- Hans Selye, the father of stress research, introduced the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model in 1936 showing the effects of stress on the human body.
- He asserted that stress is a major cause of disease since chronic distress causes long term chemical changes.
- The GAS model may be defined as the manifestation of stress in the whole body. It consists of three stages:
a. Alarm stage: It is the first reaction to stress. The organism recognizes that there is a danger and prepares to deal with the threat by a ‘fight or flight response. This natural reaction provides energy to the body to deal with stressful situations.
b. Resistance stage: After the initial shock, the body begins to repair itself. In this phase, it remains on high alert for a while. If one overcomes the stress, the body continues to repair itself until the hormone level, heart rate, and blood pressure come to normal. Signs of this stage include irritability, frustration, poor concentration.
c. Exhaustion stage: If stress is not resolved in the resistance stage, a person enters the exhaustion stage. Here, the body’s ability to cope up becomes less. The individual may collapse quickly and the body’s immune system, as well as the ability to resist stress, diminishes. Signs of the exhaustion stage include fatigue, burnout, depression, and anxiety.
