Which statement about the alarm reaction stage is true?

• A. It directly leads to recovery
• B. It is unaffected by the sympathetic system
• C. It involves cessation of stress hormones
• D. It involves activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Answer: (D)

In the alarm reaction stage, the body immediately responds to a stressor by triggering the fight-or-flight response through the sympathetic nervous system. This activation releases stress hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline, which ramp up heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, and mobilize energy to prepare muscles for action. This stage is about rapid mobilization and readiness, not recovery, and it sets the body up for any later response whether it moves into resistance or, if the stress persists, exhaustion. The other statements don’t fit because the alarm reaction is driven by the sympathetic system, not unaffected by it; and it involves the release—not cessation—of stress hormones to support the immediate response. The best description, therefore, is that it involves activation of the sympathetic nervous system.