Fight, flight, freeze & fawn worksheets

THE STRESS RESPONSE

The stress response is how the brain and body react to the threat of a real or imagined danger. The stress response begins in the brain, however quickly presents in physical and emotional ways.

HYPOTHALAMUS

AMYGDALA

AMYGDALA: When you experience a stressful event or threat, the amygdala, a small area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal on to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus receives the message and moves on to coordinating a response to the treat. It activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands, which then respond by releasing hormones. The adrenal glands begin flooding the body with the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline). Epinephrine triggers several bodily responses, including an increased heart rate, resulting in more blood being pumped to the muscles. It also speeds up your breathing, resulting in increased oxygen in the body and heightened alertness. HYPOTHALAMUS: EPINEPHRINE:

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