Effects on the Brain and Mental Health
When someone is under chronic stress, it begins to negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health. Mental health problems due to stress can cause many different disorders in the body as well as the brain; they can also affect a person’s personality, thought processes as well as social interactions. Mental health disorders can occur in different forms, some symptoms may overlap, making disorders hard to diagnose. A few common disorders that can be caused from stress can be: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is caused from stress, can trigger changes in brain structure, including differences in the volume of gray matter versus white matter. It shows that chronic stress creates long-lasting …show more content…
When your brain undergoes stress or senses danger, your brain sends signals down your spinal cord so that your body releases a hormone called adrenalin into the bloodstream, giving your brain the burst of energy it needs to either fight or flight. After about 60 seconds, the adrenalin leaves your brain and it returns to its normal function. (www.youramazingbrain.org, n.d.)
Effects on the Internal Body
This section is a glance at how stress affects the internal body. According to the American Physiological Association stress effects seven areas of our internal body. The following will be facts taken straight from American Physiological Association along with a brief comparison of my own personal experience relating to each topic.
Musculoskeletal System- “The musculoskeletal system is the combination of the muscular and skeletal systems working together and includes the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body. It provides our bodies with shape, protection of our internal organs and the ability to move.1” (ptdirect.com, 2013) When the body is experiencing stress it causes muscles to tense up. “A cause of tension headaches and migraines are from muscles tensing up in the neck, shoulders and head areas.2” (apa.org, …show more content…
One of my main priorities when experiencing stress is to “just breathe.” It is easy to lose ourselves while under stress, triggering rapid breathing and has the potential to lead us into a state of panic. I have attended many different meditation and yoga classes to practice mindfulness and different breathing techniques. One that works best for me is deep breathing. To provide yourself with the ability to stop everything and focus on breathing alone is just as calming and wonderful as a day at the spa. Eyes open or closed, a deep breath in through the nose, very little movement in the chest, feeling and visualizing the fresh air fill up in your abdominal, the air making its way through the abdominal allowing it to rise then releasing the air through the mouth slowly which allows the stomach to gradually lower. It is key to remain present with the breaths and not allow the mind to wander anywhere but feeling and visualizing those deep nutritious breath going in and out of the
When someone is under chronic stress, it begins to negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health. Mental health problems due to stress can cause many different disorders in the body as well as the brain; they can also affect a person’s personality, thought processes as well as social interactions. Mental health disorders can occur in different forms, some symptoms may overlap, making disorders hard to diagnose. A few common disorders that can be caused from stress can be: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is caused from stress, can trigger changes in brain structure, including differences in the volume of gray matter versus white matter. It shows that chronic stress creates long-lasting …show more content…
When your brain undergoes stress or senses danger, your brain sends signals down your spinal cord so that your body releases a hormone called adrenalin into the bloodstream, giving your brain the burst of energy it needs to either fight or flight. After about 60 seconds, the adrenalin leaves your brain and it returns to its normal function. (www.youramazingbrain.org, n.d.)
Effects on the Internal Body
This section is a glance at how stress affects the internal body. According to the American Physiological Association stress effects seven areas of our internal body. The following will be facts taken straight from American Physiological Association along with a brief comparison of my own personal experience relating to each topic.
Musculoskeletal System- “The musculoskeletal system is the combination of the muscular and skeletal systems working together and includes the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body. It provides our bodies with shape, protection of our internal organs and the ability to move.1” (ptdirect.com, 2013) When the body is experiencing stress it causes muscles to tense up. “A cause of tension headaches and migraines are from muscles tensing up in the neck, shoulders and head areas.2” (apa.org, …show more content…
One of my main priorities when experiencing stress is to “just breathe.” It is easy to lose ourselves while under stress, triggering rapid breathing and has the potential to lead us into a state of panic. I have attended many different meditation and yoga classes to practice mindfulness and different breathing techniques. One that works best for me is deep breathing. To provide yourself with the ability to stop everything and focus on breathing alone is just as calming and wonderful as a day at the spa. Eyes open or closed, a deep breath in through the nose, very little movement in the chest, feeling and visualizing the fresh air fill up in your abdominal, the air making its way through the abdominal allowing it to rise then releasing the air through the mouth slowly which allows the stomach to gradually lower. It is key to remain present with the breaths and not allow the mind to wander anywhere but feeling and visualizing those deep nutritious breath going in and out of the