People tend to dismiss stress as a minor annoyance or a purely “emotional” problem. In reality, chronic stress can have a profoundly negative effect on your body as well as your mind. Chronic stress alters the chemistry of your brain and the body, revving up the production of free radicals. Over time, stress can raise your blood pressure and elevate blood sugar levels, which increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. Many people may not even realize that their lives are stressful or that they live and work in a particularly stressful environment.

Stress in Your Life

Even short-term exposure to stress hormones can result in temporary memory problems and poorer scores on mental function tests. At work, stress could be interfering with job productivity and performance, not to mention the negative health implications. Stress in your personal life is no less lethal. People who experience trauma or a very stressful event early in their lives may be at much greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease down the road. Given the complexity of life in the twenty-first century, it’s unrealistic to suggest that you can rid your life of all stress, but it is possible to learn how to manage it better so that it doesn’t become toxic.

All Work and No Play

Having a good time is good for your brain. First, recreational activities are good stress relievers, which will help reduce the toxic effect of stress on your brain and your body. Chances are that when you’re engaged in an activity that you truly enjoy, you are thinking about something other than your day-to-day problems. Second, some recreational activities, especially those that require different skills from those you use every day, may encourage the growth of new neurons, which help keep your brain young and active. Third, engaging in recreational activities can help maintain friendships, which is critical for mental well-being. People who regularly partake in leisure activities are also at reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, probably for all of the reasons just mentioned. The bottom line is, if all you do is work, you are cheating your brain out of important stimulation.

Single-Parent Homes

If you were raised in a single-parent home, you are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The reason is fairly obvious: single-parent homes are typically under greater economic and social stress than homes headed by two parents.

Born After Three Siblings

Your birth order can affect the state of your brain later in life. If you were born after three siblings, you are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.Why? Researchers speculate that younger kids who have to constantly compete for parental attention with older siblings may find that to be very stressful.

Loss of a Parent

Losing a parent during your childhood or teenage years puts you at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, for obvious reasons. The untimely death of a parent is a traumatic event and is stressful for both the children and surviving parent and can have long-lasting effects.

History of Abuse Early in Life

Emotional or physical abuse during childhood or teenage years is a risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease. Once again, the culprit is stress. Abuse creates an intolerably stressful environment that can be lethal to your brain cells, not just while it’s happening but long after the fact. If you have a history of either emotional or physical abuse, it is critical that you get the right psychological counseling to help you better cope with this trauma. Maintaining good health habits, stress reduction, and keeping your antioxidant defenses strong can help prevent, repair, and preserve your brain function.

Active Military Service

Serving in the military during a war can be especially stressful and can increase the risk of health problems, including neurological disease. Soldiers are not only subjected to high levels of physical and emotional stress but are more likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals. Anyone who has served in the armed forces needs to be especially careful about adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding further toxic exposure.