Stress can cause physical and emotional problems, but it can also result in damage to the brain. Stress often overloads the brain and can send the wrong signals to the body. People begin to believe that even trivial episodes, such as being put on hold or missing an appointment, are as serious as traumatic events.
Function
People can become sensitized to stress over the years, according to researchers at the University of Delaware and Roosevelt University in Chicago. As the body becomes accustomed to stress, it can produce too many stimulating hormones and too few calming ones. The body might react to the simplest problems in the same way it does to the "fight or flight response," inherited from our ancestors. They had to fight or flee when faced with a perceived attack, harm or threats in order to survive.
History
Stressful events of humanity's past included constant worry about the tribe's next meal, followed by the daily hunting down of large beasts with sticks and stones. Today's equivalent may be concern about job loss and hoping to be able to pay the rent or mortgage. It could also include everything from rush-hour traffic and troubled relationships to worries about the family and global terror.
Physical
Acute or chronic stress can lead to visits to the doctor for inexplicable physical disorders that the patient can only vaguely describe. But these difficulties are often psychological problems resulting from the uncomfortable effects of stress. The body reacts to stressful conditions by releasing hormones, such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, that can increase the heart rate and respiration, stimulate the immune system and even turn sugar and fat into energy. The body usually returns to normal when the stressful event is over.
Lingering
Prolonged stress from continuous abuse, pressures, worries and feelings of anger can produce frequent overloads of hormones that flood the body. This reaction results in shrinking of certain areas in the brain, researchers have found. It particularly affects the hippocampus, which plays a major role in memory. Many victims of unrelenting stress report having mental difficulties and problems with learning.
Management
Because stress affects both the body and the mind, scientists and therapists recommend regular exercise, which can improve a person's mood and reduce stress, depression and anxiety. Relaxation and meditation techniques can promote lower blood pressure and reduce muscle tension. A healthful lifestyle and plenty of social contacts can produce a feeling of control over one's life. Sustained stress is often related to feelings of being out of control.
