How Does Stress Affect the Brain

“How Does Stress Affect the Brain?” has been the underlying question behind many studies on stress. We live in a society where chronic stress is the norm and people from all walks of life are dealing with the effects of stress. While the body experiences a wide variety of side effects from chronic stress, the brain is also affected by increased stress levels. After learning about the effects, you may want to take steps to reduce your stress levels in order to help your brain.

Your brain reacts to stress.

Your body is a sophisticated and complex system of chemical responses. Stress is a result of several chemical responses that have evolved to help you survive. While this condition was very helpful to our ancestors who had physical threats on a daily basis, it serves us less beneficially in our overstressed society. Humans were simply not meant to be stressed out all of the time. Since the body can’t tell the difference between a physical threat and a psychological threat, it responds the same way to a work deadline as it does to running away from a dangerous situation.

In stressful situations, your body moves all its resources, like blood and oxygen, to the vital parts of your body that are required to help you survive. Your digestive system, immune system and several other functions are dropped in favor of your muscle strength and dexterity.

These changes take place because several chemicals are released in your brain when you feel stressed. Immediately after you start to feel threatened, either physically or psychologically, nerve signals fire down your spinal cord to your adrenal glands and pituitary gland. These glands then release a combination of chemicals into your bloodstream to achieve the goal of keeping you safe and alive.

These chemicals -- adrenalin, dopamine, cortisol, noradrenalin, and endorphins -- heighten your awareness, increase your blood pressure and make your muscles tighter. These effects are necessary during physical threats, but living in this state all of the time isn’t good for your brain or your body.

Stress is meant to be a short term response but when it goes on for days, weeks, and months it can start to break down your brain and body. Think of it like a spare tire in your car. Most spare tires are meant to get you just a few miles down the road until you can get a new tire and a proper tire change. Living with chronic stress is like driving around on four spare tires for years at a time.

Cortisol, which is released by your pituitary gland, is particularly harmful to the brain. The question “How Does Stress Affect the Brain?” can be answered simply with one word – cortisol. This hormone is responsible for damaging brain cells after prolonged exposure.

Studies have shown that cortisol can break down cells in the hippocampus, which controls your episodic memory. It has also been linked to premature brain aging. Although cortisol is important in helping your body overcome real threats, it should not be in the bloodstream as much as it is when you are under chronic stress.

In addition, cortisol can increase your risk for depression. Cortisol in excess can overcome the feel good hormones in the brain and prevent you from being able to become happy naturally. Serotonin and other feel good hormones are reduced in the brain after long term stress. It’s clear that in order to preserve your brain function, you need to take steps to reduce stress.

Stress can negatively impact your brain and have long term consequences for your memory, physiology, and mental health. By understanding how does stress affect the brain, you can take steps to reduce the stress in your life to preserve your mental and physical health.

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