Memory Loss Due To Stress: What Does It Consist Of?

Memory loss due to stress is much more common than we think. This cognitive failure occurs constantly and generates worry and anxiety: we forget appointments, conversations, names and even that very important item that we had to buy. We have difficulty retaining information and even recovering already consolidated memories.

We often hear that memory is a treasure that we must keep with special care and delicacy, however, something that, no doubt, all of us have experienced at some point is that just when we need it most, it fails us. Furthermore, when we suffer from these momentary and even disconcerting failures, we often see them with a certain fear: is this the first sign of dementia?

It is not advisable to rush. Before thinking about cognitive deterioration, let’s consider a factor that explains about 80% of minor memory failures: stress. However, far from breathing relief after having ruled out early dementia, it is important to consider a fact: chronic stress and anxiety disorders sustained over time alter the functioning of the brain and several of its structures.

The brain is very vulnerable to our lifestyle and specifically the way we manage our everyday worries and tensions.

Memory Loss Due to Stress: Why Does It Occur?

Sometimes we do this, we leave work and get home on “autopilot”. As we crossed the threshold of our house, we clapped our hands over our heads in anger and sheer amazement:  how could I forget to pick up my son from English class? We left running and just when we got to the car, we realized we didn’t have the keys.

The exhausting circle into which stress and anxiety lead us is immense. Surreal situations like this are common, as is the feeling that we are losing control of our lives. At the end of the day, few things can be more distressing than forgetting something that is relevant in everyday life, decisive for us to feel competent and responsible.

If we ask ourselves now what is behind stress-related memory loss, we should name an old acquaintance, the hormone cortisol. This glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal gland is released in response to stress. However, the fact that peak cortisol increases at any given time beyond its usual levels poses no problem. In fact, a small increase in this hormone at a specific time improves the formation of new memories.

What is worrying is when the release of glucocorticoids occurs steadily and for weeks or months. It will be then that we will have difficulties to remember information and retrieve existing ones.

Let’s see what impact this can have on our brain

Effects of cortisol on our brain

• Excess cortisol in the brain acts as a toxic substance.
• The hippocampus, associated with memory and our emotions, loses volume.
• Memory loss due to stress is also associated with the fact that cortisol hinders the correct circulation of blood to the brain. We have fewer nutrients and less oxygen, and all of this causes a greater risk of stroke, stroke, and so on. It is a fact that we must consider.

• On the other hand, if the cortisol release is constant, we will notice another effect: we will release less endorphins and this will mean greater discomfort, a clear inability to enjoy the activities that were once enjoyable for us: sports, sharing laughs and good times with others , The feeding.
• Last but not least, it is worth emphasizing that cortisol also affects our sleep-wake cycles : we suffer from periods of insomnia or nights of continuous awakenings.

What can we do to reduce stress-related memory loss?

If we find that in the last few weeks or months we are experiencing unusual memory loss, the best thing to do is to see a doctor. Sometimes  these failures can be associated with poor nutrition (vitamin B12 or vitamin D deficiency). Furthermore, disorders such as hypothyroidism can also determine these cognitive changes. Therefore, and to avoid these concerns, it is recommended to speak with specialized professionals.

Once the organic problems have been discarded, we’ll approach the issue in the most appropriate way: managing stress. Let’s look at some tips.

• Identify your stressors. Become aware of how your body reacts: muscle tension, stiff neck, shoulders, jaw, heart palpitations…
• Stress is not managed by avoiding focuses that make us calm. It is managed by facing threatening stimuli face to face, setting priorities, deciding, taking control over reality itself.
• Make use of proper breathing techniques.
• Reinterpret your reality: become aware of what is really important in your life, slow down, enjoy the present in a more relaxed way.

• Eat healthy: fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of water, oats, valerian infusions, chamomile tea.
• Magnesium-based supplements are excellent for protecting our brain from the effects of stress.
• Go for a walk every day for half an hour: you’ll clear your mind, take on new perspectives and improve your blood circulation so that more oxygen and nutrients reach your brain.

In conclusion, memory loss due to stress can completely alter our lives. If we don’t deal with the problem at the root, this stress will intensify even more until it reaches more areas, and our mood will decrease… Let us learn, therefore, to slow down, not to want to go faster than life. Our health is the most important.