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Acute stress reaction psychological shock is a psychological condition arising in response to a terrifying or traumatic event. 

"Acute stress response" was a theory that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. The response general adaptation syndrome that regulates responses other organisms.

specific physiological reactions in the sympathetic nervous system
through the release of adrenaline and to a noradrenaline from the medulla of the adrenal glands

These catecholamine hormones facilitate immediate physical reactions by triggering increases in heart rate and breathing, constricting blood vessels. An abundance of catecholamines at neuroreceptor sites facilitates reliance on spontaneous or intuitive behaviors often related to combat or escape

Normally, when a person is in a serene, unstimulated state, the "firing" of neurons in the locus ceruleus is minimal. That route of signaling increases the rate of noradrenergic and the person becomes alert 


If a stimulus is perceived as a threat, a more intense and prolonged discharge of the locus ceruleus activates the sympathetic division of the system . The activation leads to the release of noradrenaline from nerve endings 


The other major player is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

By definition, acute stress disorder is the result of a traumatic event in which the person experiences or witnesses an event that causes the victim/witness to experience extreme, disturbing or unexpected fear, stress or pain, and that involves or threatens serious injury, perceived serious injury or death to themselves or someone else. Acute stress reaction is a variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is the mind's and body's response to feelings both perceived and real of intense helplessness


Symptoms of acute stress reaction
The symptoms show great variation but typically include an initial state of "daze", with some constriction of the field of consciousness and narrowing of attention, inability to comprehend stimuli, and disorientation



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