Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D.O.
By Adam Felman
Updated on March 30, 2023
Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage are examples of situations that can cause chronic stress.
It occurs when a person can see no way to avoid their stressors and stops seeking solutions. A traumatic experience early in life may also contribute to chronic stress.
Chronic stress makes it difficult for the body to return to a normal level of stress hormone activity, which can contribute to problems in the following systemsTrusted Source:
• Cardiovascular.
• Respiratory.
• Sleep.
• Immune.
• Reproductive.
A constant state of stress can also increase a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can develop when stress becomes chronic.
Chronic stress can continue unnoticed, as people can become used to feeling agitated and hopeless. It can become part of an individual’s personality, making them constantly prone to the effects of stress regardless of the scenarios that they encounter.
People with chronic stress are at risk of having a final breakdown that can lead to suicide, violent actions, a heart attack, or stroke.
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#Stress