Rakesh, a 45-year-old bank manager in Kanpur, has faced heavy pressure at work for nearly a year. A few months ago his father fell seriously ill, and the pressure at work has not eased at all. He still forces himself to face each audit head-on, and his heart still races whenever a new problem lands on his desk. Yet these days he feels worn out by evening, catches every cold and fever going around, and his doctor has asked him to come for regular check-ups.
According to Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, which of the following describes Rakesh's present condition?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Continued exposure to stressors has drained the body's resources, so the systems of alarm and resistance have become ineffective
Option (1) The adrenal-pituitary-cortex system is newly activated, releasing hormones that make him ready for fight or flight — Incorrect. The alarm reaction stage is the first response to a stressor, when the adrenal-pituitary-cortex system is activated and the person is ready for fight or flight. Rakesh has faced the same stressor for a year, so his system is not newly activated.
Option (2) The parasympathetic nervous system calls for cautious use of the body's resources while he copes through confrontation — Incorrect. The resistance stage begins when stress is prolonged; the parasympathetic nervous system calls for more cautious use of the body's resources and the person copes, as through confrontation. Rakesh has faced continued and additional stressors and now falls ill often, which marks the third stage, exhaustion.
Option (3) Continued exposure to stressors has drained the body's resources, so the systems of alarm and resistance have become ineffective — Correct. Rakesh has faced the same stressor for a year and then an additional one, his father's illness. This is the exhaustion stage: the body's resources are used up, alarm and resistance stop working, and stress-related diseases such as high blood pressure become more likely.
Option (4) His perceptions and personality now decide his response to stress, so bodily changes play only a limited role — Incorrect. This is the criticism of Selye's model, which says appraisal, perceptions and personality shape the stress response. Selye's own model describes a bodily pattern, so it does not name a stage for Rakesh.
NCERT (2026-27): “General Adaptation Syndrome … “3. Exhaustion stage : Continued exposure to the same stressor or additional stressors drains the body of its resources and leads to the third stage of exhaustion. The physiological systems involved in alarm reaction and resistance become ineffective and susceptibility to stress-related diseases such as high blood pressure becomes more likely.” |