"Stress Ages you"

[CantDoIt]

I love how we have a mechanism built in to our biology that makes us look older and worsens our health when stressed. Is this just to make sure humans are further tormented and punished for daring to have emotions? I absolutely hate human biology, I can't believe that it works this way.

In fact, most living things are aged by stress and have their health worsen, even if they don't physically age the same way. This world is so stupid and awful.

Get through a stressful period of life only to look older than your peers or to have your health worsen and further stress you. What a great evolutionary adaptation. Just makes sure that some people are mercilessly taken out of the gene pool I guess.

 

[Eternal Eyes]

Yep, IBS, hair loss, ED, insomnia, high blood pressure, the list goes on and on. It's like kicking someone while they're down.

 

[CantDoIt]

I'm starting to look like one of those presidents before and after their term photos.

 

[destinationlosangel]

I was just thinking about something similar to this. About how our world is basically a place where people with emotions and good hearts usually end up suffering the most while people who 'win' in this game of life are mostly psychopaths. I watch interviews of many politicians and top CEO level people and see zero emotion or kindness in their hearts.

So yeah, you're stressed out because you care. I wish there was some reward system for being a good person. I dont think anyone's ever tried that in human history. Or have they? I'm talking in a non Orwellian manner.

 

[finallydone]

well i always looked older than my peers so i don't know if i was always stressed out from the beginning or my already horrendous generics expressing themselves

 

[geogaddi_676]

Anxiety and stress is supposed to be a short term way for your body to redirect its energies, mostly to make you hyperalert and vigilant to immediate dangers so you have a greater chance of solving the problem and getting yourself out of harms way, i.e. a predator or being in a situation that could get you socially ostracised. Your body will sacrifice the maintenance of the body and immune system functioning and flood the system with cortisol and adrenaline to give you the stimulus you need to deal with the danger, that could potentially put your life at risk. Humans because of the unnatural environment we have created for ourselves through the process of civilisation have created generalised anxiety disorder, where you are faced with problems that have no easy or quick solution, so instead of a few seconds of anxiety, people go about there wholes lives in a permanent state of vigilance and anxious arousal. Obv this will have very negative affects on the immune system, skin and hair, cardiovascular system etc, all ageing us much quicker. There is a good book on this called Why zebras don't get ulcers by Robert Sapolsky which basically makes this argument and why modernity, specifically economic inequality is so bad for our health. sorry if rambling on about the obvious,he made a good documentary about Stress also which is free on youtube if interested;]

 

[CantDoIt]

Anxiety and stress is supposed to be a short term way for your body to redirect its energies, mostly to make you hyperalert and vigilant to immediate dangers so you have a greater chance of solving the problem and getting yourself out of harms way, i.e. a predator or being in a situation that could get you socially ostracised. Your body will sacrifice the maintenance of the body and immune system functioning and flood the system with cortisol and adrenaline to give you the stimulus you need to deal with the danger, that could potentially put your life at risk. Humans because of the unnatural environment we have created for ourselves through the process of civilisation have created generalised anxiety disorder, where you are faced with problems that have no easy or quick solution, so instead of a few seconds of anxiety, people go about there wholes lives in a permanent state of vigilance and anxious arousal. Obv this will have very negative affects on the immune system, skin and hair, cardiovascular system etc, all ageing us much quicker. There is a good book on this called Why zebras don't get ulcers by Robert Sapolsky which basically makes this argument and why modernity, specifically economic inequality is so bad for our health. sorry if rambling on about the obvious,he made a good documentary about Stress also which is free on youtube if interested;]

That's really interesting and I totally believe this and it makes utter sense. I hope if we ever get another chance to live it's in a future where we've created total equality or on another planet that isn't so messed up. The way that people WANT it to run this way is so inhumane and twisted. Just toss all of those undesirables into the mulcher I guess.

 

[-Link-]

Does stress age a person?

Or does stress make somebody more prone to behaviours/habits that age them? Maybe this question is one in the same.

IRL, I'm by far the most persistently stressed-out person I know. But I look a lot younger than I actually am.

Maybe I'm an exception to a general rule. Also, I don't get out much so I'm sure my lack of sun exposure has something to do with it.

 

[CantDoIt]

Does stress age a person?

Or does stress make somebody more prone to behaviours/habits that age them? Maybe this question is one in the same.

IRL, I'm by far the most persistently stressed-out person I know. But I look a lot younger than I actually am.

Maybe I'm an exception to a general rule. Also, I don't get out much so I'm sure my lack of sun exposure has something to do with it.

It does after some time, but it's also based on genetics. So you'll see people who have always tanned and smoked looking young because of genetics, or someone looking older despite minimal sun exposure because of stress. It happens more to people with specific skin types / sensitive skin.

If you have thick skin or hold a lot of facial fat it will take longer to effect you. Diet matters also so yeah I'm sure plenty of depressed people have bad diets but it's not the only issue. Stress destroys collagen and elastic, specifically the stress hormone cortisol. It also destroys hair pigment and causes hair loss.

 

[MyTimeIsUp]

Look at soldiers pre and post war - aged at least 20 years from all the horrific things they've been through.

A family member of mine is a mere 2 years older than me and looks 10 years older. He was in the army for just over a decade. Most of his army friends are dead from suicide, bombs etc.

 

[prone2fury]

Anxiety and stress is supposed to be a short term way for your body to redirect its energies, mostly to make you hyperalert and vigilant to immediate dangers so you have a greater chance of solving the problem and getting yourself out of harms way, i.e. a predator or being in a situation that could get you socially ostracised. Your body will sacrifice the maintenance of the body and immune system functioning and flood the system with cortisol and adrenaline to give you the stimulus you need to deal with the danger, that could potentially put your life at risk. Humans because of the unnatural environment we have created for ourselves through the process of civilisation have created generalised anxiety disorder, where you are faced with problems that have no easy or quick solution, so instead of a few seconds of anxiety, people go about there wholes lives in a permanent state of vigilance and anxious arousal. Obv this will have very negative affects on the immune system, skin and hair, cardiovascular system etc, all ageing us much quicker. There is a good book on this called Why zebras don't get ulcers by Robert Sapolsky which basically makes this argument and why modernity, specifically economic inequality is so bad for our health. sorry if rambling on about the obvious,he made a good documentary about Stress also which is free on youtube if interested;]

I didn't know all of that. Humankind is despicable for creating such conditions. I hope the next generations realize this and refuse to reproduce.

 

[finallydone]

Humans because of the unnatural environment we have created for ourselves through the process of civilisation have created generalised anxiety disorder, where you are faced with problems that have no easy or quick solution, so instead of a few seconds of anxiety, people go about there wholes lives in a permanent state of vigilance and anxious arousal.

but do all problems need a quick solution ?

 

[landslide2]

Stress not only ages you, but it's as they say, a silent killer.

 

[geogaddi_676]

but do all problems need a quick solution ?

Well the way we evolved for 99% of human history, the kind of problems we were faced with were either immediate and required quick and deliberate action, or were problems that we and our ancestors had dealt with repeatedly for generation after generation, for example a storm destroying a hut, or following migrations of game for food. In other words not the kind of novel or complicated situations we now face with constantly changing technology and job/housing/dating market etc, not getting our basic need met and living in unnatural ways that make us feel isolated and alienated from others and what we need to do in order to survive. If our survival is threatened due to uncertainty or we are not getting our basic needs met, our body will respond with stress until we get out of that situation, but in many cases there isn't any kind of realistic solution for people, and so people respond by feeling hopeless and depressed. Im a bit drunk and finding it hard to get words out but will try and finish the point in the morning,if I remember;]

 

[Trav1989]

Stress most certainly aged me quite a bit. I was maybe 5% grey 2 years ago and now I'm around 70% grey and my hair has also thinned. I've also developed bags under my eyes and my skin isn't as vibrant.

It's at the point where when I run into people I hadn't seen in a few months they occasionally don't recognize me at first.

My heart has also taken a beating metaphorically and literally and the depression has worsened my health to where my blood pressure is higher and I can get dizzy if too active despite being 30 pounds lighter than I was a year ago.

Stress also causes your health to decline by affecting your decision-making skills and habits. I'm far more keen on taking risks these days because I just don't care if I get injured and I have also taken up smoking cigarettes.

My diet and physical condition has deteriorated massively as well, I used to eat a high protein diet, drank zero soda pop, consumed very little sugar, and was physically fit.

Now I'm hardly eating at all and when I do it's usually a candy bar and a diet mountain dew (I dislike the regular as it's too syrupy).

Stress causes what were once low-energy tasks to become far more taxing. I used to be able to clean my house, wash the dishes, and do the laundry in half an hour. Now doing basic upkeep takes me over an hour.

Stress causes a snowball effect where you barely notice the negatives at first but before you know it you look in the mirror and can hardly recognize yourself and feel a decade older than you did before you dealt with it regularly.

My old boss used to catch hell for going almost completely grey and balding at 30 years-old and now I can empathize. He was going through a high-stress job, a divorce, large amounts of debt, and had two young kids.