I need help understanding the effects of cortisol

Question

1. Discuss how stress can cause excessive and prolonged cortisol release and the types of disease states that may develop as a result. How does long-term stress impact the endocrine system and the body over time?
2. How would you handle stress from a spiritual or psychological point of view?

Answer 1

Hi Nicky,

Cortisol is a part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is basically the domino effect of hormones causing the release of more hormones. The hypothalamus is triggered to release CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) which acts on the pituitary to release ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) which acts on the adrenal cortex (located on the kidneys) which release cortisol. There is also a negative feedback loop involved where if the body feels there's enough cortisol being released, it can inhibit the hypothalamus from releasing anymore CRH, thus indirectly inhibiting its own production. When stress affects the body, from injury to fear to infection to psychological duress, this can actually overrule this negative feedback system. Cortisol levels normally tend to spike in the A.M. and decrease throughout the day until the next morning. Too much can have a ton of effects on the body such as:

-causes breakdown of muscle into its protein building blocks - amino acids

-increased glucose in the blood from the body's decreased sensitivity to insulin, decreased glucose utilization, and increased glucose production

-redistributed body fat centrally from the extremities (arms/legs)

-increased "fight or flight" response in the body

-increased calcium loss from the bone

-suppresses the immune system along with wound healing and inflammation (the body's response to injury)

-mood disruption, anxiety, insomnia, depression, psychosis (these can very from person to person)

-associated with peptic ulcer disease

...and others I'm sure.

As for your second question, this is very dependent on the individual. I think that being able to ground oneself when in a stressful situation is an important skill to practice, whether it's taking a walk, deep breathing, or even tapping one's thumb on each finger if you're in a situation where you can't really leave at that moment. Often intermittent complexity is what brings stress upon us, so in my experience bringing oneself back to repetitive simplicity is what can help one to calm down.

I hope that helps! Thanks for your thought-provoking question :)