What chronic stress can do to your brain

In today’s world, where we are bombarded with information, we find ourselves living in a state of constant emotional stress. Although stress is a normal and healthy response, meant to keep us safe, we all know that living in a state of chronic stress can be detrimental to our health. But did you know it can also have a lasting impact on your brain?

Our Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC), the part of our brain responsible for reasoning, working memory and analysing, as well as our Hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores long-term memories, require a lot of energy to grow new connections and communicate with neurons in their respective regions. Therefore, both these brain regions are considered highly sensitive to increased energy supply in the blood, such as when we experience stress, when energy reserves are mobilised to help us fight or flee.

Remember, neurons are electrically active and if the voltage moving through them is too high it can cause some of the neurons to get damaged and “short the circuit”. During periods of acute stress, blood flow to these important two brain regions are therefore reduced to prevent them from being damaged. If the blood flow to these brain regions is reduced for extended periods of time when we experience chronic stress, the dendrites (the part of the neurons that connect and communicate with other neurons) may start to disintegrate. It has been shown that people suffering from PTSD have less grey matter in their PFC due to this loss of dendrites. This will lead to impaired working memory and weaker attention flexibility.

It has further been shown that people suffering from PTSD and other forms of chronic stress have increased dendrite growth in the Amygdala, the part of our brain responsible for regulating emotions and keeping us safe. The result is that such people are emotionally triggered and perceive most external stimuli as unsafe.

It is also important to understand that people suffering from chronic stress will have depleted dopamine levels in the brain, the neurotransmitter keeping us motivated, resulting in a lack of drive and will power. Nor-adrenaline, the neurotransmitter in the brain helping to keep us focused, will increase due to chronic stress and the result is that people become hyper alert and on edge.