{"id":931,"date":"2011-07-25T08:07:14","date_gmt":"2011-07-25T12:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/intentchopra\/?p=931"},"modified":"2011-07-22T13:01:27","modified_gmt":"2011-07-22T17:01:27","slug":"weekly-health-tip-stress-and-the-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/intentchopra\/2011\/07\/weekly-health-tip-stress-and-the-brain.html","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Health Tip: Stress and the Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nVisualization is courtesy of TheVisualMD.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Brought to you by\u00a0Deepak Chopra, MD,<\/span><\/a>Alexander\u00a0Tsiaras, and TheVisualMD.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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The human body responds to stress with a powerful fight-or-flight reaction.\u00a0Hormones<\/span><\/a>\u00a0surge through\u00a0the body, causing the heart to pump faster and sending extra supplies of energy into the bloodstream. For much of human history, this emergency response system was useful: It enabled people to survive immediate physical threats like an attack from a wild animal. But today, the stress in most people’s lives comes from the more\u00a0psychological\u00a0and seemingly endless pressures of modern\u00a0life.\u00a0Daily challenges\u00a0like\u00a0a long commute or a difficult boss can turn on the stress hormones–and because these conditions don’t go away, the hormones don’t shut off.\u00a0 Instead of helping you survive, this kind of stress response can actually make you sick.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chronic stress can harm the body in several ways. The stress hormone cortisol, for instance, has been linked to an\u00a0increase in fat around organs<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0known\u00a0as\u00a0visceral fat. The accumulation of visceral fat is dangerous since these fat cells\u00a0actively secrete hormones<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that can disrupt the functioning of the liver, pancreas and brain, causing problems such as\u00a0insulin resistance<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0inflammation<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0metabolic syndrome<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0Chronic exposure to other stress hormones can\u00a0also\u00a0weaken the immune system<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and even change the\u00a0structure of chromosomes<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How Stress Affects the Brain\u00a0<\/strong>Recent research suggests that chronic stress takes a toll on the brain, too.\u00a0Studies<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on mice show that stress-related hormones alter physical structures in the\u00a0brain in ways that could affect memory, learning, and mood. Some of these changes involve dendrites, tiny branch-like structures on nerve cells that send and receive signals. Several studies have shown that stress hormones can\u00a0shrink dendrites<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and as a result, information doesn’t get relayed\u00a0across\u00a0nerve cells.\u00a0When\u00a0the cell damage occurs in\u00a0a part of the brain called the\u00a0hippocampus,\u00a0it can impact memory and learning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If\u00a0stress makes you feel anxious, damage to dendrites\u00a0might be part of the cause. A\u00a02011 study<\/span><\/a>\u00a0found that rats whose dendrites had eroded due to stress had higher levels of anxiety. More research is needed to determine the exact effect of stress hormones on\u00a0people’s\u00a0brains, but one study of adults with\u00a0post-traumatic stress disorder<\/span><\/a>\u00a0suggests\u00a0that the stress hormone cortisol may\u00a0actually\u00a0shrink the size of the hippocampus. Researchers are still trying to determine if this is because of the hormone’s toxic effect on neurons or if there is a genetic component–or if both are\u00a0involved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another part of the brain that seems to be affected by stress is the amygdala–the part of the brain that\u00a0regulates fear and other emotions. A 2003\u00a0study<\/span><\/a>\u00a0found that in mice under stress, the amygdala grew larger while the dendrites in the hippocampus shrank. Researchers believe that together, these two effects may\u00a0cause\u00a0an increase in anxiety. They think that as amygdala grows in size, you may experience more anxiety and fear. (The amygdala is known to become bigger\u00a0and more active\u00a0in people who are depressed.) But because the hippocampus cells\u00a0involved in memory\u00a0are shrinking and not\u00a0transmitting\u00a0information effectively, you can’t connect the feelings of fear to\u00a0memories of\u00a0real events. You’re left with a lot of generalized anxiety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tips on Coping With Stress<\/strong>\u00a0If this news about stress and the brain is giving you a headache–or stressing you out in other ways–relax. The good news is that you can learn healthy ways to cope with stress that will protect your brain–and the rest of your body–from stress’s negative effects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not everyone is equally vulnerable to stress. Genetics play a role in how a person’s body reacts. Your past experiences can affect your response, too. If you lived through a lot of stressful situations growing up, you may be more sensitive to stress as an adult. Try to notice your own reactions to stress. Do you stay calm when pressures mount, or can you feel your pulse increase just\u00a0thinking<\/em>\u00a0about a stressful situation?\u00a0Once you become aware of what sets off your body’s fight or flight response, you can use these tips to try to change your response to stress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1.\u00a0Resolve the stressful situation if you can.<\/strong>\u00a0You may not have much control over many of the sources of stress in your life, but if there is a something you can do to resolve a stressful situation, do it! Talk to friends about what you can do to change a bad situation, and consider getting help from a conflict resolution expert if necessary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2. Spend time with loved ones and cultivate healthy friendships.<\/strong>\u00a0Research shows that a good\u00a0social support network<\/span><\/a>\u00a0has definite mental health benefits. It can keep you from feeling lonely, isolated, or inadequate and if you feel good about yourself, you can deal with stress better. Friends and loved ones can be a good source of advice and suggest new ways of handling problems. But they can also be an excellent distraction from what’s bothering you. If your network of friends is small, think about volunteering, joining an outdoor activities group, or trying an online meet-up group to make new friends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3. Do an activity you like.<\/strong>\u00a0Part of being stressed out is feeling that you never have enough time. So adding more activities to your schedule might seem like the last thing you need. But if you make even a little bit of time for an activity you really enjoy, the payoff can be huge: You feel calmer and happier and can deal with work and other demands better. Whether it’s playing music, doing a craft, or working on your car, do something that absorbs and relaxes you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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4. Try relaxation techniques.<\/strong>\u00a0Meditation, yoga, and tai chi can help\u00a0slow your breathing and heart rate<\/a>\u00a0and focus your mind inward, away from whatever is causing you stress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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5. Exercise regularly.<\/strong>\u00a0Whether it’s walking outside with a friend or taking an exercise class at the gym,\u00a0getting active<\/span><\/a>\u00a0can help you relax and help turn off your body’s stress response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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6. Get plenty of\u00a0<\/strong>sleep<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0When you’re well rested, you can approach stressful situations more calmly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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7. Eat a healthy diet.<\/strong>\u00a0Stress is tough enough on your body, so help it out by feeding it fresh\u00a0fruits and vegetables and low-fat protein<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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8. Appreciate what’s good in your life.<\/strong>\u00a0It sounds corny, but focusing your thoughts on positive parts of your life instead of the stress-ridden areas can be good for your physical health. Research shows that\u00a0positive emotions<\/span><\/a>\u00a0helped people recover their normal heart rate more quickly after it was raised during exertion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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9. Laugh!\u00a0<\/strong>Researchers are still investigating the precise effects of laughter on stress hormones, but some findings suggest that it has a\u00a0stress-relief effect<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle tension. Your own research has probably convinced you that laughing makes you feel better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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10. Seek professional counseling if necessary.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Extreme chronic stress is no laughing matter. Enlist the help of a professional if you think you are at risk for serious health effects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Learn more about\u00a0stress and stress management:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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TheVisualMD.com: Manage Your Stress<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"Deepak <\/a>
\ndeepakchopra.com<\/a><\/div>\n
Follow Deepak on Twitter<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Visualization is courtesy of TheVisualMD.com Brought to you by\u00a0Deepak Chopra, MD,Alexander\u00a0Tsiaras, and TheVisualMD.com The human body responds to stress with a powerful fight-or-flight reaction.\u00a0Hormones\u00a0surge through\u00a0the body, causing the heart to pump faster and sending extra supplies of energy into the bloodstream. 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