This is Stress on Your Brain
[caption id="attachment_4832" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nancy Palermo, MD[/caption] Have you ever been in a stressful situation where you were so overwhelmed you could not think straight? More than likely it was related to your cortisol levels. Cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands in times of stress, plays an important role in aiding the body’s response to a stressful situation. When we are in an acute period of stress the body and mind need to be hyper-focused on survival. We remember details about the situation are not important, but when we are constantly stressed and cortisol levels remain high for long periods of time, it can wreak havoc on many organs, including the brain. When the brain is under prolonged stress the limbic system which is composed of the amygdala...