PSA: Elevated Levels of Stress Can Shrink your Brain

Stressful life situations include losing a job, being late for work, or going through a divorce. At some point, each and every one of us will experience stress within our lifetime. Stress is detrimental to the health of an individual and can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, the development of heart disease, and even death (AHA, 2014). A recent study conducted by Yale researchers has shown that elevated levels of stress can cause the gray matter in the vital regions of the brain that control emotion and physiological function [i.e. blood pressure or blood sugar levels] to shrink (Hathaway, 2012, para. 1). The study included 103 healthy individuals who expressed during interview about experiencing a traumatic stress or life event. The differences in the brain’s gray matter were visible shortly after stressful events occurred. Not only does this type of stress affect our physical health, but can have a negative impact on our mental health as well.

                       References

American Heart Association. (Jun 2014). Stress and heart health. Retrieved from
   http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/StressManagement/HowDoes
   StressAffectYou/Stress-and-Heart-Health_UCM_437370_Article.jsp

Hathaway, B. (13 Jun 2014). Even in the healthy, stress causes brain to shrink, Yale study shows.
     YaleNews. Retrieved from http://www.news.yale.edu/2012/01/09/even-healthy-stress-causes-
     brain-shrink-yale-study-shows