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A clenched jaw. An uneasy stomach. Nights spent staring at the ceiling. These familiar afflictions are all signs you may be struggling with chronic stress.
We all know what stress feels like, and everyone experiences it at some point in their life. The near car accident. The big test. The last-minute work presentation. Acute stress is normal, and sometimes, even necessary.
An acutely stressful event triggers the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the “fight or flight” response into gear. The Mayo Clinic explains, “When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones that increase your heart rate and raise your blood pressure. This ‘fight-or-flight’ response fuels you to deal with the threat.”
If you are being chased by a bear, you need that extra gear to move quickly.
But chronic stress is different.
Stress vs. chronic stress
Dr. Jessi Gold, Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor and Director of Wellness at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explains, “Unlike acute stress, which is a reaction to a specific event, chronic stress is a consistent feeling of being pressured or overwhelmed for a long period of time.”
While it’s normal to have incident-specific activation of your fight or flight response, chronic stress is not natural or healthy.
“Our body developed it to respond to a threat, and when faced with one, our body basically prepares to run away or fight,” Gold says. “However, if the threat never leaves, we are basically always running or fighting, without a chance to relax. That can feel never ending and hopeless, and can have mental and physical health consequences. This makes sense as we can only run and fight for so long.”
What causes chronic stress?
The causes of chronic stress can be complex, but there are risk factors. Gold explains, “There are many things that can make a person more at risk for chronic stress. One that comes to mind is a challenging, even toxic workplace or, for someone younger, a school environment.”
She adds, “These environments might have discrimination, bullying or harassment, which might make them even worse. Another could be marital stress or strain, or trouble in a relationship. Someone might also experience long-term chronic stress from growing up in poverty or exposed to significant trauma.”
What are the symptoms of chronic stress?
People react to chronic stress in different ways, but Gold says there are common symptoms, such as:
- Muscle pain
- Headaches
- GI distress
- Teeth grinding
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness, and/or having trouble concentrating
“Chronic stress is something that definitely shows up both in the brain and the body, and illustrates the connection between the two,” Gold adds. “Sometimes the person will be more irritable with others and that might make them stop responding to text messages or cancel plans, for example. They might also turn to alcohol or drug use to cope.”
Gold says chronic stress can be a precursor to anxiety and mood disorders, as well as insomnia. She emphasizes that while it’s not a diagnosis itself, it should be taken seriously and, ideally, recognized and managed early.
What are some of the physiological changes that occur as a result of chronic stress?
Chronic stress can change the composition of your brain. Studies have shown that high levels of stress hormones can shrink the parts of your brain involved in memory, the parts that regulate emotions, and the parts largely responsible for decision-making. Yale Medicine says that chronic stress is also associated with other conditions like “hypertension, heart disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome, Type II diabetes and arthritis.”
Does chronic stress go away?
While stressors may come and go, there are actions you can take to help minimize feeling chronically stressed.
Gold recommends a holistic approach.
“As hard as it is to do, trying to find time, even five minutes for yourself and doing something you like can make a difference. It is also important to emphasize things like routine, sleep and eating.”
She adds, “Some people might find significant benefit talking to a therapist to help with their stress, particularly as the source of stress often shows no sign of changing or improving any time soon.”
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