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Showing posts from April, 2012

Stress and Health

We have all heard that stress can have harmful effects on our health.  The CDC published a paper entitled "The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across The Lifespan" which outlines that, although beneficial in small doses, stress can have very detrimental effects on those who have been exposed to it repeatedly from a very young age.  Abused and neglected children are particularly at risk.  Toxic stress can affect brain development, the immune system, learning and memorization.  It also increases a person's risk of depression, substance abuse and suicide into adulthood. Toxic stress includes bullying and there again, the effects on the victims' health are long lasting. According to a study conducted across a sample of 3,000 adults and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, those who were bullied as children do suffer emotionally and physically as adults.  Symptoms vary and include depression, anxiety, fatigue, pain and frequ...