here is a story i wrote about distress and the movie office space
Once upon a time Peter Gibbons was in great distress. This was because he forgot to put the new cover sheet on his TPS report. Bill Lumbergh, peters superior, was causing Peter distress because he was pestering him about receiving the memo stating that all TPS reports from now on should include the new cover sheet. At this point peters body was put into homeostasis in which his organ systems were functioning in equilibrium. This was because under these stressful conditions his body experienced an adaptive response where he adjusted back towards equilibrium. This process to restore balance is called General Adaptation Syndrome. Peter's perception of this stressor by his cerebral cortex caused him to have the fight or flight reaction. Peter Gibbons decided to stay and fight by stating that he had gotten the memo about the TPS reports and assured Bill that from now on he would include the new cover sheet on all his TPS reports. The sympathetic part of the ANS energized peters body and gave him the energy to deal with this stressor. At this point Peter was in the alarm stage. His hypothalamus was stimulating his adrenal glands and they were releasing adrenaline. His heart rate was increasing and increased blood flow to his muscles. His brain also released endorphins. After this another superior in Peter's office approached him to inquire if he had received the memo about the new cover sheet on all TPS reports. Peter was very stressed and annoyed by this constant bothering and was now in the resistance stage. This stage was an immediate effort to restore balance in the body. His parasympathetic ANS was working to control the fight or flight response. After his superior left Peter was reaching the exhaustion stage. He was fed up with how he was being treated at his current job and his energy was depleted. After failing to sneak out of the office without Lumbergh asking him to come in on Saturday, Peter was completely put into the exhaustion stage in which all of his physical and emotional energy was depleted. His adaptation energy storages provided the energy for his adaptive responses. His lifestyle did effect and replenish his superficial storages when he went to therapy and became relaxed and free of stressors. This is when Peter, Michael, and Samir come up with a scheme to steal money from the company using a computer virus.
