Columbia University

The exhaustion stage is the final phase of the General Adaptation Syndrome, occurring when exposure to a stressor is prolonged. In this stage, the body's capacity to adapt is depleted, and its resistance to stress is exhausted due to the cumulative physical wear on its tissues and organs. This depletion can lead to severe health consequences, including illness, disease, permanent physical damage, and potentially death.

General Adaptation Syndrome: Exhaustion Stage

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Which General Adaptation Syndrome Stage Makes a Person Most Prone to Illness?

An example of the exhaustion stage can be seen in the case of a parent whose child has been missing for three months. The prolonged and intense stress from this situation could cause the parent to suffer a physical collapse, such as fainting from exhaustion, or to develop a serious and irreversible illness.

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