The Effects of Long-Term Stress

By Cindy Williams, RN

Director, Health Ministries

Long-term, or chronic, stress can affect us much differently than acute stress. We experience chronic stress when the source of stress is constant, such as being in a challenging relationship, having a high-pressure job, and having financial difficulties. Chronic stress can also occur if our brain continues to perceive a situation as threatening and doesn’t put the “brakes” on after the true danger is over.

Each person reacts to life stressors differently than others. Genetics may play a role in individuals having an underactive or overactive response to the same stressor. Life experiences may also play a significant role. People who were neglected or abused as children seem to be vulnerable to stress. Other life events that impact stress response include being a victim of violent crime and being a survivor of an airplane crash. Military personnel, police officers, and firefighters also may be more vulnerable to chronic stress in later years.

Long-term activation of the stress response system causes overexposure to cortisol, epinephrine, and other stress hormones. This overexposure can disrupt almost all of our body’s processes. We are then at risk of many health problems. Since all of us react to stress differently, the health problems are going to vary from person to person.

Higher than normal levels of epinephrine can damage blood vessels leading to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. High cortisol levels change processes in your body to make sure that you have enough energy to deal with the stress. It increases your appetite and increases the storage of unused nutrients as fat. This leads to weight gain and increased fat tissue buildup. Sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, and reproductive system issues have all been linked to the effects of chronic stress.

The immune system is also vulnerable to the effects of stress. A meta-analysis of 30 years of published studies on psychological stress and the immune system was published in the Psychological Bulletin in 2004. They found that acute and time-limited stressors generally triggered an increase in the response of innate (natural) immunity and suppressed adaptive (specific) immunity. Chronic stress resulted in global immunosuppression. 

We live in a world in which we experience stress regularly. It seems that there are new things to create stress in our lives every day. What causes you stress? Are you experiencing chronic stress? The first step in dealing with stress is to recognize that you have it. I encourage you to ask yourself these questions this week. 

References

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/

This article is part of a continuing series of health during these COVID times. For other articles, please see www.uccsda.org/healthministries.

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash