How Stress Affects Behavior

 

It is a well-recognized fact that chronic stress has a number of negative health side effects. Scientific research has documented the link between stress and a number of life-threatening conditions including cardiovascular disease and complex gastrointestinal issues. 

 

How Stress Affects Behavior

However, what you might not consider is how being stressed affects your everyday experiences and behavior. You don’t develop the need to visit a heart specialist in Los Angeles overnight, so how does stress slowly create these issues over time? 

In order to better understand the issue at hand, let’s have a look at the ways stress affects the body and the associated butterfly effect. 

The Role of Elevated Cortisol 

Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone. In isolated circumstances where there is immediate danger, cortisol is literally a lifesaver. This hormone activates your “fight or flight” response, giving you the stamina and the will to battle for survival. 

Unfortunately, modern life tends to make us feel this way a lot, and your body will struggle to distinguish between modern stress and immediate physical harm. As a result, many people experience elevated cortisol on a daily basis. 

The adaptation in human life has effectively transformed an evolutionary asset into an evolutionary liability. As a result of chronically elevated cortisol levels, many of our most crucial functions are actively encumbered.

Slowed Digestion

When our body produces cortisol the hormone basically rearranges the distribution of oxygenated blood to power the systems most useful to a threatening situation. 

Unfortunately, that oxygenated blood has to be taken from somewhere. When your body produces cortisol, it actively de-prioritizes your digestion in order to increase the available bloodflow. 

If your stress response only lasted long enough to get you out of immediate danger it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, if you’re experiencing elevated cortisol levels every day, then your digestive system will be unable to work efficiently. 

Reduced Rest

Cortisol and melatonin are two opposing hormones that are designed to work in concert with your circadian rhythm. When your hormones are well-balanced your cortisol levels will slowly creep down over the course of the day as it is replaced by melatonin.

When your cortisol levels are artificially elevated, they may reduce the normal production of melatonin. Given that melatonin is what helps your body relax and fall asleep, chronic stress can contribute to sleep disorders that are likely to make you irritable. 

Mental Health Changes 

Your mental health relies on a natural balance of hormones in your brain. If your cortisol levels are chronically high, then you are more likely to experience anxiety and depression. 

These conditions can further exacerbate existing issues with your sleep, digestion, and general well-being to create a snowball effect that will eventually lead to more profound health issues.  

Decreased Sex Drive and Fertility

There are a number of major systems that are deprioritized when cortisol levels are abnormally high. One of them is the reproductive system. 

As a result of chronic stress, you may find yourself struggling with a depressed sex drive and a reduced ability to participate in your normal sexual activities. Both as a result of cortisol’s other effects and the direct effect on sex, people with chronic stress may struggle with fertility.  

Heart Conditions

Cortisol reduces blood flow to some areas while increasing blood flow to others. As a result of this process, cortisol pushes your heart to push blood into your lungs and muscles in preparation for danger. 

Your heart is more than up to the task to handle the increased work every once in a while. However, continuous pressure on your heart can damage your cardiovascular system. Talking to your cardiologist and taking a cardiac stress test in Los Angeles can help to identify potential issues.