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Stress Kills Brain Cells

Von: Ablang (ron916@gmail.com) [Profil]
Datum: 20.08.2007 01:51
Message-ID: <1187567502.398485.68330@m37g2000prh.googlegroups.com>
Newsgroup: alt.support
Stress Kills Brain Cells

Richard O'Connor, PhD

E veryone knows that stress can contribute to weight gain, diabetes
and many other ailments, but few people realize just how harmful
stress can be for your brain.

Latest development: Although chronic stress has long been known to
trigger the release of excessive amounts of stress hormones, such as
cortisol and adrenaline, new studies show that both hormones actually
kill brain cells and interfere with the production of new ones.

to minimize, slow down and perhaps even reverse this damage. For
advice on the most effective brain-protection strategies, Bottom Line/
Health spoke with Richard O'Connor, PhD, a renowned psychotherapist
who has extensively studied the harmful effects of stress.

Before the Industrial Revolution (in the late 18th century), people
That's been changing -- and just in the past 25 years, it has changed
Japanese, who are known for working incredibly long hours.

Doesn't a certain amount of stress make people more productive? Yes,
people are more productive when their work provides enough of a
becomes chronic. Research has consistently shown that chronic stress
disrupts the functions of the immune, endocrine and digestive systems.
disease and immune system deficiencies.

During the last 15 years, advances in technology have given scientists
an opportunity to examine the human brain in great detail. For
example, imaging studies have allowed researchers to visualize the
significant loss of gray matter (the brain's information processing
as depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure
whether these effects are permanent.

stress? By no means. We have an interest in denying the effects of

stress? Yes, absolutely. The first step is to believe that you have
control -- as if events are driving them rather than the other way
consider changing professions or finding a job in your profession that
has shorter hours.

The stakes are high. People who can't reduce chronic stress live
shorter lives, suffer more illness and disability, have less
satisfying relationships and often are plagued by anxiety and/or

What if it's not practical to make such a drastic change? Changing our
in our brain's neural circuitry as a result of chronic stress.
Meditation is an effective stress-reducing strategy. Research has
breath or on calming thoughts achieve such benefits as lower blood
pressure, less anxiety and reduced chronic pain.

What can be done in addition to meditation? As we all know, exercise
also is an excellent stress fighter. However, few people appreciate
purpose in life -- having a child or pet to care for, a cause that's
meaningful to us, people who need us -- these are good stress

healthier and had fewer illnesses. They also lived longer.

How can we improve the way we communicate with others? Communication
being said, but also the nature of the relationship between the
people. Content communication is usually conveyed through words...
relationship communication comes through tone, face and body language.
the words through a dismissive tone or a frown. Content communication
should be consistent with relationship communication.

What if these strategies aren't effective? For some people, self-help
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), appear to reverse
new brain cells.

We have evidence that psychotherapy can do the same thing. Cognitive
behavior therapy, which trains patients to see how their psychological
problems are the result of faulty thought patterns, has been around
for more than 40 years -- and it works to fight the effects of stress.
To find a cognitive behavior therapist in your area, consult the
Academy of Cognitive Therapy, www.academyofct.org, 610-664-1273.

Bottom Line/Health interviewed Richard O'Connor, PhD, a
psychotherapist with offices in Canaan, Connecticut, and New York
City. He is the author of Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing
Connection Between Depression, Anxiety, and 21st Century Illness
(Berkley), Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and
Medication Can't Give You (Berkley) and Active Treatment of Depression

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