Studies have shown that on average, greater than 60% percent of people delay or avoid seeking treatment for their stress. Two of the most significant reasons given are time commitment and stigma. The consequences of inaction have been shown to have serious long-term effects on your brain and mental health. Evolution has hard wired humans with a hormonal stress response system that inspires, motivates, and protects. A healthy stress response system is “situational” – when the stressor ends, our response system returns to normal. However, stress in most circumstances is rarely situational, and daily demands make it difficult for the mind and body to decompress. Consequently, working in any environment of prolonged elevated stress, where one feels constantly pressured, overwhelmed, and helpless, can lead to chronic stress.
Chronic stress significantly disrupts the hormonal stress response system by keeping it persistently activated, leading to elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol, essential for the body’s stress response, can be beneficial in short bursts by providing energy and focus during stressful situations. However, Prolonged elevated levels can damage areas of the brain critical for one’s mental acuity (prefrontal cortex), memory (hippocampus) and emotional wellbeing (amygdala).
The consequences of untreated chronic stress could result in any of the below.
- Functional atrophy = Destruction of neurons affects memory, emotion, executive centers, and the structures that connect them. These weakened connections impact the brain’s response to stress and facilitate the manifestation of mental disorders.
- Neurotransmitter Depletion = Neurons communicate by chemicals called neurotransmitters. Constant stress and elevated cortisol reduce the levels of critical neurotransmitters which can leave you unfocussed, unmotivated, lethargic, and depressed. Neurotransmitter depletion is highly correlated to major depressive disorder.
- The Cycle of Anxiety = Chronic stress causes the brain’s emotional center – the amygdala – to strengthen all connections associated with fear and anxiety, while simultaneously inhibiting connections to its emotional regulator the prefrontal cortex. Until there is professional intervention, this hardwired emotional cycle will continue unabated, and anxiety disorders will manifest.
- Cognitive impairment = Research shows that elevated cortisol levels often associated with chronic stress can negatively affect two critical areas of the brain linked to cognition: the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. The hippocampus, essential for memory consolidation and retrieval, can suffer structural damage, impairing these functions. Similarly, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher-order cognitive tasks like working memory, attention, and decision-making, can also experience disrupted neural activity.
- Neurological Damage (Dementia) = Chronic stress and elevated cortisol can be associated with brain changes that can exacerbate neurological disorders, like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease in seniors.
- Suicidal Ideations = Cortisol-induced structural changes in the brain are strongly linked to suicide ideations. Major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder are two more common conditions, when left untreated, are highly correlated to suicide ideations.
- Treatment Limitations = Studies have shown that therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants do not fully reverse the effects of chronic stress on your mood, memory, or mental acuity. The longer the exposure to chronic stress the greater the likelihood that recovery will not be 100%.
- Burnout = Chronic stress can lead to burnout. Burnout is a state of exhaustion caused by workplace stress. While burnout differs from depression by its singular focus on work-related stressors, when left untreated, the negative emotions can start to affect other aspects of life, eventually leading to a more pervasive and difficult-to-treat depressive disorder.
To learn how Deep TMS can help contact ReNu today.