What is chronic stress?
Chronic stress unlike normal stress is constant and lasts for an extended period of time. It can be overwhelming and debilitating and affects the individual in their daily activities.
What are the effects of Chronic Stress?
Chronic stress creates excessive amounts of stress hormones, Cortisol in the brain, impairing the ability to shift attention flexibly by reducing the connectivity of an attention-regulating area of the prefrontal cortex.
Chronic stress also impairs the function of the hippocampus, destroying the neurons, leading to neuronal atrophy, decreasing the short term and contextual memory and leads to a poor regulation of the endocrine response to stress.
Symptoms of chronic stress
• Mental symptoms such as memory problems, mental fogginess, poor judgment, racing thoughts, or constant excessive worrying.
• Emotional symptoms such as moodiness, irritability, short temper, restlessness, feeling tense or “on edge,” feeling overwhelmed, or feelings of loneliness and isolation.
• Physical symptoms such as headaches or backaches, muscle tension, insomnia, heart palpitations, fatigue, weight changes, or frequent illness.
• Social and behavioral symptoms such as isolating yourself from others, neglecting responsibilities, nervous habits such as nail biting, pacing, teeth grinding or jaw clenching, overreacting to minor problems, or picking fights with others.
Causes of chronic stress
• Family problems
• Problems with other relationships (E.g. Between colleagues & friends)
• Major life changes
• Grief and loss
• Care of children or other relatives
• Work situations
• Financial issues
• Legal problems
• Addiction
• Health problems
• Poor time management
• Communication problems
