Can Extreme Stress Lead to Depression? Insights from a Psychologist | Safe and Sound
In today's fast-paced life, pressure from work, finances, relationships, and unexpected events in life makes psychological stress more and more common. But does extreme stress really lead to depression? Let's listen to the analysis from a psychologist to better understand this connection and how to protect your own mental health.
Phi Thuy Linh | Bachelor of Public Health – Mental Health Care Application Safe and Sound
Institute of Medical Technology Applications
1. What is stress? A psychological expert's perspective
Stress is the body's natural response to life's pressures.
According to many psychologists, stress is the body's natural response to demands, pressures, or threats from the environment. A moderate level of stress can help people stay alert and focused and adapt to challenges. However, when stress becomes excessive, prolonged, and uncontrollable, it will seriously affect both physical and mental health.
Psychologists say that each person has a different threshold for stress tolerance, depending on personality, life experience, family background, and individual coping ability. Importantly, when stress exceeds tolerance, the body and mind will start to "send warning signals."
2. How does extreme stress affect mental health?
Psychologists point out that extreme stress not only affects blood pressure, the immune system, or digestion, but also has a profound negative impact on the brain. Some of the effects include:
- Hormonal imbalance: When you are stressed, your body releases more cortisol—the stress hormone. Chronically high levels of cortisol can damage brain cells and mess with your mood.
- Reduced ability to regulate emotions: Stress damages the hippocampus—an area involved in memory and the ability to manage emotions.
- Changes in brain structure: According to research by psychological experts, prolonged stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, which controls logical thinking and decision-making.
From these effects, psychologists emphasize that stress not only causes temporary discomfort but is also "fertile ground" for mental disorders, especially depression, to arise.
3. How does extreme stress lead to depression?
According to psychologists, extreme stress can lead to depression through several mechanisms.
3.1. HPA axis dysfunction—Biological mechanism of chronic stress
Under conditions of high stress, the central nervous system responds by activating the HPA (Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal) axis. This axis regulates the release of cortisol—the main stress hormone.
- In the short term, cortisol helps the body fight stress (increases heart rate, increases energy, increases reactivity).
- Long-term, persistently high cortisol levels damage:
- Hippocampus: the area of memory and emotional regulation. Cortisol breaks down nerve cells here, reducing the ability to process positive information and enhancing negative memories.
- Prefrontal cortex: the area that controls logical thinking and decision-making. When the function of this area is impaired, the patient can easily fall into a spiral of negative thinking and lose direction.
- Amygdala: the center for processing emotions, especially fear and anger. Under chronic stress, the amygdala becomes overactive, making the patient prone to anxiety and loss of emotional control.
Result: People who are chronically stressed begin to lose their ability to “heal” and regulate their emotions, leading to depression.
3.2. Depletion of psychological and emotional resources
Psychologists often describe humans as a “psychological energy system.” In a normal state, the body uses this energy to solve problems, regulate emotions, and maintain social connections. When extreme stress occurs, you must continuously expend energy to face the crisis, while there is no time to recover. Without proper support, you will:
- Gradually become insensitive to the environment.
- Loss of ability to respond to positivity.
- Falling into a state of emotional exhaustion—the foundation for the development of depression.
3.3. Loss of self-confidence
Under the prolonged impact of stress, self-confidence and self-belief gradually disappear and become negative.
- “I am a failure.”
- “Nobody cares about me.”
- “There is no way to change.”
These negative beliefs are formed by repeated, unhealed traumatic experiences. Psychologists call this Beck’s “negative cognitive triangle” model – the theoretical foundation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating depression.
3.4. Loss of social connection—an invisible form of loss
Humans are social creatures. When stress occurs, many people tend to:
- Withdraw
- Avoid contact.
- Reduce interaction with loved ones.
From a psychological perspective, this is not only a change in behavior but also a social loss, causing the individual to lose one of the important psychological protective factors: the social support system.
With no one to listen to, no one to share with, the feeling of emotional loneliness becomes a silent trigger leading to depression, even suicidal thoughts.
3.5. Negative Behavioral Spiral
Extreme stress causes individuals to develop behaviors that are detrimental to mental health:
- Insomnia.
- Skipping meals or binge eating.
- Abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and stimulants.
- Stop exercising.
- Procrastination, loss of motivation to work.
These behaviors may provide a temporary sense of “escapism,” but over time they can create feelings of loss of control, worthlessness, and helplessness—which can lead to depression.
Negative behaviors create a feeling of loss of control
4. People susceptible to depression due to stress
According to analysis from psychological experts, some groups of people are particularly susceptible to developing depression when under extreme stress:
- People with a history of mental disorders (anxiety, depression...)
- People with genetic factors for depression
- People who have experienced psychological trauma such as abuse or loss of a loved one
- People lacking social support networks (family, friends)
- People facing prolonged economic, career or academic pressure
Psychologists emphasize that understanding one's own risks will help each person proactively prevent them better.
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See also:
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