Stress has long been denoted as the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome which produces cortisol, a hormone proven to be destructive to overall health. In this article, further research is indicating that there are actually key regions in the brain which are being directly affected by the level of stress we experience in our lives. Talking therapy has been proven to reduce stress. In addition, medicine is also showing that meditation, yoga, and cardiovascular exercise can greatly assist in lowering the stress hormone.
 “Stress Causes Brain Shrinkage”Jacqueline Sahlberg | January 17, 2012  A new Yale study shows that stress can reduce brain volume and function, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Researchers from the Yale Stress Center analyzed the effect of experiencing stressful life events. The study, published Jan. 5 in the journal Biological Psychiatry, concluded that stress can decrease the amount of gray matter in the brain and make it more difficult for people to manage stressful situations in the future. It also may aid effects to prevent stress-related disorders through screening and vigilance. According to Rajita Sinha, program director for the Yale Stress Center and professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, the study is unique in analyzing a healthy human population. While past studies have demonstrated that stress reduces brain volume in animals and psychiatric samples of patients, Sinha said that the study is the first to show the impact of cumulative stress on the brain in otherwise healthy subjects. Study candidates completed psychiatric and physical health assessments that prescreened the population for substance abuse and head injuries, among other factors. Each of the 103 healthy participants then participated in a cumulative adversity interview that estimated the degree of stress in their life through questions about “traumatic” and “recent” occurrences, such as as parental divorces and financial crises. Researchers compared the results of the interview to magnetic resonance imaging scans of participants’ brains and determined that higher levels of cumulative stress were associated with less gray matter in the prefrontal cortex. “We found that the accumulation of stressful life events was affecting key regions of the brain,” said Emily Ansell, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and author of the study. “These key regions are the regions we believe regulate our emotions, help us control our impulses and help us process our daily experience. They also control our physiology. These regions have implications for long-term health.” Researchers also determined that the changes in brain volume can serve as warning signs for future mental and social disorders, and chronic diseases. Sinha said that because the reductions in gray matter impair brain function, the body is less prepared to respond to stressful situations…
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