It’s nothing new to learn that sadness and stress can lead to depression, but what else can depression and other mental illnesses do to your body?
Depression, anxiety, and stress are three of the most typical mental illnesses and disorders that are associated with the loss of memory and decline in memory recall performance. When one is stressed (which occurs typically in those experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms), your body produces the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for one’s “fight or flight” responses, and stress can force our body to produce more cortisol than we need. This, in turn, makes it harder to remember new things, recall old events, and can even effect our abilities to concentrate and focus on everyday tasks.
It’s important to keep your stress in check if you are concerned about the effects it can have on your memory. If your concentration is dwindling and you are having difficulty bringing up old memories and knowledge, you may want to lower your stress. Excessive stress can lead to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, so it’s important to monitor events that bring on stress and can overproduce cortisol hormones in your body.
In order to keep your stress levels in check, it’s a good idea to learn how to channel your stress. Yoga, meditation, and regular exercise will allow you cool off, calm down, and keep stress at bay. Depression and anxiety can also be controlled with medication that can be prescribed by a family doctor or psychiatrist, and is another way to increase endorphins that can help boost your mood and spirits.