Final answer:
Chronic stress causing weakness and exhaustion is referred to as the exhaustion stage in general adaptation syndrome, leading to physical and mental health issues due to prolonged stress, including immune suppression, severe fatigue, and hormonal imbalances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Weakness and exhaustion from lifetime or arduous labor, both productive and reproductive, can be understood through the lens of long-term stress effects on the body, known as the stage of exhaustion. This stage is the final phase of general adaptation syndrome, a concept introduced by Hans Selye which describes the body's short-term and long-term reactions to stress. Prolonged stress depletes the body's ability to resist, leading to tissue damage, illness, or even death. Examples include a parent who, after an extended period of stress due to a missing child, may faint from exhaustion or develop serious illnesses, and athletes like Jasmin, who experience extreme fatigue and muscle atrophy due to relentless training.
Depression, suppression of the immune response, and severe fatigue are some symptoms associated with the exhaustion stage. Meanwhile, physical inactivity and atrophy, as seen in prolonged periods of immobilization or conditions such as space flight, lead to the weakening and shrinkage of skeletal muscle. In the context of the economy, repeated stress and fatigue can lead to low productivity, which is a balance of weakness impacting overall economic stability.
Factors contributing to these symptoms include hormonal imbalances mediated by cortisol, released from the adrenal cortex as a result of signals from the HPA axis. Understanding these effects is critical to addressing the physical and mental health consequences of chronic stress.