Chronic Stress Leads to Mental Health Disorders
In today’s world, living with daily stress has become a common complaint across the nation and the world. Regular stress factors include common fears and anxiety related to random acts of violence or attacks in previously “safe” locations like malls, movie theaters, while riding public transit or in attending classes at universities and public schools. Newly released studies from the University of California at Berkeley have discovered that those who suffer from chronic stress in their lives experience long term changes in areas of the brain that govern emotion and memory. These changes within brain structure have been determined to increase the propensity to develop mood disorders and anxiety.
Chronic Stress on Brain Function
Researchers from the Berkeley campus report in the Journal of Molecular Psychiatry that living with chronic stress or emotional trauma has the direct effect of disrupting the delicate balance of neurons and their synaptic communication sequence. This disruption is often revealed by demonstration of an inappropriate flight or fight response, the development of a quicker fear response, and a decreased ability to self-monitor or adjust the mix of physiological and emotional responses.
Stress vs. Chronic Stress
Stress can be a positive force at times, making a person more aware of their surroundings after a stressful encounter like a car accident or violent attack. Stress can also help push a person to perform at a higher level, learn new ways to live with or reduce stress, increase the communication between family, friends or with others who are experiencing the same or similar stress trigger, or to finish work by a specific deadline. Chronic stress creates a regular constant bombardment of thoughts, feelings, doubts, fear or anxiety that acts to wear the body and mind down. Living with chronic stress has a significant negative impact on both the emotional state of mental health and the body’s physiological state, and can develop into PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
Common Reasons We Bring Stress into Our Lives
Stress and stressors can be found in some degree in most everyone’s life. Stress can occur at home, at work, school, while driving, while witnessing a crime, for financial reasons, for those going through a relationship breakup, for those trying to manage 2 or 3 jobs, for those dealing with unemployment and the reality of becoming homeless, or even due to over-commitment where you “cannot say no.” While it may be impossible to remove some stressors, seeking professional mental health services is a good choice – working with a qualified mental health practitioner has a high success rate in treating chronic stress.
Atlanta Chronic Stress Psychiatrist
Call Dr. Hege Atlanta chronic stress psychiatrist for a successful individualized treatment plan that will bring calm back into your life.