Which statement about the Alarm Stage is correct?

• A. It is the stage where resources are increased to withstand stress.
• B. It marks the end of the adaptation process.
• C. It occurs only during physical injury.
• D. It describes the Alarm Stage, where the body immediately responds and diverts energy to coping.

Answer: (D)

The Alarm Stage is the body's immediate fight-or-flight response to a stressor. When a stressor appears, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing adrenaline and other hormones to rapidly prepare the body: heart rate and breathing increase, blood flow shifts to the muscles, and energy stores are mobilized so quick energy is available to cope with the challenge. This is a fast, short-term reaction that sets the stage for whatever comes next.

The correct statement captures this burst of immediate response and the diversion of energy to coping. It’s not about creating new resources, but mobilizing existing ones. It isn’t the end of the adaptation process—that comes later in the Resistance stage. And it doesn’t require physical injury; stress can be mental or environmental as well, triggering the same rapid response.