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System Override

Meaning

System Override, in a clinical and physiological context, refers to a powerful, acute, or chronic pathological stimulus that bypasses or overwhelms the normal homeostatic regulatory mechanisms of a major physiological system, leading to a state of sustained dysfunction. This concept describes a critical failure in the body’s control systems, such as a severe, prolonged stressor causing a sustained cortisol hypersecretion that overrides the normal negative feedback loop of the HPA axis. It signifies a loss of resilience and a shift into a disease state driven by an uncorrected imbalance. Recognizing an override is essential for therapeutic intervention.