How does psychological stress affect the body’s immunity to infection?
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Picture a lake that’s normally filled with a bunch of fish. When the lake’s water levels are stable, the fish can swim and enjoy life. But when the lake is disturbed, for example by a storm, the fish are disturbed too. A storm (distress, causing high levels of cortisol) disturbs the water and the fish suffer too (the body’s ability to produce white blood cells is suppressed).
Stress is really just your body being in prepared mode. All your body’s resources are being prioritized towards being able to respond quickly to a dangerous or unforseen circumstance. That means that your body has fewer resources available to maintain stuff like your immune system.
Is this why PTSD patients have physiological changes to their brain?
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