We’ve all heard the mantra, “Stress is the silent killer”. But deeper research reveals exactly how stress affects the brain, specifically the hippocampus, which is involved with memory. Psychologists have identified 2 types of stress – Acute and Chronic. Both affect us, but one affects us more than the other. Acute stress is typically short lived, like the stress you feel before giving a presentation, or the stress related to the outcome of a specific event.
Chronic stress is ongoing for long periods of time. For example, the stress experienced from constantly being in an unhealthy relationship or consistently worrying all month long about how you’re going to make your mortgage payment. Short term stress can actually help us. Consider what you experience when a car comes speeding at you and your body thrusts into action to escape danger. Your adrenal glands release chemicals called cortisol and adrenaline that give you a burst of energy and mental focus. This “fight-or-flight” response is critical for survival and is an instinct that clearly benefits us.
In times of chronic stress, the same fight-or-flight response is triggered and the same chemicals (cortisol and adrenaline) are produced. But when we get locked into a state of chronic stress, the adrenal glands don’t receive a signal to stop producing these chemicals and the result is quite destructive. Research has shown that excessive amounts of cortisol increase the damaging effects of free radicals (molecules known to cause oxidative damage to cells) to the neurons (brain cells) of the hippocampus (memory). If allowed to continue, this process eventually causes the neurons in the hippocampus to die, which impairs memory.
In fact, some researchers have found that in at least 50% of Alzheimer’s patients, elevated levels of cortisol are found. Animal studies have shown that chronic stress also impairs the ability to break out of repetitive behavior and stunts creativity. Consider times you’ve been under stress and you just can’t get out of that “rut” you’re in. Because our stress response is a survival mechanism, during times of stress, the hormones released into the bloodstream keep us at a lower order of brain function, unable to attain synergy. When primitive man was trying to survive, he didn’t need to ponder and search within for creative solutions. He needed to follow his instinct to survive. And because of the way our brains are wired, we’re unable to think or feel our way out of personal crises while under stress.
Good news: researchers have discovered that we can stop this cascade of destructive events. Mental & physical exercise, nutrition (curcumin & Omega-3 fats), calorie reduction and fasting have been shown to impart a high level of protection for the hippocampus, making it resistant to damage from elevated levels of cortisol. Coming up with more effective coping mechanisms for stress as well as thinking differently about stressful events can help reduce the effects (and therefore potential damage) stress has on us. For a great read, find the book Power Up Your Brain, The Neuroscience of Enlightenment by David Perlmutter, MD.
Comments(4)