Anders owns a coffee shop and has just received devastating news. Things seem very bleak because a nationally known competitor is moving in on the same block. Anders has many debts to pay and his wife is expecting their fourth child. When he hears the bad news, his heart rate zooms and he feels faint, like he is in shock. According to Hans Selye, Anders is in the _____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

The alarm reaction or stage is the initial stage of the body's response to a stressful situation or stimuli, due to acquired physiological changes, such as high heart rate and increase in hormones activity.

In simple words, it is a reaction that body adapts in tough or fight or flight situation by pumping blood from the heart to arms and legs to fight or flight.

Thus, the correct answer is alarm reaction.