Stress can cause mental health problems. And it can make existing problems worse. For example, if you experience lots of stress, this might lead you to develop a mental health problem like anxiety or depression. Or a traumatic period of stress might lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
When stress becomes overwhelming and prolonged, the risks for mental health problems and medical problems increase. Long-term stress increases the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, substance use problems, sleep problems, pain and bodily complaints such as muscle tension.
But chronic stress, which is constant and persists over an extended period of time, can be debilitating and overwhelming. Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.
Although stress and anxiety share many of the same emotional and physical symptoms – uneasiness, tension, headaches, high blood pressure and loss of sleep – they have very different origins. Determining which one you're experiencing is critical to finding an effective treatment plan and feeling better.
Visit a lifestyle medicine doctor to dig into what practices you may adopt in order to treat chronic stress through lifestyle changes. Exercise. Moving the body and increasing our heart rates causes the release of endorphins. Endorphins boost our overall mood, give us energy and confidence.
Under chronic stress, grey matter in parts of the medial prefrontal cortex reduce. This affects a lot of your function — and contributes to anxiety and depression. Stress could increase the risk of a stroke. You can help your brain recover from stress with exercise, meditation, and sleep.
Chronic stress takes longer. If chronic stress has led to overwork, you can usually recover from it within a few weeks. If chronic stress has led to burnout, your body is exhausted. With exhaustion, recovery usually takes six months, a year or even longer.
Strategies to recover from chronic stress can include practicing mindfulness activities such as meditation and breathing exercises. People can also have a support system composed of family and friends, as well as a counselor or a psychiatrist if needed. A psychiatrist can prescribe medication to reduce stress.
Those who experience trauma are also at risk of developing PTSD. Chronic stress may also result from specific events, but it's not necessarily traumatizing. Trauma always causes stress; stress on its own, however, does not always lead to trauma, and this distinction is important.
This long-term ongoing stress can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack, or stroke. Repeated acute stress and persistent chronic stress may also contribute to inflammation in the circulatory system, particularly in the coronary arteries, and this is one pathway that is thought to tie stress to heart attack.
But ongoing, chronic stress can cause or worsen many serious health problems, including: Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and strokes.
Stress that lasts for weeks or months indicate chronic stress. Chronic stress can impact your overall health. One risk is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. For example, studies have shown that chronic stress is associated with a hypertension (or high blood pressure).
Stress—Intense stress can cause psychosis. In this particular cause, there may be no other conditions or diseases involved. This kind of psychosis lasts for less than one month. Stress can also bring on symptoms in people who are particularly at risk for psychotic disorders.
At times, you may feel burned out, or perhaps even depressed. While stress and depression share some similarities, depression is a more serious and long-lasting condition that requires a different kind of treatment. Stress is a normal part of life.
Studies have found many health problems related to stress. Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.
Signs of stress overload
Anxiety or panic attacks. A feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled and hurried. Irritability and moodiness. Physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain.
"When the body cannot handle emotional overload, it simply begins to shut down. And that is often manifested by a sense of extreme tiredness and fatigue," says Kalayjian.
These days, a particular family of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which includes Paxil, Prozac and Lexapro, are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications for this anti-anxiety, anti-stress purpose.
► Scores ranging from 14-26 would be considered moderate stress. ► Scores ranging from 27-40 would be considered high perceived stress. The Perceived Stress Scale is interesting and important because your perception of what is happening in your life is most important.
Toxic stress response:
This is the body's response to lasting and serious stress, without enough support from a caregiver. When a child doesn't get the help he needs, his body can't turn off the stress response normally. This lasting stress can harm a child's body and brain and can cause lifelong health problems.
Chronic Stress Examples
Work: Starting a new job, losing a job, retiring, difficulties at work, being unable to find a job, etc. Financial: Having money problems, difficulty meeting basic needs such as housing or food, etc. Life changes: Moving, starting a new school, etc.
While the overall volume of the brain tends to remain about the same, it has been found that chronic stress in otherwise healthy individuals can cause areas of the brain associated with emotions, metabolism, and memory to shrink.