Serotonin and other happy hormones are often discussed in articles about wellness and mental health. Its benefits, the positive impact it generates on the body, tips to increase it naturally. But this has its counterpart, it is cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, which fulfills a neurotransmitter function in the brain.
When the body is exposed to high stress situations, cortisol is released. It is a natural and useful process, since it serves to increase the body’s reaction capacity when it comes to avoiding dangers or meeting certain objectives. But as long as it’s something specific. If this becomes repetitive, mental health can be damaged. This is how the stress hormone affects the emotional well-being of people.
Everything that makes up a person from a psychological and emotional point of view will affect their cortisol levels. His behavior, the way of thinking, the emotional responses to different situations, his character, the philosophy of life. These aspects have a direct impact when it comes to influencing how high or not the presence of cortisol will be. And that, in turn, will condition the person and their health. However, not everything is bad.
The action of cortisol on the body is not negative, unless it occurs at very high levels. In fact, it is necessary, for example, to regulate circadian rhythms. Again, as long as it is balanced. During the day it is responsible for keeping the body awake and ready to meet its goals. While, when it is time to rest, it is reduced to facilitate sleep. Otherwise, insomnia occurs, due to a dysregulation of cortisol, which continues with too high a presence.
Another consequence of cortisol not being within its ideal limits has to do with cognitive activity. Problems in learning or conflict resolution, impaired memory and attention, or poor school or work performance are some of the symptoms of this fact.
And, in addition, intense and recurring stress, and therefore a very high presence of cortisol in the body, can cause somatization and the appearance of diseases. Diabetes, hypertension, depression, digestive problems, such as stomach ulcers, or autoimmune disorders, heart problems, among others. The reason is that the biochemical imbalance that occurs leads to the generation of a breeding ground, due to the weakening of the immune system, which increases the risk of suffering from them.
