Stress Begets Stress

When we are stressed, the stress response is mediated by the hormone cortisol. In an acutely stressful situation, cortisol production is elevated at the expense of the production of other hormones to help the body respond to stress. This is what our survival used to hinge on (think the caveman running away from the tiger) so it is a mechanism where our body gets laser focused on performance. Most of our blood gets redistributed to the brain, heart and muscles in order to deal with the stressful situations and away from for instance the gastrointestinal track (digestion is not a priority in such a situation).

Individuals who deal with stress for prolonged periods of time may have perpetually elevated levels of cortisol, but not just that, in fact, a heightened response to stress. Work stressors such as role uncertainty, time pressures, and over commitment can all contribute to this. Toxic relationships do the same. This is due to the fact that biologically, stress steals the precursor (pregnenolone) from other pathways to only produce cortisol, and it happens long term. There will be too much cortisol and too little of other hormones. This, long term, causes health issues since your hormones will be out of whack. For one, too much cortisol contributes to neurodegeneration via inflammation and oxidative stress. It will literally eat your brain. This way it may contribute to diseases such as depression, memory problems and neurodegenerative disorders

Remember, mood episodes beget mood episodes? Well it is similar with anxiety. The more stress you have the more reactive you become to it and the more stressed you will be.

The good news? You can beat stress. You can learn coping skills in therapy, try meditation, breathing and relaxation exercises, yoga/stretching (great for emotional release!). Preventing chronic, exaggerated stress responses with proper coping strategies may help improve health in the long-term! If you feel like it is too much, please call me. Medications can very effectively help you manage stress. Frequently they are the only solution if there is just no way for you to decrease your stress level immediately.