exhaustion
Summary
Exhaustion is the third and last stage of Selye's general adaptation syndrome (alarm, resistance, exhaustion). When a stressor lasts long enough, the body's coping resources tend to run down, and vulnerability to illness rises. Chronic stress is the cue for this stage.
Detail
Meaning: Exhaustion is the final stage of Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS). In alarm, the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands release epinephrine and cortisol to mobilize the body. In resistance, arousal stays elevated while the body tries to cope with the continuing stressor. If the stressor persists, the resources that sustain this effort are depleted. Coping then fails, and the person becomes more prone to fatigue, illness and physiological breakdown.
On the MCAT: A passage may describe long-term stress, such as prolonged caregiving or job strain, and ask which GAS stage fits. A graph may plot resistance to stress over time: it dips during alarm, rises above normal during resistance, then falls in exhaustion. Questions may ask you to predict the direction of change, for example that immune function declines and illness risk rises as stress becomes chronic and cortisol exposure continues.
Common confusion: Exhaustion is not the tiredness felt right after the alarm reaction, and it is not the stage in which the stressor ends. The stage is defined by prolonged stress that outlasts the body's ability to cope. The order is fixed in the model: alarm, then resistance, then exhaustion. Resistance, not exhaustion, is the stage in which the person still appears to cope well.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Psychology (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.