What causes chronic stress and how does it harm health?

Chronic stress is caused by prolonged exposure to stressors such as financial problems, difficult relationships, demanding jobs, caregiving responsibilities, trauma, or persistent health issues. Unlike acute stress, which resolves quickly, chronic stress keeps the body in a sustained state of physiological arousal. This prolonged activation of the stress response floods the body with cortisol and adrenaline over time, which damages health in multiple ways. It suppresses immune function, raises blood pressure, increases inflammation, and disrupts sleep. Over time it contributes to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, digestive disorders, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. It also impairs memory and concentration by shrinking the hippocampus and disrupting prefrontal cortex function, creating a cycle that makes stress harder to manage.