The Amygdala And Hypothalamus - When an individual is faced with a threat, an area of the brain called the amygdala is mobilised. The amygdala associates sensory signals(what we see, hear or smell) with emotions associated with fight or flight, such as fear or anger. The amygdala then sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which functions like a command centre in the brain, communicating with the rest of the body through the sympathetic nervous system. The body’s response to stressors involves two major systems, one for acute(sudden) stressors such as personal attack, and the second for chronic(ongoing) stressors such as a stressful job