Individuals suffering from chronic stress have an increased risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and mood disorders. Now a new study from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley as published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry explains why stress increases the risk of mental illness.
Perhaps those who are suffering from stress should consider looking for a stress-relieving method, such as smoking cannabis. In order to do this, some people will buy dab rigs and smoke their cannabis that way. That method should relieve some stress, allowing people to lower their chances of developing mental health illnesses. Of course, this isn’t the only way you can relieve stress as many people prefer to use this Hemp Derived THC as it can also help with insomnia, inflammation, and a lot more. Stress isn’t only negative for your mental health but also your physical health so it’s important to find ways to deal with it. Read on to learn more about stress and mental health.
One other method of stress relief that has hit the headlines recently is the use of CBD supplements. Nowadays, treatment for stress-related disorders has come a long way. Moreover, thanks to increased awareness of the health-boosting benefits of CBD and other natural products, more people than ever before have started supplementing their mental health toolkits with a wide range of unique products infused with CBD such as CBD gummies. Accordingly, you can learn more about some of the different ways that CBD products are helping people with stress to relax by researching the benefits of CBD online. Additionally, if you would like to give some CBD products a try for yourself, reaching out to a few different Vegan CBD Gummies Wholesale suppliers can be a fantastic place to start.
Ultimately, the brain consists of two types of matter: “gray matter” and “white matter.” Gray matter consists mostly of cells – neurons, which store and process information. Gray matter also supports cells called neuroglia or glia, cells that non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the brain and peripheral nervous system. White matter consists of axons that create a network of fibers that interconnect neurons.
Previous studies have discovered different proportions of gray matter versus white matter in individuals with stress disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to individuals not suffering from chronic stress. Some individuals suffering from stress disorders have excess white matter in some areas of the brain. Chronic stress therefore appears to causes the generation of more myelin-producing cells and fewer neurons than normal. As a result, the “delicate balance” of the brain becomes disrupted.
For the present study, the researchers examined the hippocampus, the area of the brain that regulates memory and emotions and that plays a role in various emotional disorders. Explains Daniela Kaufer, UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology, “We studied only one part of the brain, the hippocampus, but our findings could provide insight into how white matter is changing in conditions such as schizophrenia, autism, depression, suicide, ADHD and PTSD.”
The changes in the brain of individuals suffering from stress disorders suggest a mechanism for the increased risk of other mental illnesses. For example, individuals with PTSD could develop a stronger connectivity between the hippocampus and the amygdala and a lower than normal connectivity between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The amygdala plays a key role in the processing of emotions including the fight or flight response. The prefrontal cortex is associated with planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior.
Elaborates Kaufer:
“You can imagine that if your amygdala and hippocampus are better connected, that could mean that your fear responses are much quicker, which is something you see in stress survivors. On the other hand, if your connections are not so good to the prefrontal cortex, your ability to shut down responses is impaired. So, when you are in a stressful situation, the inhibitory pathways from the prefrontal cortex telling you not to get stressed don’t work as well as the amygdala shouting to the hippocampus, ‘This is terrible!’ You have a much bigger response than you should.”
Kaufner and her research team are currently conducting more studies to confirm the hypothesis that brain changes as a result of chronic stress are the reason for the increased risk of other mental illnesses among individuals with stress disorders. The researchers are also investigating the effects of therapies, ranging from exercise to antidepressant drugs, that reduce the impact of stress and stress hormones. There have been talks of marijuana, and cannabinoid products in this article, which may also have a shoo-in to be investigated to help people with stress as it is a more natural way for adults, who are not pregnant or have other underlying health issues, to do. If this does turn out to be a good step to take, patients may need help finding marijuana seeds so they can make their own personal batch for when they require it.
References
New evidence that chronic stress predisposes brain to mental illness: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2014/02/11/chronic-stress-predisposes-brain-to-mental-illness/
Stress can make the brain more susceptible to mental illness: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272703.php
Image Credits
Stress and Mental Illness: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/692911
