Selye's theory of stress
- The general adaption syndrome (GAS) was proposed by Hans Seyle who was one of the first psychologists to recognise the relationship between stress and disease. General Adaption Syndrome is the body's typical response pattern in terms of resistance to stress over time, comprising three stages: alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion. Selye's conceptualised stress as a non-specific response, repeatedly insisting that stress is a general physical response caused by any of a number if enviromental stressors. He believed that a wide variety of different situations could prompt the stress response, but the response would always be the same.
Alarm reaction: The first stage if the GAS, where resistance to stress first drops below normal, then increases about normal. When we first become aware of the stressor, our body goes into shock, the body acts as if it is injured and body temperature is lowered. The fight/flight response is activated to prepare us to deal with the stressor. We then become aroused and alert, stress hormones are released into the blood stream, heart rate increases strengthening our muscles and supplying us with more energy.
Resistance: The second stage of GAS, where the resistance to stress remains about normal levels. If the stressor has not been successfully dealt with in stage one, adrenaline and cortisol is realised into the blood stream. This energises and strengthens the body but it also weakens our immune system making us more vulnerable to disease.
Exhaustion: The final stage of GAS, where the body's resources are depleted and its resistance to stress falls below normal. The body becomes vulnerable to mental disorders, psychosomatic diseases, physical diseases such as sleeping disorders and and hypertension.
Black Swan demonstrates a significant amount of these stages:
Nina, the main character of the film, gradually experiences more and more events that cause her to react in a more severe way. Stress is continually building up resulting in her responses becoming exaggerated and severally abnormal.
Alarm Reaction: Nina is first aware of the stressor, she vomits from the intense pressure that manifests in her because she feels she cannot live up to the role of a ballerina. She does not know any other way to healthily relieve her stress other than to vomit. Like Selye Theory states, the body acts as if it is injured.
Alarm Reaction: Nina then becomes aroused and alert, stress hormones are released into her blood stream, heart rate increases strengthening her muscles and supplying her with more energy. This enables her to dance to the ability she is capable of. This enables her to deal with the stressor at hand.
Resistance Stage: Nina expereinces situations that she cannot deal with efficently, this causes stage 2 of G.A.S to activate. Nina's immune system is weakened, demonstrated as she scratches herself and it not healing. This, again, is another abnormal way of relieving stress. As well as her immune system being weakened, adrenaline and cortisol is released into her blood stream which energises her body. Nina begins to practice her dance routine over and over again due to her boost of energy.
Exhaustion: Nina's resistance to stress falls below normal. Her body becomes vulnerable to mental breakdowns, delusions, physical conditions and hypertension. She begins hallucinating to an extent where she does not know what is reality and what is fiction.