How Stress Affects Your Memory

Brain fog is a common complaint that I see in my practice. It can involve a number of symptoms like feeling scattered and having a hard time focusing but one of the most frustrating symptoms is memory issues. By memory issues, I’m not referring to the more major lapses in memory that are observed in dementia. More severe memory loss needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Many of my patients have more subtle memory issues that nonetheless have a meaningful impact on their lives.

A number of factors can negatively affect memory. Stress is an important one to consider. Research in the field of neuroscience has found that chronic stress can change the structure of the brain. It can cause damage to nerve cells and reduced communication channels between nerve cells. These changes occur in parts of the brain that are important for memory such as the hippocampus.

Part of the blame may be due to one of the “stress hormones” called cortisol. Cortisol is released in response to stressful triggers to help the body cope until the trigger is removed. It is a normal, healthy response when cortisol is elevated appropriately. Things go haywire when people are exposed to constant stress that leads to long term elevation of cortisol. Elevated cortisol may be one of factors that changes the brain in a way that interferes with memory. Chronic stress can be very overstimulating to the brain which can make it harder for the brain to form memories.

There are a number of ways that I help my patients deal with memory issues related to stress. My treatment plans typically include devising a good nutrition plan, exercise plan, daily healthy habits and natural remedies to help the body cope with stress better and improve memory. If you need support with brain fog, memory issues and stress management, book a free 15 minute phone consultation to learn more about how I can help you.

How to Test and Track Your Stress Levels

You would think that we would be good at telling when we’re stressed out or not. You would be surprised at how many of my patients take a long time to realize their minds and bodies are under high stress. Being in a state of stress can become a part of your new normal making it harder for you to recognize stress in your life.

It can be helpful to have a way to assess your own stress levels and monitor your fluctuations in stress over time. It can help you determine if a worsening of symptoms (like worsening IBS, acne or arthritis) is happening at the same time as a worsening of stress. This can help you and your health care providers decide if more emphasis needs to be placed on coming up with a better stress management plan for you.

Stress Quizzes

It can be hard to understand stress symptoms. That’s why scientist have developed tools to help with figuring out your stress levels. These tools are widely available for free online. The Perceived Stress Scale and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire are both validated tools for measuring stress levels. These tools are often used in research studies. For something simpler (although not validated in research), you can do the What’s Your Stress Index quiz put together by The Canadian Mental Health Association by clicking HERE. Of course, on their own, these tools don’t replace medical advice but they’re great to bring into your appointments with your naturopathic doctor and family doctor.

Cortisol

Some of my patients ask me about the value of lab tests for measuring stress levels. There is some evidence that measuring cortisol (often called a “stress hormone”) can help with assessing stress levels. An interesting point is that sometimes cortisol levels don’t match up perfectly with perceived stress levels. For example, a patient may feel like they are not stressed out but when they measure their cortisol levels, they are high. Speak to your naturopathic or family doctor to help you decide if and when this test could be useful to you.

In the pre-COVID-19 world, I created a 4 week program to help bring some stress relief to my patients. The program was originally designed to be done alongside acupuncture. I have now modified it so that it can be done virtually without acupuncture if needed. If you would like to learn more about the 4 Week Stress Release click HERE.