability of the stressor, and intense or repeated emotional shocks. Stress also has lasting effects on our health. Intense or prolonged exposure to stress leads to physiological and psychological damage. These stages are associated with General Adaptation Syndrome, also known as G.A.S. PERCEPTION Stress starts with perception. What you perceive as stressful may not be stressful for the person next to you. For example, you’re at the local supermarket buying something for dinner. You’re walking up to the express line with three items and the limit is ten. Another guy is also walking up and gets to the line first. You notice that he has more than ten items. This makes you mad. You’re hands start to shake, your heart starts to beat fast, and your muscles tense up. This is an example of stress that is learned and accepted in the American lifestyle that can be fixed.
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