How does chronic stress physically change the brain?

Chronic stress can physically change the brain by: - Chronic stress has the ability to shrink the brain. It has the ability to harm one’s person learning capacity by being able to reduce the volume of the gray matter that is a major component in a person’s brain. read more

Over time, elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, can chip away at our physical, mental and emotional health. The link between chronic stress and the potential for mental health conditions -- such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders -- is well-established. read more

More alarming still, glucocorticoids released during chronic stress take a particularly heavy toll on the hippocampus, a part of the brain that regulates the stress response itself. It's the hippocampus that turns off the stress response, shutting off the glucocorticoids, among other things. read more

Stress can disrupt memory by triggering the brain's threat response While cortisol hampers the activity of the hippocampus, it increases the size and activity of the amygdala, the brain's main center for emotional responses and motivation. read more