High doses of
adversity affect not only the brain structure and function but also the
developing immune system and hormonal systems, and even the way DNA is read and
transcribed.
Because the body is
like one big, intricate Swiss watch, what happens in your immune system is
deeply connected to what happens in your cardiovascular system.
Dysregulation of the
stress response can lead to increased inflammation, hypersensitivity (think
allergies, eczema, and asthma), and even autoimmmune disease (when the immune
system attacks the body itself).
Research findings
show a strong correlation between childhood stress and autoimmune disease in
both children and adults.
Many physicians had
no clear understanding that clinical illnesses like asthma and diabetes might
also be manifestations of toxic stress.
Infants of depressed
moms have a harder time regulating their sleep; they sleep an average of
ninety-seven few minutes a night than infants of non-depressed moms.
For a person with
toxic stress, moderate physical activity (like breaking a sweat for roughly an
hour a day) can help the body better decide which fights to pick and which ones
to walk away from.
Many people with
over-active stress responses don't know what's happening in their bodies, so
they spend all this time chasing down the symptoms instead of getting to the
source of the problem.
