General adaptation syndrome describes the three stages your body goes through when undergoing stress. Learn the signs of each stage.WhatIsGeneralAdaptationSyndrome?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,Ph.D.,CRNP—WrittenbyValenciaHiguera—UpdatedonOctober6,2018DefinitionStagesModelStressfulsituationsTakeawayOverviewStressisacommonoccurrence.Whileyoucan’tremoveeverysinglestressorfromyourlife,it’spossibletomanagestressandmaintainyourhealth.Thisisimportantbecausestresscancausementalfatigue,irritability,andinsomnia.Butevenifyouknowthephysicaleffectsofstress,youmaybeunawareofthedifferentstagesofstress,knownasgeneraladaptationsyndrome(GAS).Whenyouunderstandthedifferentstagesofstressandhowthebodyrespondsinthesestages,it’seasiertoidentifysignsofchronicstressinyourself.Readmore:20effectsofstressonthebody»Whatisgeneraladaptationsyndrome?GASisthethree-stageprocessthatdescribesthephysiologicalchangesthebodygoesthroughwhenunderstress.HansSelye,amedicaldoctorandresearcher,cameupwiththetheoryofGAS.DuringanexperimentwithlabratsatMcGillUniversityinMontreal,heobservedaseriesofphysiologicalchangesintheratsaftertheywereexposedtostressfulevents.Withadditionalresearch,Selyeconcludedthatthesechangeswerenotanisolatedcase,butratherthetypicalresponsetostress.Selyeidentifiedthesestagesasalarm,resistance,andexhaustion.Understandingthesedifferentresponsesandhowtheyrelatetoeachothermayhelpyoucopewithstress.Readmore:10simplewaystorelievestress»Generaladaptationsyndromestages1.AlarmreactionstageThealarmreactionstagereferstotheinitialsymptomsthebodyexperienceswhenunderstress.Youmaybefamiliarwiththe“fight-or-flight”response,whichisaphysiologicalresponsetostress.Thisnaturalreactionpreparesyoutoeitherfleeorprotectyourselfindangeroussituations.Yourheartrateincreases,youradrenalglandreleasescortisol(astresshormone),andyoureceiveaboostofadrenaline,whichincreasesenergy.Thisfight-or-flightresponseoccursinthealarmreactionstage.2.ResistancestageAftertheinitialshockofastressfuleventandhavingafight-or-flightresponse