Page 206 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

190 • Chapter 6

and a loss of independence are all stressful situations. Even
happy situations, such as the birth of a baby, buying a new
home, or planning parties, can be stressful.
Qualities that help people deal with stress in a positive
manner are flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of humor.
Also critical to the reduction of stress is a support system of
people with whom you can share your distress. The ability
to find meaning in stressful situations as well as just han-
dling the problem are part of the wisdom we acquire as we
age, and that experience helps us put stressful situations
18
into perspective. All these qualities and abilities reduce the
negative effects of stress on our body, mind, and spirit. Neu-
roscientists are “convinced that people who overreact to
stress lead shorter lives and are more susceptible to acceler-
ated brain and nervous system disease.” 19

“A man 90 years old was asked to what he attributed
his longevity. ‘I reckon,’ he said, with a twinkle in his
eye, ‘it’s because most nights I went to bed and slept
when I should have sat up and worried.’” — Dorothea
Kent

Stress triggers the release of hydrocortisone, which can
assist you in a “fight or flight” situation by sharpening your
reflexes, raising your heart rate, and preparing you to de-
fend your life. Short-term stresses such as traffic jams or dis-
agreements with a spouse do not seem to have long-term
effects. However, long-term stressful situations such as
abuse or serving in wartime situations can create permanent
effects that continue years later. Months and years of ele-
vated hydrocortisone levels can cause the hippocampus to
shrink. One estimate is a 25 percent loss in mass. As Robert
Sapolsky said, “This is like reporting that an emotional
trauma eliminates one of the four chambers of the heart.” 20
Remember that the hippocampus is essential to your abili-
ties to concentrate, as well as to store and recall information.
Many people who are stressed lose their appetite and
lose weight or eat compulsively and gain weight; as a result,