The Most Common Stress-Related Illnesses

It’s no secret stress is a part of everyone’s life. Stress is what keeps us going at times of crisis. Our bodies go into a fight-or-flight mode, or in simpler terms, it fuels our adrenaline. Ironically, some of the benefits of stress include boosting our memory and enhanced child development. While stress does have its advantages, too much stress can wreak havoc on your health. Minor health problems caused by stress include headaches, nausea, and gastrointestinal upset. However, stress is a substantial contributing factor to other major diseases and ailments.

Obesity

Obesity is the excess accumulation of fat throughout the body. If left untreated type, being obese can cause a lot of health issues. Living under constant stress just adds insult to injury and makes it difficult to lose weight. Individuals who are obese and ongoing stress are at higher risk of suffering a heart attack and stroke. Thankfully, losing excess weight is possible. Eating a well-balanced diet and exercising while learning how to manage stress is the first step. If you continue to hit a roadblock, schedule a visit with your doctor to help get you regimented with your new diet.

Depression

Unfortunately, depression is a serious medical condition that affects every aspect of someone's life. Being clinically depressed runs far deeper than only feeling sad or blue. Although not inclusive, there are specific symptoms that usually help to diagnosis a depressive disorder, which include ongoing feelings of sadness, a loss of interest in hobbies, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty processing information, and suicidal thoughts. As you can see, this can be quite detrimental to a person’s health. Studies have shown to diagnose someone with depression or a similar illness, the symptoms have to last at least two weeks.

Unfortunately, too much stress or chronic stress can lead to major depression in some individuals, as both types of stress lead to overactivity of the body's stress-response mechanism. Specifically, chronic stress causes elevated hormones within the body, such as cortisol or the 'stress hormone,' and reduces levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are 'happy' hormones that help regulate an individual's mood. Basically, when the stress response fails to turn off or reset after a difficult situation has passed, it can lead to bouts of depression in some patients.